This is my first costume that I've ever completed. I have a bunch of WIP pics I can post if people want to see. I'm just excited enough that I managed to 'finish' something for once.
It's not perfect. The flaws bug the crap out of me. But I'm just a beginner, so I'll just put up the pictures of the final costume and say a few words on the construction.
I originally asked for help here a few months ago on the mask and I went along with the advice. I already had a plaster face cast made a while ago, so I sculpted a mask out of sculpey around my face cast as the base. Lots of sanding. So much that I accidentally made a crack between the nose and mouth. I was so discouraged by that.
I eventually enlisted the help of my housemate who really likes working on painting cars, so he took over with the sanding, priming, painting, and polishing until it gleamed bright. He filled in the crack with JBWeld and it has held up really well. I can't take credit entirely for the mask. I'm happy he had the patience to finish it right and I can learn from him.
The head shroud was made as close to the pattern I found on an old thread on this forum. out of white satin. The robe is just a modified version of Simplicity 9887 robe pattern, trying to mimic the look of the robes in the movie.
It took some effort to figure out how to sew sharp corners for the flames in the lycra body suit, but once again, the Internet helps out thanks to this Youtube video.
I had no idea how to really make the lifeclock. I've 'never' done any casting, and I couldn't find anything available online ready made. So I sculpted a lifeclock as best I could out of sculpey, then bought stuff from Smooth-On. Polyurethane rubber to make the mold, then Epoxycast with red coloring for the actual lifeclock.
The funny thing is after doing all that, the first test palm crystals looked kinda like a jujyfruit. If only the red ones were the right shape instead of the purple ones.
I used a tiny PIC10F206 microcontroller with the simplest program in the world, to blink an LED at a rate of about 1Hz. Sanded down a bright red LED, soldered the chip to the LED with leads for a 3V coin cell coming out the back and cast it in epoxy. Then I soldered the leads to a CR1616 battery clip and JBWelded the clip to the back of the lifeclock. Spirit gum keeps it held to my palm.
There are so many flaws to the suit as it is that I cringe every time I look at it. But I'm so glad I managed to get this costume made. It's my first full costume. I get to wear it this weekend for the first time, and I hope I'll get to wear it at a SF con soon.
It's not perfect. The flaws bug the crap out of me. But I'm just a beginner, so I'll just put up the pictures of the final costume and say a few words on the construction.
I originally asked for help here a few months ago on the mask and I went along with the advice. I already had a plaster face cast made a while ago, so I sculpted a mask out of sculpey around my face cast as the base. Lots of sanding. So much that I accidentally made a crack between the nose and mouth. I was so discouraged by that.
I eventually enlisted the help of my housemate who really likes working on painting cars, so he took over with the sanding, priming, painting, and polishing until it gleamed bright. He filled in the crack with JBWeld and it has held up really well. I can't take credit entirely for the mask. I'm happy he had the patience to finish it right and I can learn from him.
The head shroud was made as close to the pattern I found on an old thread on this forum. out of white satin. The robe is just a modified version of Simplicity 9887 robe pattern, trying to mimic the look of the robes in the movie.
It took some effort to figure out how to sew sharp corners for the flames in the lycra body suit, but once again, the Internet helps out thanks to this Youtube video.
I had no idea how to really make the lifeclock. I've 'never' done any casting, and I couldn't find anything available online ready made. So I sculpted a lifeclock as best I could out of sculpey, then bought stuff from Smooth-On. Polyurethane rubber to make the mold, then Epoxycast with red coloring for the actual lifeclock.
The funny thing is after doing all that, the first test palm crystals looked kinda like a jujyfruit. If only the red ones were the right shape instead of the purple ones.
I used a tiny PIC10F206 microcontroller with the simplest program in the world, to blink an LED at a rate of about 1Hz. Sanded down a bright red LED, soldered the chip to the LED with leads for a 3V coin cell coming out the back and cast it in epoxy. Then I soldered the leads to a CR1616 battery clip and JBWelded the clip to the back of the lifeclock. Spirit gum keeps it held to my palm.
There are so many flaws to the suit as it is that I cringe every time I look at it. But I'm so glad I managed to get this costume made. It's my first full costume. I get to wear it this weekend for the first time, and I hope I'll get to wear it at a SF con soon.
