I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who has been involved in this discussion. I thought I may put some of my build up on here to possibly inspire other costumers as everyone here has already done for me. I did not think about shooting each step of the project, so there is going to be a lot of gaps in my process. If you have questions, just ask!
Why not start from the ground up? Here are my boots.
I started with the Bates Cobra 8" Side-Zip Hot Weather Jungle Boot in Sage. I originally bought the Coyote that everyone else seems to be getting, but I intended to modify them, (which is needed if you use the sage boots) and thought the color was a pretty close match.
I used acrylics to color the suede. I used a burnt umber to bring out that rusted brown that they used on the real boots. I also worked with some black to add a dusting of dirt, and also to replicate the natural inconsistencies in leather's ability to take dye. I ended up having to go back over and do multiple coats as the acrylics do absorb into the suede.
Next step was just adding that little touch that will probably go unnoticed, but adds an insane amount of more depth to the piece: the brass eyelets and zippers. I have that hook and loop section pinned off while painting, but I did end up completely removing that from the boot.
Next part involved some faux-suede that I purchased. I went for a deep grey to try and match the boot as best as possible, while offering the right texture. It wasn't a perfect match by any means, but with a little elbow grease it worked out well enough. I whipped together some patterns on pattern paper, then took it to the fabric. Once the pieces were cut, I just attached them to the boot with hot-temp hot glue (so I can remove them easily if I decide to upgrade to sewn leather).
Next step was bringing back my great friend, acrylics! This took a series of coats to try and match the color. When I initially started the boots, I wasn't intending on doing the buckles and all that. If I did this again, I would do all of my coloring at once, which would allow for a more uniform look across the piece.
Then the final touch; adding the buckles and eyelets!
Overall this is a small part of the costume, but I really thought it was a fun part of the project for me. Maybe I'm just a sucker for boots though haha
EDIT: Grammar
Why not start from the ground up? Here are my boots.
I started with the Bates Cobra 8" Side-Zip Hot Weather Jungle Boot in Sage. I originally bought the Coyote that everyone else seems to be getting, but I intended to modify them, (which is needed if you use the sage boots) and thought the color was a pretty close match.
I used acrylics to color the suede. I used a burnt umber to bring out that rusted brown that they used on the real boots. I also worked with some black to add a dusting of dirt, and also to replicate the natural inconsistencies in leather's ability to take dye. I ended up having to go back over and do multiple coats as the acrylics do absorb into the suede.
Next step was just adding that little touch that will probably go unnoticed, but adds an insane amount of more depth to the piece: the brass eyelets and zippers. I have that hook and loop section pinned off while painting, but I did end up completely removing that from the boot.
Next part involved some faux-suede that I purchased. I went for a deep grey to try and match the boot as best as possible, while offering the right texture. It wasn't a perfect match by any means, but with a little elbow grease it worked out well enough. I whipped together some patterns on pattern paper, then took it to the fabric. Once the pieces were cut, I just attached them to the boot with hot-temp hot glue (so I can remove them easily if I decide to upgrade to sewn leather).
Next step was bringing back my great friend, acrylics! This took a series of coats to try and match the color. When I initially started the boots, I wasn't intending on doing the buckles and all that. If I did this again, I would do all of my coloring at once, which would allow for a more uniform look across the piece.
Then the final touch; adding the buckles and eyelets!
Overall this is a small part of the costume, but I really thought it was a fun part of the project for me. Maybe I'm just a sucker for boots though haha
EDIT: Grammar
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