Froggie
Well-Known Member
Edward Scissorhands Costume study and WIP thread.
This will be the thread for the costuming part, as the other one will be solely for the hands. Makeup will probably come later.
Warning: This will be a picture heavy thread. As analysis of this costume takes a lot of images I've opted to hide most behind spoilers for ease of use. Proceed with caution.
**2/12/13 UPDATE**
Bad Moon Belt Buckle
In latest post.
**11/10/13 UPDATE**
Belt templates
I've now borrowed a rotary tool from a friend, and I've decided to try to make the belt buckle originals by hand in plywood or from regular boards. It'll give me some practice in real sculpting which I feel is long overdue. Also, it's fun to use.
As I was making templates for the buckles I realized I hadn't really figured out how big they would have to be, so I put the buckles away and proceeded to establish a scale for the belts.
Starting with some cardboard I had over from making the mannequin I cut a 4 inch strip and taped it shut around where it'd sit.
Photographing in the mirror it looked a bit too wide, even though the on-screen belt looked enormous. I cut it down to 3 1/3 inches, but it still seemed too wide, so I cut it further to 3 inches. I then measured the smaller belts to see how wide they were in comparison, and they seemed almost exactly half the width, so I hunted down a 1 1/2 inch working belt and put it around my chest and photographed three times, photoshoping the three belts into one image to make a rough comparison.
Result:
The scale seems close enough for me, so unless someone has some definite measurements they can disclose I'll go with this scale.
Relevant is that I put the topmost belt right under the armpit, as it didn't stay up otherwise. On the original costume it seems to sit a little lower, suspended by the vertical belts. This will allow for more room above for the circlet seam to be fully visible.
The funny pose is for referencing the arm to line up the images somewhat.
Sculpting of the belt buckles will commence tomorrow.
Old
A couple of hours modeling in Blender. It's not finished, but I think that it needs to have its topology fixed before anything else. It's tough to get it right as there seems to be no HD references of it anywhere. If anyone knows any good exhibit pictures where the buckle is seen close-up, feel free to get in touch.
The idea is to have it printed and used to mold the real deal in resin or, if I find any shop that will do it for a reasonable price, cast it in brass.
Edward Scissorhands v2 Costume Study
I've liked the costume design of Edward Scissorhands for a long time, and have had the ambition to make the full costume for some years now. Last year I went with the light, quick and dirty version which was a huge success at Halloween. Now I'm aiming to create a very accurate full body costume, hopefully to wear on conventions/parties and to enter into a contest or two.
The idea here is that I'll document the process so that others don't have to start from scratch when they attempt their own builds, similar to how other costumes have a repository of information and guides.
There are several sources of reference for this costume; The movie, the exhibit photographs, the manequins, the toys and movie memorabilia. Sadly many of the artifacts are damaged , not complete or not presented as they were in the movie when they show up out of the movie itself. This coupled with the amount of detail, and how difficult it is to see them with almost everything being a shade of black have resulted in me opting to use still images of the blueray copy as far as possible. Sometimes I'll reference other sources but hopefully the movie takes main priority.
I have not visited any of the exhibits, but if I ever get the opportunity I'll probably take it. As of now I have only the images of others to complement my references.
I've also ordered The Winston Effect to get an insight into the making of the costume.
I have broken the costume down to main elements, to make it easier to study and create, but also to have the different pieces attach and come off to increase performance when on conventions and parties. I might change the layout if The Winston Effect mentions some better system, but I'm sticking with this as of now.
These elements will then be studies separately,
The different Main Elements are:
The Gorget
The Torso
The Torso Belts
The Legs (Study not started)
The Leg Belts (Study not started)
The Codpiece (Study not started)
The Boots (Not shown)(Study not started)
*Click for animation and bigger view*
The Gorget
*Seems to be made out of 3 shiny vinyl or laque belts stitched together on top of each other, either with thick linen thread or thin round leather cord. It's pretty much imposible to know which from video alone, but if anyone who's seen the real exhibit took any notes on this I'd be happy if you'd share.
*The belts come to an end with straight triangle cuts at roughly 45 degrees, pointed downward.
*Does not seem to have any holes except the ones that fastens the buckles.
*Seems to be sewn to a shiny, thin leather or vinyl piece that goes below the Torso piece.
*Depending on the length of your neck the measurements of the belts vary, but I found that a 2 cm belt stacked 3 times covers just about the same amount of neck that the costume does. Make a mock-up gorget to be sure.
*Buckles are not round but modeled slightly off, with some kind of decoration to them. Model in 3d or clay and mold in resin.
The Torso
The Torso Belts
The Hands (Study not started)
The Legs (Study not started)
The Leg Belts (Study not started)
The Codpiece (Study not started)
The Boots (Not shown)(Study not started)
The old costume, worn for Halloween.
This will be the thread for the costuming part, as the other one will be solely for the hands. Makeup will probably come later.
Warning: This will be a picture heavy thread. As analysis of this costume takes a lot of images I've opted to hide most behind spoilers for ease of use. Proceed with caution.
**2/12/13 UPDATE**
Bad Moon Belt Buckle
In latest post.
**11/10/13 UPDATE**
Belt templates
I've now borrowed a rotary tool from a friend, and I've decided to try to make the belt buckle originals by hand in plywood or from regular boards. It'll give me some practice in real sculpting which I feel is long overdue. Also, it's fun to use.
As I was making templates for the buckles I realized I hadn't really figured out how big they would have to be, so I put the buckles away and proceeded to establish a scale for the belts.
Starting with some cardboard I had over from making the mannequin I cut a 4 inch strip and taped it shut around where it'd sit.
Photographing in the mirror it looked a bit too wide, even though the on-screen belt looked enormous. I cut it down to 3 1/3 inches, but it still seemed too wide, so I cut it further to 3 inches. I then measured the smaller belts to see how wide they were in comparison, and they seemed almost exactly half the width, so I hunted down a 1 1/2 inch working belt and put it around my chest and photographed three times, photoshoping the three belts into one image to make a rough comparison.
Result:
The scale seems close enough for me, so unless someone has some definite measurements they can disclose I'll go with this scale.
Relevant is that I put the topmost belt right under the armpit, as it didn't stay up otherwise. On the original costume it seems to sit a little lower, suspended by the vertical belts. This will allow for more room above for the circlet seam to be fully visible.
The funny pose is for referencing the arm to line up the images somewhat.
Sculpting of the belt buckles will commence tomorrow.
Old
A couple of hours modeling in Blender. It's not finished, but I think that it needs to have its topology fixed before anything else. It's tough to get it right as there seems to be no HD references of it anywhere. If anyone knows any good exhibit pictures where the buckle is seen close-up, feel free to get in touch.
The idea is to have it printed and used to mold the real deal in resin or, if I find any shop that will do it for a reasonable price, cast it in brass.
Edward Scissorhands v2 Costume Study
I've liked the costume design of Edward Scissorhands for a long time, and have had the ambition to make the full costume for some years now. Last year I went with the light, quick and dirty version which was a huge success at Halloween. Now I'm aiming to create a very accurate full body costume, hopefully to wear on conventions/parties and to enter into a contest or two.
The idea here is that I'll document the process so that others don't have to start from scratch when they attempt their own builds, similar to how other costumes have a repository of information and guides.
There are several sources of reference for this costume; The movie, the exhibit photographs, the manequins, the toys and movie memorabilia. Sadly many of the artifacts are damaged , not complete or not presented as they were in the movie when they show up out of the movie itself. This coupled with the amount of detail, and how difficult it is to see them with almost everything being a shade of black have resulted in me opting to use still images of the blueray copy as far as possible. Sometimes I'll reference other sources but hopefully the movie takes main priority.
I have not visited any of the exhibits, but if I ever get the opportunity I'll probably take it. As of now I have only the images of others to complement my references.
I've also ordered The Winston Effect to get an insight into the making of the costume.
I have broken the costume down to main elements, to make it easier to study and create, but also to have the different pieces attach and come off to increase performance when on conventions and parties. I might change the layout if The Winston Effect mentions some better system, but I'm sticking with this as of now.
These elements will then be studies separately,
The different Main Elements are:
The Gorget
The Torso
The Torso Belts
The Legs (Study not started)
The Leg Belts (Study not started)
The Codpiece (Study not started)
The Boots (Not shown)(Study not started)
*Click for animation and bigger view*
The Gorget
*Seems to be made out of 3 shiny vinyl or laque belts stitched together on top of each other, either with thick linen thread or thin round leather cord. It's pretty much imposible to know which from video alone, but if anyone who's seen the real exhibit took any notes on this I'd be happy if you'd share.
*The belts come to an end with straight triangle cuts at roughly 45 degrees, pointed downward.
*Does not seem to have any holes except the ones that fastens the buckles.
*Seems to be sewn to a shiny, thin leather or vinyl piece that goes below the Torso piece.
*Depending on the length of your neck the measurements of the belts vary, but I found that a 2 cm belt stacked 3 times covers just about the same amount of neck that the costume does. Make a mock-up gorget to be sure.
*Buckles are not round but modeled slightly off, with some kind of decoration to them. Model in 3d or clay and mold in resin.
The Torso
*Layout*
The torso is patchwork of many different leather, vinyl and rubber materials.
What I've gathered it's made from roughly these patches.
There appears to be an open seam between the right(blue) and left(red) panels. If the left one overlapped and fastened behind one of the belts it would make it much easier to getting in and out of the costume, without needing to hide zippers.
*Still looking for a reference from the movie for this*
*Materials and Putting it together*
The Circlet (red) seems to be made out of rubber. It's not flat black, but has a texture too it: small round dents, almost like a cell structure.
It's finished around the neck with a very uneven stitch of 2-3 mm black flat leather cord. There is also a seam on the right shoulder, but not on the left. Experimenting working on my original costume showed me that you need to fit this one, so it's probably from that process that it's there.
These two images clearly show the texture
Here we see that it isn't rigid, but that it can flex and wrinkle
I have found what I believe is an almost exact match, and it's the backside of one of those heavy-duty rubber entry carpets that some companies have in the lobby. I don't have a specific brand, but I'll get on that soon. There seems to be both a glossy black and a more neutral one. The neutral one is the one you need, preferably one with black "fluff", just to make sure no color shows. Just flip it over and measure from a pattern and you'll be good. You'll also need to buff it with sandpaper to get the right texture and feel to it, or you could see if you can get one for free or cheap by buying it used. That'll probably give you the exact right amount of wear, as the carpet slides around somewhat and gets worn that way.
Just make sure to examine it before buying it. Nearby warehouses or industries should carry what you need. Also make sure that it's sturdy quality. I used one that had the right texture but was more of a plastic brush on top, which was a bad idea as it almost broke when I sew in it.
The torso is patchwork of many different leather, vinyl and rubber materials.
What I've gathered it's made from roughly these patches.
There appears to be an open seam between the right(blue) and left(red) panels. If the left one overlapped and fastened behind one of the belts it would make it much easier to getting in and out of the costume, without needing to hide zippers.
*Still looking for a reference from the movie for this*
*Materials and Putting it together*
The Circlet (red) seems to be made out of rubber. It's not flat black, but has a texture too it: small round dents, almost like a cell structure.
It's finished around the neck with a very uneven stitch of 2-3 mm black flat leather cord. There is also a seam on the right shoulder, but not on the left. Experimenting working on my original costume showed me that you need to fit this one, so it's probably from that process that it's there.
These two images clearly show the texture
Here we see that it isn't rigid, but that it can flex and wrinkle
I have found what I believe is an almost exact match, and it's the backside of one of those heavy-duty rubber entry carpets that some companies have in the lobby. I don't have a specific brand, but I'll get on that soon. There seems to be both a glossy black and a more neutral one. The neutral one is the one you need, preferably one with black "fluff", just to make sure no color shows. Just flip it over and measure from a pattern and you'll be good. You'll also need to buff it with sandpaper to get the right texture and feel to it, or you could see if you can get one for free or cheap by buying it used. That'll probably give you the exact right amount of wear, as the carpet slides around somewhat and gets worn that way.
Just make sure to examine it before buying it. Nearby warehouses or industries should carry what you need. Also make sure that it's sturdy quality. I used one that had the right texture but was more of a plastic brush on top, which was a bad idea as it almost broke when I sew in it.
The Torso Belts
The belts are iconic to the costume, but it's difficult to pin down the materials.
To complicate things, the museum and exhibit photos often lack some belts or they're arranged differently than they were in the movie.
Breakdown:
To complicate things, the museum and exhibit photos often lack some belts or they're arranged differently than they were in the movie.
Breakdown:
- Smooth leather without pattern on it. Ca 4-5 cm in width? Seems to be a little bit shinier than 2, or perhaps a bit lighter in color.
4 cm feels a bit thin, but 5 seems too broad. Have to try out with cardboard cutouts and compare.
It has very big, varied rivets or buttons in center all the way around. It also has a rather big (?) black eyelet on the backside coinciding with where the right suspender attaches. Perhaps this goes through both and secures the suspender? The exhibit photos shows that the right suspender has been moved to the left shoulder, but it attaches so far left in the movie version that it could easily still look okay. I've been unable to find good photos from the back of the exhibit costume.
Best bet is to find suitable buttons for each one and go from there. Alternatively I could cast my own from old buttons or from 3d printed 3d modeled replicas to create a rivet-kit for the future,
On the number and placement of these buttons, the first one on the front looks to sit just left of the center, and then they sit at regular intervals all the way round. There is one under the left suspender, but it shows in extreme motion (image 3 below) also showing that the suspender is not anchored firmly at that place. There doesn't appear to be any under his right arm (image 4) and only 4 on the right side of the eyelet on the back. This is confirmed by the exhibit photos, where the belts are pulled forward towards the left. The same two buttons at the end.
My estimate is that there are 12-14 buttons, with 12-13 being most likely: 4 to the right of the eyelet in the back, 4 visible from the front (with one hidden beneath the suspender) and 4-5 between the eyelet and the last visible front button. 3 of these are visible when Edward is led to the house by Peg. As they sit at regular intervals it's rather easy to adjust according to how big you are, but what kind of buttons are supposed to sit there is another issue entirely.
I wont go into specific buttons right now, but there are combinations of the same kind. If there is a pattern I'm not yet aware of it. A listing of types is coming.
- Second Belt
Appears darker in color than the first, and/or less shiny. It might be just a pinch wider as well, but this could be an illusion.
It has two kinds of rivets. A single, round, medium size rivet about 1 cm after the keeper that looks like it reinforces the loop at the end. It doesn't look to be dead center, but slightly raised. It seems to be rather flat and not spherical, and chromed.
The other kind are oval, smooth, about twice as broad as they are high and raised from the surface. They sit at an alternating pattern, start with the top roughly one belt width from the chromed rivet, and end with the lower one, which means their number is even, given that there are no interruptions along the way.
- Third Belt
- Fourth Belt
- Right suspender
- Left suspender
The Hands (Study not started)
The Legs (Study not started)
The Leg Belts (Study not started)
The Codpiece (Study not started)
The Boots (Not shown)(Study not started)
The old costume, worn for Halloween.
Last edited:
