The Fountain Guard, Lord of the RIngs: Return of the king (Completed) (Photo Heavy)

[Zalkegeroth]

My first thread here, but I am going to be making the Fountain Guard from The Return of the King. Although they only get about a minute max of screen time, they are very iconic and I fell in love with their outfit right away.
For those of you who may not know, this is what I am building.

I figured I would start with the helm, because well it obviously looked like the hardest part of the whole outfit.

So I started with the crown piece, I made some templates and transferred them to foam.

I then cut out and glued the pieces together.

I then cut out the rest of the helmet pieces that I had already drawn onto the foam and laid them together to see how it looked.


I then contact cemented the pieces together (both halves) and then laid them together to once again see how they looked.

I then glued the two halves together in the front and boy did it look no where close to how it should.

But that was fixed when I sealed it in the back as well.


I shall continue to work on this throughout the week so stay tuned for updates!

 

[Ikras]

Re: Fountain Guard Build (Photo Heavy)

Great looking set of armour and a great looking start as well.

Did you score the lines in the front crest or is it partially layered?
How are you planning to do the chest plate detail as well if you don't mind me asking?

The more I look at your reference the more I like it. Looking forward to seeing the progress on this.

 

[Zalkegeroth]

Re: Fountain Guard Build (Photo Heavy)

Great looking set of armour and a great looking start as well.

Did you score the lines in the front crest or is it partially layered?
How are you planning to do the chest plate detail as well if you don't mind me asking?

The more I look at your reference the more I like it. Looking forward to seeing the progress on this.

I partially layered it, because I tried using a wood burner to create the layered effect but I did not like how it turned out. As for the chest plate detail I am going to use a thinner foam and layer it over the base chest plate.

 

[George]

Re: Fountain Guard Build (Photo Heavy)

I have seen all the Lord of the Rings movies with exception of Five armies (by then I had gotten battle fatigue) and remember being impressed by both the diversity and beauty of the costumes.
I hope your build will go smooth and that your costume will be a success :thumbsup

 

[Zalkegeroth]

Re: Fountain Guard Build (Photo Heavy)

Well I noticed some creases in my helm that I needed to fill in so for that I used kwik seal and smoothed it over with a razor blade.


I then test fit my helm crown piece back on after sealing everything, and it looked to small to me.



So I made a new template for it and then traced it onto some more foam. I also made the nose decoration as well.



Heres what it looked like cut out and glued together.



Much Better



Time to get started on the wings!

 

[Ikras]

Re: Fountain Guard Build (Photo Heavy)

Looking really nice. Really clean looking detail on the parts.

The more I'm seeing of this, the more I'm considering looking into doing something from the films as well. I'd forgotten how good some of the costumes are.

 

[Zalkegeroth]

Re: Fountain Guard Build (Photo Heavy)

Looking really nice. Really clean looking detail on the parts.

The more I'm seeing of this, the more I'm considering looking into doing something from the films as well. I'd forgotten how good some of the costumes are.

Thanks! The costumes from the movies are beautiful and I highly encourage making one!

 

[Zalkegeroth]

Re: Fountain Guard Build (Photo Heavy)

Started on the wings today, So I drew up my templates onto some foam.

I then cut them out and realized that I had to make two more because the thickness wasn't right for just one of them...so that meant sanding off the backs of them.

I ended up hand sanding them because I didn't have a machine to help me do it haha...

A test fit of the one that I made,

And then test fit of the other set I made with all the other parts attached.

Now time to add the feathers!
My precious packages of feathers.

I had to cut the feathers in order to give the shape to the wings.

The finished wing pieces! I think they look amazing

I will be doing a test fit of them tomorrow and will make any adjustments as necessary.

 

[George]

Re: Fountain Guard Build (Photo Heavy)

Is anyone else seeing "attachment #" and no photos ?

 

[Zalkegeroth]

Re: Fountain Guard Build (Photo Heavy)

Is anyone else seeing "attachment #" and no photos ?

Its showing up for me as well I will upload them again.

 

[George]

Re: Fountain Guard Build (Photo Heavy)

Working this time :thumbsup awesome,Z

 

[Zalkegeroth]

Re: Fountain Guard Build Lotr/Rotk (Photo Heavy)

Well I went to go and do a test fit for my wings and I noticed a few things needed some extra work. I needed to fill in the back seem a little more and then fix the top of the helm as it wasn't sitting properly.





I then also realized that the wings were not sitting right as well (sorry no photo of it before the spacers). So I drew up the spacers that are supposed to gap the wings from the helm.




So after I made those and sanded them down so that I would be able to glue them later. I then test fit all my pieces onto the helm to see how it looked.


.
What do you all think!?

 

[WBE]

Re: Fountain Guard Build Lotr/Rotk (Photo Heavy)

Beautiful work! I loved those costumes the most when I first saw them.

 

[abn]

Re: Fountain Guard Build Lotr/Rotk (Photo Heavy)

That helm is amazing! Wonderful job!

 

[Zalkegeroth]

Re: Fountain Guard Build Lotr/Rotk (Photo Heavy)

Beautiful work! I loved those costumes the most when I first saw them.

Thanks, and they get so little screen time, yet when I first saw them I instantly fell in love with the outfit.

That helm is amazing! Wonderful job!

Thanks! It still has to be painted, and I still have some detailing work to do on it, but I really love how it is coming together.

 

[Guri]

Re: Fountain Guard Build Lotr/Rotk (Photo Heavy)

WOW! This costume is going to rock - so glad to see it being made. They were always a favorite of mine as well.

For the details on the chest, have you considered worbla or terra flex? I've just started using it and it's very easy to work with and forgiving. It's how I did the raised designs on the spear.


I have a bunch of scraps of tera flex and foam laying around - I'll see what happens when I try to attach the terra flex to the foam.

I know Worbla is what a lot of people have been using for years, but I just started using it so I don't know the limits yet.

 

[Ikras]

Re: Fountain Guard Build Lotr/Rotk (Photo Heavy)

This looking great and you're racing ahead with all the progress on it as well.

Nice to see the use of the real feathers in it as well. Great effect.

 

[Zalkegeroth]

Re: Fountain Guard Build Lotr/Rotk (Photo Heavy)

WOW! This costume is going to rock - so glad to see it being made. They were always a favorite of mine as well.

For the details on the chest, have you considered worbla or terra flex? I've just started using it and it's very easy to work with and forgiving. It's how I did the raised designs on the spear.

I have a bunch of scraps of tera flex and foam laying around - I'll see what happens when I try to attach the terra flex to the foam.

I know Worbla is what a lot of people have been using for years, but I just started using it so I don't know the limits yet.

Yeah I don't know much about those materials and the foam is working for me. I already have a plan for the raise detail on the chest and ill give it a shot first. If I do not like how it turns out, then I may try the other materials.

This looking great and you're racing ahead with all the progress on it as well.

Nice to see the use of the real feathers in it as well. Great effect.

Haha yeah progress is going to slow down now because I am going into the detailing phase, so probably a few days at least before i get it ready to paint.
I also thought that real feathers would give it a great effect... though they were very costly and I had to got to a bunch of different stores to get them all.

 

[Ikras]

Re: Fountain Guard Build Lotr/Rotk (Photo Heavy)

Haha yeah progress is going to slow down now because I am going into the detailing phase, so probably a few days at least before i get it ready to paint.
I also thought that real feathers would give it a great effect... though they were very costly and I had to got to a bunch of different stores to get them all.

A few days till paint is still incredibly rapid compared to the glacial pace I've found I tend to move at. All a matter of perspective I guess.
It does look good, I think you'd struggle trying to replicate a feather look with other materials. One thought though, how do you plan to avoid getting the paint on them?

 

[Zalkegeroth]

Re: Fountain Guard Build Lotr/Rotk (Photo Heavy)

A few days till paint is still incredibly rapid compared to the glacial pace I've found I tend to move at. All a matter of perspective I guess.
It does look good, I think you'd struggle trying to replicate a feather look with other materials. One thought though, how do you plan to avoid getting the paint on them?

I personally could not see myself doing the feathers out of any other material, because it is not only just going to be a costume, but aslo a displace piece. As for the avoiding getting paint on the feathers, I have the remnant of the detail foam that is cut to the same shape as the wings. So I am going to place the foam over it as it is painted. My friend is going to do the painting so I have to wait until his schedule frees up. Spray paint was not an option for this because of all the detail in it and I did not want it to pool, because we are not good at spray painting...haha so it will be hand painted to capture all of the detail, as well as to have better control.