Jason 078
Well-Known Member
Hi, my name is Jason and I am a costumer.
*Hi, Jason*
Ever since I enlisted in the Army back in 2000, I have always heard that you have to learn in certain steps. Those steps are going from the least complicated to the most complicated. For my adventures in costuming, I have seen that there is a similar learning curve. So, that is why I am choosing to begin where I am beginning.
I have worked in sintra enough to be able to crack out a set of custom Mandalorian armor in a couple of hours, shaped and painted. Sintra is one of the easiest materials I have ever worked with. It can be bent on a straight edge if you score it, it takes to bondo like fiberglass without the toxic materials, and it can be shaped into practically anything with just a pot of boiling water. Not to mention, PVC glue is very easy to find.
Like many other costumers, I have a bit of a costuming A.D.D. I see something new and I want to build it. So, when I began another play through of Mass Effect, I decided to take a look at the Mass Effect costumes that were out there. Well, that eventually led me to Evil FX and his foam N7 armor. Needless to say, I was blown away.
I saw this simple foam, which I have ignored as it sat idle on my Arms Room floor and in the gymnasium, turned into a masterpiece. My first thought was that it was far beyond my skill set to build anything along the lines of those works of art. Then I actually read his tutorial and build log.
Well, that build log started me looking for more sources for how to build costumes with this and other forms of foam. Eventually, that led me to the 405th. Now, I am no stranger to Halo costumers. A member of my garrison (501st) is a Mark V Spartan (though he is also kind of short). He said that he purchased his ABS armor on fleabay and it cost him a total of $1500. Yeah, after having sunk more money that I spent on my first two cars combined into building a Darth Vader, I was not willing to pay that much for the same cr@ppy material that Stormtrooper armor is made of.
One of my favorite suits of armor is the Spartan armor drawn by Alessando Baldasseroni for Halo Wars (the Mk IV). When I began looking at this armor, I found it in pepakura. I’ve never seen pepakura before, but this intrigued me.
So, now I have my sights set on a full suit of Mk IV Spartan Armor from Halo Wars (specifically, trying to recreate the high detail armor from the graphics I provided above), not to mention other non-Halo costumes. However, I know that my skills are non-existent at the moment to be able to accomplish this task, so I am setting myself up to learn.
In all of my military training, from basic training to NCO school, I have always heard that the learning curve happens in four simple steps: Crawl, Walk, Run, Sprint. Start simple to gain the basic skills, move to another level to build upon those skills, up again to gain mastery of those skills, and then take off. Well, I have set up a small number of costumes to give me those skills.
Crawl
The simplest foam costume that I can think of is a suit of custom Mandalorian armor from the Star Wars Galaxies MMO. However, I will be using Pepakura files to do so, because of the specific folds and bends of certain pieces. The armor itself is the simplest part, basic plates that are cut and formed. The and shoulders need to be rolled and closed with a little detail. Then there is the helmet, which will be the most difficult part of the build. Finally, I will be building the jetpack as it is seen in the game (lower detail than those currently available). The weapons will be custom modifications of weapons that closely resemble those my character carried in-game.
Walk
The second suit that I will be doing is a set of N7 Armor from Mass Effect 2. It will build upon the flat armor creation, but will emphasize the inlaid details of the armor. It will help to build the foam skills, lighting skills, and harness/attachment skills necessary for my future projects. The helmet is more advanced than the Mando bucket, but that is what I am doing this for. Finally, the weapon will be a sliced rifle built out of sintra and foam with included lights.
Run
For the third phase of my armoring project, I will be making a full set of Republic Commando Armor from Pepakura. I am planning on doing this for two reasons. It will teach me the necessary Pep skills to get curves on hard armored pieces as well as the skills to attach a suspension system to 3D/boxy parts. Not to mention, it will build upon the skills I have previously learned. Finally, it will give me experience with Pepping a weapon in higher detail that is not sliced.
Sprint
With all of the skills that I have acquired, I will be making a set of Mk IV Mjolnir Armor from Halo Wars. This will be the most difficult set as I plan to make it in two layers. The main armor will be pepakura sintra and include all of the details and intricacies that you have all come to know and love (including a double visor). The under suit will be a custom design and made in a similar way to the Mass Effect armor but with a ¼-inch foam material sewn to the under suit. The under suit will also include a built-in suspension system for the armor. The helmet will be similar to the other suits, but with a little more attention to detail. The weapon, a MA5B Assault Rifle made of pepakura sintra and foam, will also include all the bells and whistles (by that I mean high detailed and lit).
I would appreciate your feedback as to this project list. I think I have included all of the necessary skills that I will need to learn. As you can see, I am also a consummate planner, so you will see a great number of WIPs in this thread. I’ll keep all but the Mjolnir in this thread to avoid the muss and fuss that can come from cross-genre builds. However, it will not be any less detailed.
I also plan on making sets of the previous costumes and selling them to supplement my costuming supplies and expenses. Not scalping anyone, just fair market costs. However, I will not sell incomplete or sloppy parts of my work.
So, what do you think? Any comments or criticism will be helpful for me as this is kind of new.
*Hi, Jason*
Ever since I enlisted in the Army back in 2000, I have always heard that you have to learn in certain steps. Those steps are going from the least complicated to the most complicated. For my adventures in costuming, I have seen that there is a similar learning curve. So, that is why I am choosing to begin where I am beginning.
I have worked in sintra enough to be able to crack out a set of custom Mandalorian armor in a couple of hours, shaped and painted. Sintra is one of the easiest materials I have ever worked with. It can be bent on a straight edge if you score it, it takes to bondo like fiberglass without the toxic materials, and it can be shaped into practically anything with just a pot of boiling water. Not to mention, PVC glue is very easy to find.
Like many other costumers, I have a bit of a costuming A.D.D. I see something new and I want to build it. So, when I began another play through of Mass Effect, I decided to take a look at the Mass Effect costumes that were out there. Well, that eventually led me to Evil FX and his foam N7 armor. Needless to say, I was blown away.
I saw this simple foam, which I have ignored as it sat idle on my Arms Room floor and in the gymnasium, turned into a masterpiece. My first thought was that it was far beyond my skill set to build anything along the lines of those works of art. Then I actually read his tutorial and build log.
Well, that build log started me looking for more sources for how to build costumes with this and other forms of foam. Eventually, that led me to the 405th. Now, I am no stranger to Halo costumers. A member of my garrison (501st) is a Mark V Spartan (though he is also kind of short). He said that he purchased his ABS armor on fleabay and it cost him a total of $1500. Yeah, after having sunk more money that I spent on my first two cars combined into building a Darth Vader, I was not willing to pay that much for the same cr@ppy material that Stormtrooper armor is made of.
One of my favorite suits of armor is the Spartan armor drawn by Alessando Baldasseroni for Halo Wars (the Mk IV). When I began looking at this armor, I found it in pepakura. I’ve never seen pepakura before, but this intrigued me.
So, now I have my sights set on a full suit of Mk IV Spartan Armor from Halo Wars (specifically, trying to recreate the high detail armor from the graphics I provided above), not to mention other non-Halo costumes. However, I know that my skills are non-existent at the moment to be able to accomplish this task, so I am setting myself up to learn.
In all of my military training, from basic training to NCO school, I have always heard that the learning curve happens in four simple steps: Crawl, Walk, Run, Sprint. Start simple to gain the basic skills, move to another level to build upon those skills, up again to gain mastery of those skills, and then take off. Well, I have set up a small number of costumes to give me those skills.
Crawl
The simplest foam costume that I can think of is a suit of custom Mandalorian armor from the Star Wars Galaxies MMO. However, I will be using Pepakura files to do so, because of the specific folds and bends of certain pieces. The armor itself is the simplest part, basic plates that are cut and formed. The and shoulders need to be rolled and closed with a little detail. Then there is the helmet, which will be the most difficult part of the build. Finally, I will be building the jetpack as it is seen in the game (lower detail than those currently available). The weapons will be custom modifications of weapons that closely resemble those my character carried in-game.
Walk
The second suit that I will be doing is a set of N7 Armor from Mass Effect 2. It will build upon the flat armor creation, but will emphasize the inlaid details of the armor. It will help to build the foam skills, lighting skills, and harness/attachment skills necessary for my future projects. The helmet is more advanced than the Mando bucket, but that is what I am doing this for. Finally, the weapon will be a sliced rifle built out of sintra and foam with included lights.
Run
For the third phase of my armoring project, I will be making a full set of Republic Commando Armor from Pepakura. I am planning on doing this for two reasons. It will teach me the necessary Pep skills to get curves on hard armored pieces as well as the skills to attach a suspension system to 3D/boxy parts. Not to mention, it will build upon the skills I have previously learned. Finally, it will give me experience with Pepping a weapon in higher detail that is not sliced.
Sprint
With all of the skills that I have acquired, I will be making a set of Mk IV Mjolnir Armor from Halo Wars. This will be the most difficult set as I plan to make it in two layers. The main armor will be pepakura sintra and include all of the details and intricacies that you have all come to know and love (including a double visor). The under suit will be a custom design and made in a similar way to the Mass Effect armor but with a ¼-inch foam material sewn to the under suit. The under suit will also include a built-in suspension system for the armor. The helmet will be similar to the other suits, but with a little more attention to detail. The weapon, a MA5B Assault Rifle made of pepakura sintra and foam, will also include all the bells and whistles (by that I mean high detailed and lit).
I would appreciate your feedback as to this project list. I think I have included all of the necessary skills that I will need to learn. As you can see, I am also a consummate planner, so you will see a great number of WIPs in this thread. I’ll keep all but the Mjolnir in this thread to avoid the muss and fuss that can come from cross-genre builds. However, it will not be any less detailed.
I also plan on making sets of the previous costumes and selling them to supplement my costuming supplies and expenses. Not scalping anyone, just fair market costs. However, I will not sell incomplete or sloppy parts of my work.
So, what do you think? Any comments or criticism will be helpful for me as this is kind of new.
