Ragnar Lothbrok WIP (Pic Heavy)

SMP Designs

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Hello all!

So, this is a little out of my wheelhouse - I'm usually on comics or 'tactical' type projects - but I'm working on a Ragnar-inspired costume for Graphic Jordan and wanted to share. For this project I'm working primarily from the below reference images (as well as several others).

ragnar-1.jpgragnar-2.jpg

Right away, there's a caveat - this costume must be vegan. So, no genuine leather, no wool, no animal-based products of any kind.

How do you make a viking with no leather or wool? That's an excellent question - let's figure it out together, shall we?

I began with drafting out the pattern for the tunics. I created a basic pattern in muslin with the general dimensions I wanted. This pattern will be used for the under tunic as-is and will be modified slightly for the outer tunic to account for closer fit and the lacing details on the sides, shoulders and back.

ragnar-tunic-1.JPG

The first actual piece to construct was the under tunic. The fabric used for this piece is a cotton/synthetic burlap in a grey/olive green color. It was washed several times in hot water to loosen and full the fibres and give it a soft and flexible hand. The tunic is quite simple with open sides from the waist and a tie at the neck. The bindings at the neck and ties are cotton bias tape. Also, while we're tracking, all of the threads are either cotton or polyester (no silk).

ragnar-tunic-2.JPG

The frayed trim on the bottom of the tunic was created by cutting long 2" wide strips of the burlap, washing them with some towels to fray the edges and then stitching them down to the lower sides and hems of the front and back.

ragnar-tunic-3.JPGragnar-tunic-4.JPG

We're just getting started, the sleeves for the under tunic and belt will be next. Cheers!
 
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Sean you're the best! I cannot wait to wear this bad boy! Thanks again for working with me on the vegan aspect of things, very thoughtful of you! Can't wait to see more!
 
Short update time -

I got the basic belt assembled. The belt is made of an embossed faux leather backed with a heavy PU for weight and the edges are bound with a soft faux leather (100% critter-free so far). I also added temporary straps for test fitting.

ragnar-belt-1.JPGragnar-belt-2.JPG

Next, I got started on the sleeves. Jordan and I agreed that (partially due to time and partially to material needs) this would not be a 'screen accurate' reproduction, but a stylized version of the character based on numerous reference images. So, I've been sharing all of the design work with him throughout the build and getting his feedback. We agreed that we would go with a combo of the sleeves in the above images and these:

sleeve 2.png

This is what I came up with. It's a coppery-black embossed PU that I cut into strips (based on the lower sleeve pattern). I then used the same soft faux leather that edged the belt to create bound seams.

ragnar-tunic-5.JPG

The upper sleeves were cut from burlap and all the parts were assembled.

ragnar-tunic-7.JPG

The next steps are to add the lacing details to the lower sleeves and begin building the outer tunic. All of that is coming up...

Cheers!
 
Time for a quick update. After finishing the under tunic, I got started on the outer. The outer tunic is being made of a polyester fabric that's been coated to resemble a thin leather. For the lacing detail, I turned to a braided polyester lacing that's typically used for corsets.

The lacing detail appears one the front, back and sides of the tunic - and all of the pieces were made using the same process. First, I cut the shell piece from the coated poly. I then used a sharpie to draw out the grid for the woven lacing details. The vertical laces, or warps, were cut and individually glued to the back of the piece using Super 77.

ragnar-tunic-8.JPG

Once I was able to get all the glue off my fingers, I began with the horizontal cords, or wefts, that weave in and out of the fabric. I did this by cutting small slits in the fabric between the warps, weaving the cord through and cutting it even with the edges of the shell.

ragnar-tunic-9.JPG

The back and sleeve details were created the same way. Once the 'weaving' was done, a think padding was added to the chest, upper back and sleeves. Thus was done using headliner foam and served two purposes:

- The client wanted a little added bulk in the chest, shoulders and upper arms
- The foam, spray mounted in, helps to pronounce the cord details and lock everything in place

The pieces were all lined with black cotton to add some additional structure to the thin poly fabric. Once the front and back pieces were complete, the shoulders were attached and the edges were all bound and finished. The next step will be to add grommets to the sides, upper back and sleeves.

ragnar-tunic-10.JPGragnar-tunic-11.JPGragnar-tunic-12.JPG

Next up - pants and boots (and hardware).

Cheers!
 

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I did a quick and dirty 3D model of Ragnar's cross given to him by Athelstan. I'll do a lot of post print processing, including filing/dremeling the shape a bit more accurately. Once done, it'll be painted a dull brassy finish, bordering on silver looking.

16444182_10211019624823241_1166426994_o.jpg
 
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Hey Sean.

This is something I 3D modeled, and printed in a transparent acrylic. I then filed down certain areas to give it a better overall shape, then simply hit it with a bit of paint to make those details pop. The final will be repainted entirely. :)

So, is it actually cut-out filigree or is it printed/cast in some sort of clear material and then only painted on the raised areas?
 
Hey Sean.

This is something I 3D modeled, and printed in a transparent acrylic. I then filed down certain areas to give it a better overall shape, then simply hit it with a bit of paint to make those details pop. The final will be repainted entirely. :)

So awesome! I'm not a fabricator (to a great extent at this point), so the whole printing/molding/casting aspect just blows my mind. I find it exciting and scary at the same time.
 
Moving along on this guy, I got the pants sorted.

I found a coated cotton that has a sort of crackled, distressed feel when wrinkled or creased. So, it looked like a great way to simulate a suede/tanned hide. I began by cutting the pattern in segments where the decorative stitching needed to be. I stitched strips behind these lines so that there would be an overlap for the decoration, but there would be no gaps and the pants would be solid and stable.

ragnar-pants-1.JPG

I then found a cord with a nice weight and color in the jewelry section at my local Joann's I used this and a couple of leather needles to create the lacing/stitching on the knee, thigh and sides of the pants.

ragnar-pants-2.JPGragnar-pants-3.JPG

Here are the finished pants with all the details.

ragnar-pants-4.JPG

The next step was to finish the tunic and under tunic with the 106 grommets that they needed and all the lacing.

ragnar-tunic-13.JPGragnar-tunic-14.JPG

Boots are next!
 
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