Zira, Planet of the Apes

[Master Boda]

Congrat's on the cool costume,I think I seen you for a few second's on G4's Wondercon segment.Again very nice work.:thumbsup

 

[Jessica]

If I can rally enough gorillas or other apes that will be willing to flank my side on Memorial day Saturday at Baycon, I will be in full ape gear. Baycon is in Santa Clara, California. I just don't like to be the only ape in town. Any takers?

 

[Wes R]

I love the look Dr. Zaius is giving the camera.

 

[TheLMAN]

Greatest Zira costume ever !

 

[Jessica]

OMG--tears of joy and relief...cause I was able to make a perfect foam latex cast using the last of my foam latex....40-gun salute in Ape City~! :lol

 

[poopymcbutthole]

YESSSS i love it! fantastic work!

 

[Quick2]

Just simply amazing work. You have done wonderful with Zira. I loved this thread.

 

[BatTexan]

Impressive!!!!! Sculpting, molding, casting, sewing, wig-making---anything you don't do?

Seriously, very nice work! thumbsup:thumbsup



Now I gotta go watch POTA again . . .

 

[dave maul]

Awsome work Jess

 

[Wes R]

If it's POTA Jess can do it lol

 

[Jessica]

Forgot to post up this photo. I noticed my wig was too fluffy at Wondercon, so I thinned it out. I think it's way better now. Also, since the sculpt was not made on my own facecast, I cut out some of the foam to make it fit my face better. I felt the chin was too squarish at Wondercon. This project is an ongoing project, it seems. I'm resculpting another Zira, with a larger nose and smaller lower muzzle which I will make a mold of later and pour some foam for baking. I just wish I could find somebody in APe City that would make a mold of my face so that I can do a proper sculpt that would fit well.

 

[Wes R]

Heck if you could find someone on here in your area that knows how to do it that would work too.

 

[Jessica]

I am resculpting. Unfortunately, not on my face cast. Just not happy with the edges, as they are not really paper thin. I think it had a lot to do with inexperience. I am adjusting the size of the nose and making the brow ridges less prominent.

 

[Jessica]

Need to clean her up and finish up the edges of the sculpt so that I can create paper thin flashing. Hopefully. I repositioned the nose last night and was too sleepy to complete.

 

[decaturvader]

wow, awesome Jessica!
I wanted to do a gorilla; just wasn't in the cards yet.
Someday, especially now that my son is getting into this...and perhaps even my wife....a whole little family of monkeys LOL

 

[Too Much Garlic]

When you think things cannot possibly be improved further, you come out and prove us wrong. Like how this new mask is shaping up! :thumbsup

 

[Jessica]

I was working on Zira yesterday on my front porch so the kids could ride their bikes and play outdoors. Cement is not very comfortable!!

I had to reposition her nose (again!) and was too lazy to go upstairs to get my tool, so I made do with dental floss.

The nose is still a work in progress. I found a profile view that will help me finalize it.

 

[SonOfPumpkinhead]

What kind of sculpting tools do you have? The edges would be really simple for you if you can get your hands on some small rake tools. Using your fingers, pull the edges down as thin as you can and then go over the edges with the rakes in a cross hatching pattern. There's a few other tools that could really aid in texturing too. Your general shapes are very accurate looking!

Where'd you get the core/armature?

 

[Jessica]

I don't have that small rake tool. I will have to find that...I am using those $7 wooden tools you get in a bunch from Michael's. I thinned down the edges as much as I can, and smoothed them down with my fingertips.

The armature is a positive of a generic female that comes from Apemania

I'm getting ready to pour the ultracal and make a mold of this soon, schedule-permitting.

 

[SonOfPumpkinhead]

Where are you located? We can look into getting a lifecast...

Many of the better rakes and loop tools are made by hand. If you want some nice rakes, get some brass tube from a hardware store and some jewelers saw blades and epoxy putty. You'll want to heat the blades up over a candle or flame and bend them into small, different shaped loops. Insert them into the brass tube and bend it around the saw blades. Then add a little epoxy putty to keep it all together.