Mass Effect 3 : Ashley Williams and M8 Avenger finished (pics on page 2)

Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

So it's a spray-on primer you use then? Could be problematic for me - for financial reasons I'm back living with my parents for a while and I can't see my mum being too happy about me primering up her lawn! I may have to have a nose around B&Q and see what's available.

What glue do you use? My friend bought me a gluegun and some gluesticks cos he knows I like craft stuff but I haven't actually used it yet - reckon that's all I'd need?
 
Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

I sprayed all the parts in my tiny flat, I put a plastic sheet over my bath and sprayed the parts in there, seems to work and isn't too messy or smelly. Doing in a garden would be much better though and you won't get paint on the lawn, only problem is its a bit cold to be painting outside at this time of year in the UK. I've seen a few people build Shepard Armour with dark grey foam and don't paint it, that's always an option if spray painting is impossible.

Most people do use a hot glue gun and gluesticks, it sticks EVA foam very well, but it can be a bit messy, there are some you tube tutorials e.g. 3 - (Gluing the foam) Foam Pepakura Iron Man Suit/Armor explanation - YouTube on gluing neatly that helped. As I said I found hot glue a bit messy, so I'm mostly now using gap filling super glue, ZAP ZAP-A-GAP brand though (and that what I've just run out of).

Other things you need for working with EVA foam are a very sharp knife (and lots of replacement blades) for cutting it out and a heat gun for molding and shaping the foam, also a Dremel or similar rotary power tool is very useful for tidying up edges etc. There are lots of tips and tutorials on here and the 405th and youtube for working with EVA foam, this is my first project with the stuff at the tutorials I found helped me a lot.
 
Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

Thanks for the info!

The main reason I wanted to use the grey primer is because when I saw you'd done it, it looks great - and doesn't look like foam. That's an effect I really want.
 
Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

Have been busy the couple of weeks and even though I had a few material shortages and a little bout of illness I managed to get a lot done and built the back, and the left shoulder, upper arm, forearm, thigh, shin, boot and glove. The back, shoulder and thigh are PVA'ed, the rest raw foam.



That's the lot, all bits built, Woot! have finished the construction, wasn't sure I'd ever get this far



Now there's just more PVA'ing, filling, sanding, priming and painting. Paintings got me a bit worried, don't won't to make a mess of it at this stage.

I've got a new black spandex one piece under suit which fits nicely and a wig, less happy with the wig though, the style isn't quite right, I'm struggling to find exactly the right one and might have to get one I can restyle to suit.

Also have been trying to figure out how its all going to be worn, am planning to use zips secure the front and back body parts to each other and to secure the shin pieces so I can get my foot in and out of them like boots. The suit needs some webbing as well and that's going to be little tricky as this suit has complex yellow/black/grey stripped straps, I've got some yellow 40mm nylon webbing off ebay and then put a 30mm strip of black iron on repair fabric down the middle, seems to work, but the fine grey stripes over that might be tricky, I might try to iron on some thin strips of grey repair fabric or use very thing strips of styrene painted grey, have to experiment and find what works.

Also plan to put lights in the black pack, but thats a while off yet.
 
Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

Well that’s the painting done. It took a while.



It's more weathered and battle damaged than I originally intended, but most of that is to try and cover up all the mistakes :( (incompatible paints, not waiting long enough for things to dry, masking tape taking bits of paint off, masking tape not masking stuff etc etc, we live and learn). The front torso plate isn't straight is it :facepalm . Its still not finished, have to do the straps which are complicated, they are a non standard colour, but have found a grey paint pen is the best way to put the stripes on. Anyone who knows ME, how come there 3 straps and buckles on the front of the thigh plates and only 2 on the back? Intend to glue one end of the straps to the armour with contact adhesive and put velcro on the other end so I can put it on/take them off, also going to put felt on the back of some of the pieces and straps to help it grip my under suit better, good plan?

For the undersuit I’m going to use is a simple black spandex catsuit, as I mentioned before, but it needs yellow piping around the collar and I’m rubbish at sewing, is there an easy way to do this?

I’m also planning to put 20 yellow LEDs on the black plate in 7 groups, the ones I have are 10ma 1.8 volt, so 20 in parallel running off a 9v battery is, means, I think, I have to put a 75 ohm resister in front of each LED? can anyone confirm?

Also will a gloss clear coat over the top of it all help protect it? the armour in game is glossy but not sure if I want everything really really shinny.

Thanks for any help
 
Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

That looks just awesome, couldn't even tell it's foam.

Nice to see someone going the extra mile with ME armor and not just relying on the unpainted foam. Much much better looking!
 
Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

For the undersuit I’m going to use is a simple black spandex catsuit, as I mentioned before, but it needs yellow piping around the collar and I’m rubbish at sewing, is there an easy way to do this?

Also will a gloss clear coat over the top of it all help protect it? the armour in game is glossy but not sure if I want everything really really shinny.

Thanks for any help

You could try sewing the piping to some fuseable interfacing, but i'd test the spandex with an iron first on a scrap before my final collar. If it doesn't look good you can sew it to regular interfacing and run top stitches over it. Almost all collars need interfacing to keep from buckling or wrinkling.

This explains it well, under the "Stabilizing" section:
Trick to Sewing Spandex | Entertainment Guide

You definitely need a top clear coat to protect that AWESOME paint job!! If you don't spray it on using spray paint finish, I would use a roller, and semi-gloss or matte tends to show flaws less in flash photos. I like using acrylic wood finish because it is designed to withstand foot traffic, so probably durable enough for costumes in the long term (acrylic is more flexible than most finishes).
 
Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

First test of the full outfit with the wig and makeup. Realise I don't really resemeble the character much, but the original is, I guess, meant to a be in her late 20's, so I'm about 15-20 years too old. Doesn't help she's actually an idealised CG creation too. Oh well.



Hrmmm.... Still have a bit of work to do on the strapping and its mostly customised 40mm Nylon webbing held on with glue and velcro, think I've made a big mistake by putting the rough side of the velcro on the armour, it acts like my spandex undersuit is soft velcro and grips to it, and even one wear has caused some damage :( I might pry it all off and put the soft side on the armour instead. Note the belt straps haven't been finalised and I think I might change the shoulder ones to be 2 separate bits instead of one long one.

Also the fit isn't quite right, those thigh guards should be longer, and the butt guards at the back sit a bit low :( The whole is rather tricky to get on and move in also, I can just about manage a slow walk and a few poses, but won't be much use when the Reapers invade.

Wigs cheap and a bit shinny, think washing it a couple of times will help loose some of the shine? Also it wasn't pulled down quite far enough.

Still have to do the LED's for the back and the piping on the collar, and I haven't even started my M8 Avenger yet, arrgggg, not enough hours in the day :(
 
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Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

Have built the lighting rig for the back weapon mounts and shield generator
It's 20 LED, each with a 75 ohm resister wired in parallel to a 9v battery



Originally went with a 9v PP3 cell but was disappointed with its life and brightness, talked to friends who new more about electronics than I do and they thought 9v was a bad idea anyway, its way to high for the LEDs anyway and PP3 cells are low capacity, but since I had wired it for that and soldered all the joints its was a bit late to change. So to comprise I got a 6AA cell holder from Maplin and put 6x2300ma rechargeable AAs, that seemed give more light and last a lot longer and the battery box fitted the space I had made in the back plate nicely. Adds a bit more weight though.



Tried to defuse the LED's with hot glue and some frosted milk bottle plastic over the top but its not that effective (its OK in the photo but IRL you can see each LED easily). EL wire or tape would of been better I guess.

Have also redone all the straps and velcro, soft side now faces the under suit. Have a problem with the thigh plates not staying in place though, the leg straps doesn’t hold them up, I going to have to try and rig some sort of vertical strap that attaches then to the under suit, or perhaps to something like a suspender belt (erm garter belt in the US?) worn under it. Have also started putting some clear coat on the finished parts, but have to be careful as it can run, and have to be careful with the ventilation, it doesn’t smell bad, but it gave me a headache after doing a couple of bits. Have also started on my M8 avenger tonight, thought about trying to do it in Styrofoam or mod a nerf gun, but its going to be a few sheets of EVA foam glued together and dremeled into submission.


I wanted to have everything ready for MCM expo on the 25th, that dates approaching far too rapidly :cry Am also worried about the practically and robustness of the suit at an event, it could fall of or bits could break :unsure.
 
Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

Your armour looks really good, I'd like to try Ashley Williams some day, I'm thinking of her ME1 default armour
 
Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

Have built the lighting rig for the back weapon mounts and shield generator
It's 20 LED, each with a 75 ohm resister wired in parallel to a 9v battery

[url]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7282/8737012644_9b29920ba5.jpg[/url]




[url]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7286/8735893237_b942e4f20d.jpg[/url]

Tried to defuse the LED's with hot glue and some frosted milk bottle plastic over the top but its not that effective (its OK in the photo but IRL you can see each LED easily). EL wire or tape would of been better I guess.

Have also redone all the straps and velcro, soft side now faces the under suit. Have a problem with the thigh plates not staying in place though, the leg straps doesn’t hold them up, I going to have to try and rig some sort of vertical strap that attaches then to the under suit, or perhaps to something like a suspender belt (erm garter belt in the US?) worn under it.

I wanted to have everything ready for MCM expo on the 25th, that dates approaching far too rapidly :cry Am also worried about the practically and robustness of the suit at an event, it could fall of or bits could break :unsure.

Thanks for posting the LED wiring, it is SO helpful to see what those look like. The fact that you can see the individual lights doesn't really bother me, personally. And for the leg pieces, I did exactly that - anchored them to my waist. They still want to pull themselves down if I try to go up stairs, but a vertical strap that connects to some belt or something would help a lot.

You make a good point about the practicality of a really amazing costume amidst a crowd. Its a bit of a trade off, I think you look great in it and you should show off your hard work - but this is coming from someone who rarely goes to conventions out of fear for damaging costume parts in transit or on the floor. I might suggest finding a photographer, or bringing someone along with a nice camera and getting good pictures before running around too much, that way if things do break, at least you have documentation!
 
Re: Mass Effect Ashley Williams WIP

I felt I needed to accessorise my amour but none of my handbags went with it, so I had to build something. It's supposed to be an "M8 Avenger" rifle from Mass Effect 2&3, its made out of left over EVA foam from my armour project (several thicknesses) and various bits of plumbing supplies, pens and a torch from the pound shop formed the sight, so it should be con safe as it couldn't hurt someone even I I threw it at them. I started with that M8 Avenger template that's floating around the web, but modified it a bit to suit the foam I had



Unfortunately Its more than a bit rough and ready, certainly not a hero grade prop at all, more like a 10th row back uncredited extra's who only barely glimpsed on screen for 3 seconds one, I was pushed for time (am trying to get it ready for this Saturday) yeah that's my excuse, not because I'm crap at stuff like this, oh no ;) Paint work isn't finished yet, hopefully it will look a bit better with some dry brushing, detailing and lettering. Hopefully.

I made it 27" long (was limited by the size of the foam I had), which might be a bit on the small side, esp compared to me as I'm a rather gigantic 6' 1", but its sits nicely in my hand and the stock and grips feel about right and I don't think it looks that big in game anyway, its more sort of a compact carbine than a dirty great rifle.

The M8 is sort of the Mass Effect signature weapon and its fairly simple compared to the other rifles, but in game its a bit rubbish IMHO, high rate of fire, but low damage and accuracy. I much preferred the M96 Matlock in game, but that's more complicated to build. Maybe when I've got time I might try to make one, probably out of MDF or Styrofoam or something, I think EVA foam's a bit to soft for detailed weapons.

The rest of the costume is nearly there I think, I have to glue another zip on one of the shin pieces because I broke the first one and I have to rig some support for the thigh pieces, I have some thin webbing and clasps to do it with now. Am still worried about its durability/practically/quality though. Also after playing the last Mass Effect DLC I realise the its really should be a darker blue and the yellow bits less bright :(

And for the leg pieces, I did exactly that - anchored them to my waist. They still want to pull themselves down if I try to go up stairs, but a vertical strap that connects to some belt or something would help a lot.

You make a good point about the practicality of a really amazing costume amidst a crowd. Its a bit of a trade off, I think you look great in it and you should show off your hard work - but this is coming from someone who rarely goes to conventions out of fear for damaging costume parts in transit or on the floor. I might suggest finding a photographer, or bringing someone along with a nice camera and getting good pictures before running around too much, that way if things do break, at least you have documentation!



Thanks for the tips Freya, I should be able to do a photoshoot at home, as I have a DLSR, lights and a remote control and there's a big Mass Effect Cosplay gathering and photoshoot planned for Saturday 25th May at MCM Expo here in London I hope to attend also, so there will be no shortage of pictures ;) If it all holds together mindst. Am still following your build with awe.
 
Re: Mass Effect 3 : Ashley Williams and M8 Avenger WIP

Slapped some more paint and Letraset on my Avenger then dry brushed it to death.


Going to call it finished, really needs redoing from scratch as its not great, but my dead line is this Saturday. Rest of the armour is pretty much finished too, just got to finalise how I hold up the thigh plates. Hope to do a photoshoot tomorrow before its wrecked at Expo.
 
Re: Mass Effect 3 : Ashley Williams and M8 Avenger WIP

I think you're being too hard on yourself - the M8 looks AMAZING in the final photos! Excellent work all the way around!


Brent
 
Re: Mass Effect 3 : Ashley Williams and M8 Avenger WIP

Eye Liner, Eye Shadow and Mascara, Check,
Lip Gloss, Check,
Floppy hair that gets in your eyes, Check,
Brightly coloured armour its very difficult to move in but provides little protection, Check,
Right, ready for battle then ;)



I've checked the reference twice, yes this kick ass trooper really does wear that much make up :D To stop the thigh plates falling down I attached some narrow webbing to inside of them and put a push buckle on it, then cut a small hole in the undersuit and sewed it up like a button hole and then ran some more thin webbing with the other end of the buckle though the holes down to the thigh plates. The webbing inside the suit was then secured on to my bra. Its erm a bit unorthodox, but it works and stops the thigh plates from falling down.

So I now declare my cosplay project to be finished. Erm almost I want to make a couple of adjustments this evening to some of the straps. Its got so much wrong with it I don't know where to begin, its certainly been a very long learning experience. Many thanks for all the kind words of encouragement that have helped me along the way :love.

Am going to try and wear it to MCM Expo in London tomorrow, there's a big Mass Effect Cosplay photoshoot planned, still worried it will fall apart before I get there though and I have to avoid stairs, its very difficult to walk up them in it.
 
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