Reverse Flash CW Build- Request Advice

Working on coming up with a CW version Fem Reverse Flash costume, in addition to being new to the cosplay scene and costume-making in general, the hood for the Reverse Flash provides a unique challenge for me. I have seen cowls done in more solid state molds, however, for this cowl I would like it to lay down on the back as it does in the show. I understand that there is some Movie-Magic taking place here and it is likely that Flash and Reverse Flash have two sets of masks, one hard that is the classic look and the other a soft leather or something of the like that they have down exclusively. However, as someone with vast amounts of thick hair, the harder molded mask won't work for me. Thus I wanted to see if anyone had any ideas on how to make the softer mask. Any and all advice appreciated.

If you want it to look as good as it does on the screen, urethane rubber is really the only way to go. TheRocketeer just reopened his run on Flash/Reverse Flash cowls, and his work is top notch. You will be hard pressed to find another soft, high quality cowl out there, and can see some great pics of Reverse Flash on pages 17 and 18 of that thread.

However, really the only way to achieve what you want is to make a cloth cowl out of spandex. The problem comes from the chin: Notice that when the Flash/Reverse Flash pull back their cowls, the chin and front neck sections magically disappear. Urethane rubber, let alone anything more rigid than that, won't do that. Spandex would be your best bet for something that will fit your head tightly enough for the look, but allow you to pull it back off your head like a hood, using the mouth/lower face opening.

Vox said:

If you want it to look as good as it does on the screen, urethane rubber is really the only way to go. TheRocketeer just reopened his run on Flash/Reverse Flash cowls, and his work is top notch. You will be hard pressed to find another soft, high quality cowl out there, and can see some great pics of Reverse Flash on pages 17 and 18 of that thread.

However, really the only way to achieve what you want is to make a cloth cowl out of spandex. The problem comes from the chin: Notice that when the Flash/Reverse Flash pull back their cowls, the chin and front neck sections magically disappear. Urethane rubber, let alone anything more rigid than that, won't do that. Spandex would be your best bet for something that will fit your head tightly enough for the look, but allow you to pull it back off your head like a hood, using the mouth/lower face opening.

Click to expand...

Thanks so much for your input Vox, I checked out The Rocketeer's work, it's sublime. I will keep in mind what you said about the spandex though. Due to price point may want to make it myself, but we shall see. If I may, do you know if spandex can be layered without losing it's fit? I have a feeling that won't work but I was also recommended by a costume artist at school to use varying degrees of thickness of foam or felt to recreate the multi-dimensional look of the cowl and then overlay with vinyl or whatever else I am making the suit out of so it matches. Is that feasible?

FluidLightning said:

Thanks so much for your input Vox, I checked out The Rocketeer's work, it's sublime. I will keep in mind what you said about the spandex though. Due to price point may want to make it myself, but we shall see. If I may, do you know if spandex can be layered without losing it's fit? I have a feeling that won't work but I was also recommended by a costume artist at school to use varying degrees of thickness of foam or felt to recreate the multi-dimensional look of the cowl and then overlay with vinyl or whatever else I am making the suit out of so it matches. Is that feasible?

Click to expand...

Layered spandex doesn't tend to work out. Either one layer stretches more or differently than the 2nd layer, or they pull at each other creating a distorted mess.

Your friend's recommendation actually sounds worth a look, though. If I were you, I would look into headliner foam, the stuff you find on the interior ceilings of cars, for example. It is thin, structured, but flexible, and when covered in vinyl it might be just the thing you need to get the look and functionality that you want.

Vox said:

Layered spandex doesn't tend to work out. Either one layer stretches more or differently than the 2nd layer, or they pull at each other creating a distorted mess.

Your friend's recommendation actually sounds worth a look, though. If I were you, I would look into headliner foam, the stuff you find on the interior ceilings of cars, for example. It is thin, structured, but flexible, and when covered in vinyl it might be just the thing you need to get the look and functionality that you want.

Click to expand...

Is this the type of thing you meant when you said headliner foam?
http://www.joann.com/headliner-tan-utility-vinyl/9198672.html?mkwid=nOQr0Ynr|dc&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Shopping+-+Fabric&CS_003=12310265&CS_010=[ProductId]&gclid=Cj0KEQjw5MGxBRDiuZm2icXX2-sBEiQA619bq2BXARpQOFBNbo-mmsPhlrdFqFImQlHN2R6vDuv4LBwaAmZt8P8HAQ

FluidLightning said:

Is this the type of thing you meant when you said headliner foam?
http://www.joann.com/headliner-tan-utility-vinyl/9198672.html?mkwid=nOQr0Ynr|dc&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Shopping+-+Fabric&CS_003=12310265&CS_010=[ProductId]&gclid=Cj0KEQjw5MGxBRDiuZm2icXX2-sBEiQA619bq2BXARpQOFBNbo-mmsPhlrdFqFImQlHN2R6vDuv4LBwaAmZt8P8HAQ

Click to expand...

That's the stuff!

Vox or anyone happening to be out and about:

Unfolding pepakura designer projects properly, is there some trick to make for an easier assembly? I have a very small item, not more than 115mm that I am creating and the numbers are so close together after unfolding it I cannot read them much less perform the fold. Looking for advice on how to choose my "specify open edges" in order to get a better assembly, as it seems mine are much too small to reasonably utilize. I am making the chest emblem for the Reverse Flash, as well as the ear pieces for it as well.

And I have already taken the .stl of a flash emblem and reversed it and then saved it as .obj and put it into pepakura designer. I know how to unfold and operate the tasks, print and what such, but my real problem is where to "specify open edges" to make it the most simple assembly. Watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIdTvnyFSrc already but all he says is "follow the geometry" which is what I tried to do but once I printed it out I realized that it just didn't translate very well. I have also delved through the PEPAKURA question file (which is altogether a mix of anger with a sprinkling of some good insight), hence the reason I post here (I will move it if necessary though, just don't like confrontation... plus they have 74 pages of posts.....)

http://www.405th.com/showthread.php?t=39192 also have read this with no assistance toward my specific problem, but good information.

Here are my screen shots:

Original file from http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:571627 by troycavalieri in .stl file.