So I have been working on and off with this project for about a month now, and have thoroughly enjoyed the work-in-process. It has been a lot of trail, and even more error, but it's such an exciting process, I think I'm hooked for life! Here are some snapshots of pieces that are mostly finished. I am still working on the fabrics (as I have no sewing experience whatsoever) but the other elements have been pretty straightforward.
I've actually been using mostly released photos and screenshots from ep8 instead of ep7 exclusively, as I like the more rugged hermit appearance they seem to have gone with. Here is a close up from the ep8 production teaser,
and here's where I'm at so far
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I went with the Skyelar wig from Arda Wigs and cut/feathered the bangs back a bit to match the look from the screenshot. I purchased the Desert Brown color, but still need to add some gray and white highlights. The beard will get trimmed more on the cheeks and grown out on the goatee area, but after some trial and error I have decided to use standard white grease paint applied with a paintbrush for the white in the beard. The spray on stuff is just way too messy and uncontrollable, plus the grease paint doesn't get dry and flaky and it comes right it with hot water. When I wear the outfit I will also apply some wrinkles and blemishes for effect using makeup as well.
The belt has been an adventure, and many times I've wanted to just start over but a limited budget requires me to be more persistent.
I cut and punched the holes then saddle stitched the outer edges together. I used Canola oil for the initial tanning which looked great, but I learned the hard way that you must apply the oil by hand spot by spot, you can't just dump it all into a pan and then run the belt through it. I was draining oil out of it for a week. Once it dried out I used a dark down dye by hand and some nail polish remover to blend it together. All the same process for the pouch as well, which will probably get redone when I can afford it. The buckle is actually a blank rectangle buckle purchased from Tandy Leather, shaped with a dremel, and then painted with 4 kinds of spray paint that i actually dry brushed on with an old brush. The "hammered" finish stuff looks really, really cool for this application. I affixed it to the belt using the back plate to a magnetic nametag which is lashed to the center of the belt. I have been taking the buckle of and storing it in the pouch to keep it from getting scratched.
Last update for now is the hand. I wanted to take a more complex route but the budget wouldn't allow for now.
I purchased a set of plain black "heavy duty" gloves from home improvement store and cut off ask the identifying marks. The hand plate and finger plates are all cut from a light gauge aluminum that is pliable by hand but not fragile enough to wrinkle or crinkle and then sprayed with a similar treatment asset the buckle. The wires are gorilla taped to the hand plate, which is super glued to the cut off wrist band from the extra left glove. The finger plates actually flex and just clamp down around the wires in their places, so there is some assembly required, but it allows for more dexterity.
I hope to have the fabric elements done by this time next week, and well post more updates then.
May the Force be with you all!
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I've included links to Photobucket images.
