Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - Complete!

[aeryn]

So as a promo for Dragon Age: Redemption and the DAII DLC "Mark of the Assassin," BioWare is putting on an Art and Costume contest for the star of the two, Tallis.

More info here: BioWare | Dragon Age

And on that note, I'm jumping in.

Unfortunately, I am rather limited in funds and time (only a month!? PANIC!) and am thus building mostly with what I have. I'll have to purchase buckles, studs, d-rings, paint and, most unfortunately, hood fabric. I have fabric perfect for her hood, but unfortunately not nearly enough of it. Ahh well.

Started this weekend - and i have glove at about 80% - i need studs and the green hood fabric to finish it, and since i didn't cut it wide enough (i used much more than my allotted minimal seam allowance for extra fabric under the grommets) over my arm/elbow, i'm going to add a modesty panel to make it look a little cleaner.

And a couple of reference pics:

 

[Eveningarwen]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

That is an awesome costume! If I weren't so focused on my tron costumes for this month I would have loved attempting this build myself. But since I can't I will live vicariously through your build! So far it's looking great!

 

[booksandcorsets]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

For a very helpful link, here's how the original creator of the costume did it.

Greg Aronowitz: Felicia Day's TALLIS costume

(Spoilers: it was sculpted on a lifecast and then cast in foam latex.)

 

[aeryn]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

Yeah, I've been through his site. I made my Codex staff from his tutorials/writeups. Alas, I don't have the funds/time to sculpt the pieces like he did, so I'll just be making a standard corset (easy) and then craft foam for everything (and on top of the corset). Was tweeting with Greg last night because I was baffled about how they got the bodice on Felicia - apparently the pics if found were of the 'hero' version and the lacing is under the foam latex panel in the back. the other version has the lacing up the sides, like in the game-art. He was much more helpful in solving that mystery than was Shawna Trpcic, who did most of the costume design work for Dragon Age: Redemption. Her reply was "the work of amazing seamstress Antonina!"

 

[aeryn]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

Cut out the thigh guards tonight! I've decided that for the detailing I'm going to engrave the foam using a wood burner.

 

[aeryn]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

Picked up a wood burner today and started working with the thigh guards.

It's kinda fun!

Needs clean-up work, obviously. I'll try to smooth a little more out with my burner then hit it with an emery board. I need to find a 'primer' of sorts that will work on foam to help me out with the major blemishes. It's not supposed to be clean/neat, and is rather weathered as far as armor goes, but it will be nice to clean up some of the bigger bits that didn't go as smoothly.

 

[delta0142]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

I've used a heat gun for larger stuff done in the same eva foam. but you might lose detail. Just throwing that out there.

 

[Risu]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

I've seen the wood burner method done before and thought of using it if I ever make an SG-1 Jaffa costume (waaaay in the future). This makes me think it would work very well. It's looking good so far.

 

[ZellaRivens]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

I've seen the wood burner method done before and thought of using it if I ever make an SG-1 Jaffa costume (waaaay in the future). This makes me think it would work very well. It's looking good so far.

I agree. This definitely gives me some ideas on how to achieve the look I want in my costumes. Great build progress. Keep up the good work!

 

[aeryn]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

Knee pads and wrist guards engraved!

I used a round-tip to carve out these, versus the chisel tip on the thigh guards. It's actually pretty easy, but if anyone is interested in a video tutorial thing, I could oblige - might have to wait until after halloween/the contest, but I've got lots of engraving to do on the cauldrons and bodice yet, so if I remember.....

Also, picked up some white PlastiDip spray which I'll use to make them lighter colored. I figured making them white would help in the long run as I will be using an airbrush to paint instead of rattlecan, so the layers of paint will be finer and not crack when it bends (using acrylic). I'm probably going to get all my engraving done before i start painting so I'm more consistent with technique... or something.

 

[Plugz]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

Looks good so far. Good luck on the contest.

 

[Eveningarwen]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

A tutorial would be awesome! These are turning out great!

 

[aeryn]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

Progress! But not fast enough! I still have to cut/texture then entire bodice, paint, make the belt, make boot covers and the daggers. PANIC!!!!!

oh, and i'm also making a nightcrawler costume for a friend, too.....

also, not really going to have time to tutorialize the burning while making the costume, but i'll get one made up after the halloween panic is over.

So, here's what's happened:

...don't bump your foam so that it touches the wood burner. *fail*

after the mishap, this one turned out better, anyway.

Finished carving

pattern drafting for the bodice/breastplate's corset understructure

finished understructure (its not my best work, but it will all be covered up anyway)

choker, belt and shoulder ornaments - the two smaller will be cleaned up a bit then cast in resin, the larger is for the belt and will just be sanded then painted. they're made of magic sculpt (epoxy clay) and we'll be cured overnight. the clay on the two larger was placed over a foam base to make them lighter/less clay intensive.

 

[aeryn]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

Late night update.... the former architecture student in me is kicking in, and i've come to miss late night work.

 

[M16]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

EPIC! this looks crazy good so far, nice details

 

[aeryn]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

by the way, thanks to everyone for the compliments/encouragement. this has been a crazy sprint-athon of a costume (it doesn't seem like much, but it's very detailed) and i haven't had time to reply to people individually as i'd like.

 

[aeryn]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

testing

 

[aeryn]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

eep! sooooo sorry i haven't posted the rest of my pics! i'll spare you the excuses and just get on with it:

 

[aeryn]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

And the finished product:

to see high-res versions of all my images, check out my picasa album: https://picasaweb.google.com/101745823054210928744/TallisDragonAgeII?authuser=0&feat=directlink

also, while it's 'finished,' it's not, really. there are a number of things i'd like to do: back all the foam with fabric so it's stronger, redo the belt out of leather (it's cloth and foam right now), redo the spike cabochons for the straps (my resin never cured, and i'm blaming a reaction with the mold) and redo the blades in a cleaner, glossier fabric to get the right luster on them - the chrome is too flat.

also, the whole starting point for the costume was for the @dragonage twitter contest. well, i was one of the winners!

 

[Fullmetalsam]

Re: Tallis - Dragon Age: Redemption - BioWare Contest

This is just wonderful - I love how you went about all this and carved the texture out of the foam.

It all came together beautifully !!!