ODST foam build- Veronica Dare

Status
Not open for further replies.

B1ondeange1

Member
Member DIN
S555
So my poor Reach armour has gotten quite a hammering since its first event nearly a year and a half ago, given that my husband and I do a lot of charity and social costuming events. I decided to run up a quick set of ODST armour for an upcoming event and so that I have an extra Halo costume and one of our fellow Spartan costumers suggested I do Captain Veronica Dare. After running up test sizing pieces I'm now on to the foam :) here's what I got so far.

2 of these
temporary_zpsuduthy6h.jpg


temporary_zpsn72lhs6v.jpg

and one of these... coz I'm sick of doing the detailing for now and have moved on to the thigh pieces :p

temporary_zpsn8zewwuu.jpg

temporary_zpsa7k4v4ny.jpg
 

Attachments

  • temporary_zpsuduthy6h.jpg
    temporary_zpsuduthy6h.jpg
    187.3 KB · Views: 274
  • temporary_zpsa7k4v4ny.jpg
    temporary_zpsa7k4v4ny.jpg
    252.3 KB · Views: 243
  • temporary_zpsn8zewwuu.jpg
    temporary_zpsn8zewwuu.jpg
    269.7 KB · Views: 274
  • temporary_zpsn72lhs6v.jpg
    temporary_zpsn72lhs6v.jpg
    169.9 KB · Views: 252
Update!


Both thigh pieces are done but they are buried in the armour box and i couldn't be stuffed pulling them out for a photo.... That will come later when I'm not so tired :)


However these pieces have been done to a base level as well. Dare chestplate, Dare Abplate and the back of the torso. All of these are works in progress. I still have detailing to do on both the chestplate and abplate, then to complete the torso piece I need to complete the other pieces needed for the front (the soft armour underneath etc), plus add the shoulder straps etc. Then I will have the backpack to do, which I am working on a way to make it usable for storage :)


temporary_zpsui25mj7k.jpg
 

Attachments

  • temporary_zpsui25mj7k.jpg
    temporary_zpsui25mj7k.jpg
    229 KB · Views: 270
Nice! As there are so many ODSTs, Dare is a very rare sight, so good luck! Your armor looks really nice so far.
 
So I've been really slack with the updates, partly because all the torso pieces are currently in like five pieces and so don't look like much and I'm working on making a functional detactable backpack.... Ambitious but tomorrow I should be able to tell if my ambition has paid off! It DOES currently hold two water bottles however, always handy when trooping! And of course a phone pocket has been built into one of my pieces ;) Finishing detail on the torso and completing the backpack is all that's left, then it'll be a case of running over ref pics and adding missing detail to pieces, tidying/ sanding bits then seal and paint. After discussion with the higher ups, I have decided to go for the gun metal Dare, rather than the fairly blue Dare that is the McFarlane figure.

my deadline is quickly running down- event is in two weeks- so a lot of detailing will be lacking for the first event, and if I get everything painted the same colour with contrasting chest colour etc I'll be happy- camo painting can come later, as will the under armour style shoulder pieces and undersuit detail.

initially I set out to make this as a scrappy quick ODST build since my Reach armour has seen such heavy use and I wanted something different, but in my typical fashion once I got started I got nit picky about detail. Now my goal is to make a Tier 3 approvable Dare outfit, eventually complete with helmet and removable ab plate armour (since she loses that in game and just has the undersuit armour). And yes, I will be making the headset.... Still haven't figured that bit out yet!

I'll try and get some pics up tomorrow but it's 4am, I'm exhausted and since I do have a cold I should probably get much needed sleep and stop making armour and browsing forums and ref pics ;)
 
Since I’m too sick today to be able to sand things outside I’m pretty much stuck without much more building left, so I’ll do a proper update and split it over a couple of posts so the posts aren’t as huge.

For the most part I have used EVAkura’s ODST foam conversion pep files as a basis then done my own detailing work and modifications from there using screenshots from the game as reference. Working from the ground up:

Boots:

temporary_zpst2av9jmq.jpg

Modified from the EVAkura converted file. Designed to be permanently attached to an old pair of black sneakers, because having them separate has been bugging me with my Reach armour.

Shin armour:

temporary_zpsjgsisbrc.jpg

JTM ODST HD shin file which I then edited a little. Still deciding whether I want to attach the knees to the shin pieces or have them separate. Still need to do a bit of sanding detail, pad them out for fitting and cut the back of the thigh out a bit to make it easier to bend my knee without armour clashing

Thigh armour:
temporary_zpsz0wdkryt.jpg

Modified from the EVAkura converted file, yay for the pile of inner thigh jigsaw pieces :p These had to be heavily modified to fit my big legs :p The plan, if it works, is to attach them to heavy weight spandex rather than directly fit them to the thigh armour, so that there is some flex and movement in them as I walk, sit, squat etc. I’ve learnt from my Reach build that using a black peelable paint creates a nice rubbery undersuiting look so these will be painted with a peelable paint before being attached to the material.

Front, side and butt plates:

temporary_zpsmwpuipmk.jpg

Side plates are the EVAkura converted file, the front and butt plate are modified from those files. Dare’s butt plate is a bit different shaped so I literally used the file to get an idea where to start for the basic shapes, then made it all myself from there. The front plate also has a pocket in the back to hide my phone since it was the perfect size :p Still a few final detail foam bits to add, and I still have to make the belt buckle.

temporary_zps9vtfbrox.jpg

Gauntlets:

temporary_zpslqqkvjes.jpg

Fiddly pain in the butt things, but I am happy with how they came out :) Slightly modified from the EVAkura files. Eventually I will also be doing the underarmour shoulder pieces since Dare doesn’t have shoulder armour pieces but time constraints for the upcoming event means they aren’t high on my list of priorities right now. These still need padding out and a few details sanded in.

- - - Updated - - -

Torso:

temporary_zpstgslp8bm.jpg

temporary_zpsgz42y865.jpg

Hands down the hardest part of the build because it needed the most modding. The ONI chest plate and ab armour I could use the files available on the archive (chest armour unfolded by MissingSpartan7, ab armour modelled/ unfolded by JUICE), modify them to suit me and then add my own detailing to them, but there simply isn’t a female torso file available and I’m a bit of a busty girl so making things fit is ALWAYS an issue. I wasn’t happy with how inaccurate the available files were (partly file inaccuracy, partly because Dare’s armour is different) so it was a case of pouring over a LOT of screenshots while having the files open and deciding how best to modify what was available, and then make my own pieces to go with it. I started with the EVAkura chest file so I could get the general shape of the pieces for the back, then did a lot of modifying pieces. Almost the entire front has been made up by myself using a couple of the existing file pieces around the neckline, hence why you are probably looking at it and thinking huh? While it looks weird it serves its purpose- it fills in the empty gaps around the edges of the chest and ab armour when they are put into place to make it look like the under armour.

I used the spine armour from the lower chest EVAkura file as the general shape guide for how to do the lower torso insert. This was a really fiddly bit because I literally just had to cut, fit and glue pieces together as I built to slowly build up what I wanted. Even then it was hard to get everything front and back close to the screenshots because let’s face it, computer game characters are rarely ever ‘correctly’ proportioned to a normal human and definitely don’t match my proportions, and armour pieces and clothing love to magically move through each other. It can also be difficult to figure out what is meant to be three dimensional vs 2D texturing when all you have is a few different colours indicating different pieces. I’ve had a lot of issues (accompanied by a lot of laughs, facepalms and frustration) with this with building my Jedi outfits from the SWTOR game- anyone who has played this knows how the outfits will randomly point out flat, or can suddenly become much bigger than they were, or go through other objects.

The shoulder straps are floating around somewhere (these will be attached to the back torso piece after painting) and there are still extra pieces to add to the side and shoulders of the front and back torso pieces as both detail and the attachment for the two halves. A combination of Velcro and webbing with clips will be used to make it all sit straight and firm. While it just looks like a bunch of funny shaped foam bits at the moment I promise it will come together in the end ;) After making my Reach torso armour one piece I decided I wanted to make future outfits so that the front and back clipped together. This armour will be a little more complicated than that since I do want to make it so that the ab plate is detachable.

Backpack:

temporary_zpssks6cqpn.jpg

Modified from the ONI Operative file available in the archive (unfolded by RoadWarrior) to be more screen accurate.This is still halfway built, those three pieces are separate at the moment. I am ambitiously attempting to make a removable case which isn’t pictured, it is outside with the contact adhesive curing before I sand the foam to create the curved edges look in the game. As far as me and hubby can figure, the backpack looks like it is some kind of frame that a case locks into, so I am attempting something similar with a case that will slide up underneath and into place with a strap that will clip and lock it into place so that it can actually be used as a backpack for storage since this outfit doesn’t have much in the way of pockets. Only time will tell if that works, hopefully tomorrow I’ll feel better and up to the sanding that is needed to progress on that build further. The backpack will be semi permanently attached to the back torso piece with bolts or Chicago screws if I’ve got some long enough. The larger flat surfaces have been reinforced from behind with MDF- hence why the flat surfaces look so nice and flat :p This has increased the weight however, so depending on how heavy it gets once loaded up I might have to have the back torso piece literally strapped onto me separate to the front torso piece so it doesn’t constantly pull back too much :p Right now, that is an issue for later me to worry about.

I think that pretty much gets me up to date. I still have the belt buckle to go- this will be done today and won’t take much to build, thankfully Dare’s buckle is the same just backwards to the other ODSTs for some reason- as well as the final details to add to a few bits before the sealing and painting. I also have the headset to make though I have a few ideas about that, I just need to see if I can find the materials locally. I have bought a set of cheap sports earphones (the type that are earbuds but have over/ behind the ear fitment so they stay in place) that I can use as the basis for the headset and build on top of that. Eventully I will make a helmet, probably from foam to see how it goes as something different since my Reach helmet and other current helmet builds are being done in pep/ resin, and I will then go through and do full undersuit/ underarmour detailing.
 

Attachments

  • temporary_zpsz0wdkryt.jpg
    temporary_zpsz0wdkryt.jpg
    212.6 KB · Views: 241
  • temporary_zpsjgsisbrc.jpg
    temporary_zpsjgsisbrc.jpg
    186.3 KB · Views: 227
  • temporary_zpst2av9jmq.jpg
    temporary_zpst2av9jmq.jpg
    183.2 KB · Views: 243
  • temporary_zpsgz42y865.jpg
    temporary_zpsgz42y865.jpg
    166.2 KB · Views: 281
  • temporary_zpssks6cqpn.jpg
    temporary_zpssks6cqpn.jpg
    226.2 KB · Views: 283
  • temporary_zpstgslp8bm.jpg
    temporary_zpstgslp8bm.jpg
    217.3 KB · Views: 253
  • temporary_zpslqqkvjes.jpg
    temporary_zpslqqkvjes.jpg
    239.6 KB · Views: 259
  • temporary_zpsmwpuipmk.jpg
    temporary_zpsmwpuipmk.jpg
    176.7 KB · Views: 230
  • temporary_zps9vtfbrox.jpg
    temporary_zps9vtfbrox.jpg
    266.9 KB · Views: 225
This evening's effort, in between burning the tips of two fingers :p

temporary_zpsuovwlglb.jpg

One belt buckle, adjusted a bit from the EVAkura converted file.

And one foam silencer to go onto my boomco pistol, because I don't have time to make an entire ODST pistol and this gives the general impression for a con :) Complete with a little LED torch- or at least just it's casing for now, the rest will get wired in after painting :D
 

Attachments

  • temporary_zpsuovwlglb.jpg
    temporary_zpsuovwlglb.jpg
    293.8 KB · Views: 258
This is fantastic! Great work!
What event are you attending? because there is a one in a million chances that I might be at the same con
 
Im in Western Australia so there is a large doubt :p

Evolve Perth 2016, though this will just be the first of many events over here I do in it. Next definite will be a local pop culture fair :)

Okay... not to toot my own horn, but I'm gonna toot my own horn coz I am pleased that this just worked!

One backpack with removable case that opens and is functional :) it can fit a couple of 600ml water bottles, or say a water bottle, wallet, asthma puffer, and whatever else I need to troop with :)

temporary_zpswmkds2xk.jpg

temporary_zpsvmcavzas.jpg

temporary_zps6rfc3gbs.jpg

For those who need a refresher as to what Dare's backpack looks like:

temporary_zps29ekhhne.png

MDF box that I made, add a layer of 6mm craft foam all around (I hate contact adhesive! Handy thing, but so smelly!), let dry, sand into shape, add details.

Now to finish adding the remaining details to the backpack :)

UPDATE- and added detail

temporary_zpsrymukk79.jpg
 

Attachments

  • temporary_zpsrymukk79.jpg
    temporary_zpsrymukk79.jpg
    204.4 KB · Views: 234
  • temporary_zps29ekhhne.png
    temporary_zps29ekhhne.png
    296.6 KB · Views: 1,850
  • temporary_zps6rfc3gbs.jpg
    temporary_zps6rfc3gbs.jpg
    247.4 KB · Views: 250
  • temporary_zpsvmcavzas.jpg
    temporary_zpsvmcavzas.jpg
    201 KB · Views: 237
  • temporary_zpswmkds2xk.jpg
    temporary_zpswmkds2xk.jpg
    243.9 KB · Views: 251
really good idea on that pack, it looks awesome! Just have to make sure that once the removable part is weighted up, it won't fall out of the rest of the structure
 
Great attention to Detail iv never used foam, but you sure are doing a amazing job!
I honestly cant wait to see the finished product, subbed!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top