Deck of Many Things

Okay, so I get a lot of emails and questions about my Tali’Zorah helmet. So I am going to do a run down of how I made the helmet, and what I would do different now that I have gone through the entire process. This post is still a WIP, so if you don’t see any photos attached, expect them in the future.

THE RUN DOWN:

The helmet was made with cardboard, paper mache and paperclay. Paperclay is a specific brand of air drying clay http://www.dickblick.com/products/creative-paperclay/

1.  I sketched out all angles of the helmet so I understood the shapes and dimensions I needed to make for the physical helmet.

2. I measured my head’s hat circumference, angled circumference, distance from ear to ear, and the measurement of the forehead down to where the neck begins. Make sure to write these measurements down.

3. I find its best to buy a foam mannequin head for the next step (you can find them online or at hobby lobby). I took scraps of fabric (doesn’t matter what kind) and wrapped it around the head, pinning it in place. I would continually measure it until it was the right circumference as my actual head. I also took the extra effort to also measure out the length, circumference, and width of my entire face so I could get the thickness correct.

4. start sketching and cutting out the individual shapes of the helmet. start taping them together and placing them onto the foam head and seeing if it looks okay.
5. Once you have the right size and shape of the helmet, trace them onto cardboard and glue/ masking tape the pieces together. make sure when making curved shapes you pay attention to the grain of the cardboard so you can mold the curves easier. Don’t be afraid to crush and mold the cardboard so it has curves to form to the face.

6. Remember to make a band on the helmet to secure it when you wear it. I made a “cross” band where I had my hat circumference and the forehead to the back of the head length. you can kind of see this in these photos: http://www.cosplay.com/photo/2060983/

7. Make sure you try the helmet on before you continue onwards! The helmet should fit a little loose. If its too snug or is fitting just right this will cause a problem in the future. Trust me.

8. Begin to paper mache! Use 3 parts glue, 1 part water and cut up bits of newspaper. Don’t soak the paper because it will take forever to dry. You need at least 3 full layers of paper mache, inside and outside of the helmet, the whole thing! I would recommend doing 5+ layers since you need the helmet to be very sturdy.

9. When the mache is drying, place the helmet on a foam head or something that is close to a head shape. It can warp and lose shape when it begins to dry so its vital to do this step.

10.  Once the mache is completely dry I took paperclay and squished it thin/flat, and then layered it on the exterior of the helmet. Wrap the clay around the sides and to the back to help it stick to the helmet

11. Don’t get discouraged, it will look awful at first http://www.cosplay.com/photo/1955204/ this was before I sanded, it was lumpy and ill defined.

12. Sand the clay once it is totally dry. I used a Black and Decker mouse sander to get a flat, smooth surface. Use the sander outside, because you WILL get dust everywhere. If you don’t have an electric sander and are hand sanding it will take a very, very long time.

13. You’ll see pits and exposed areas of the mache after your first sanding. Take your paper clay and fill in those areas. Repeat step 12 and 13 until you’re happy with the helmet’s shape and look.

14. Gesso or seal the helmet with primer, and then paint! I used metallic spray paint and acrylics.

15. Line the inside of the helmet with felt or a soft fabric so your face won’t be scratched by the paper mache

16. I placed a touch light on the front; they can be purchased at any dollar store.

17. To keep my hood from slipping I used sticky velcro and attached the brim of the hood to the top of the helmet.

If you are stumped on anything I said, I used this tutorial for clay armor http://www.jiajem.com/armor.html

Helmet fan- The helmet gets foggy fast so I installed a small fan inside to keep myself cool. I used the tutorial here…super easy to install but its a bit pricey http://costumebot.com/archives/11

Visor- I used a cheap home method of forming acrylic plexiglass (found in places like Home Depot) using this tutorial http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=176434 there is a video link of how to do it in the first post, too. The difference is I didn’t use a bondo mold of the visor and instead pressed the softened plexiglass into the inside of the helmet and smoothed it to the shape I needed. This took many retries. If you screw up molding the plastic, all you need to do is let it cool and stick it back in the oven so it can soften up.

I then tinted the plexiglass with DIY car window tint kit. I cut the tint into strips and made sure they didn’t overlap on each other. its easier to do it that way since a whole tinted sheet would bubble and crease. Then, to get the color I wrapped red cellophane over the front of the visor, wrapped it to the back and super glued it down so it was flush to the visor.

I epoxied the visor to the inside of the helmet and let it sit for a few days to make sure it bonded well. BE CAREFUL WHEN USING EPOXY. It should be used in a well ventilated area, with proper protective wear.

Things I would do differently:

Helmet frame- I would probably use a different material altogether. I have seen people use EVA floor mats for the “metal” parts and then the rest is the visor piece. People have also sculpted the helmet out of clay and then cast it in resin. If you cannot afford doing those methods and want to stick with this tutorial, I would suggest making the helmet more rounded, and actually have a more stable top to it rather than having two strips of cardboard supporting the mask.

Visor- I would make the bondo mold for the visor. It is an extra step and extra money, but it will give you the form you need to mold the plexiglass over.  I’d also color the visor (red, yellow, etc) by using translucent model car paints and an airbrush machine. Its a bit more expensive, especially if you don’t have the tools, but I have used translucent paints and it works perfect! Here is a link to the red paint http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/tes/tes1605.htm If you can find it at hobby stores, make sure it says translucent and that the can top is see through.

Light- Instead of having a touch light, one LED light would do the trick. You can go to Radioshack and purchase 10mm leds and rig up a quick light kit.

I finally got some prints for the cover art of the SND fourthcore adventure, created by Save Versus Death. They are 12×18 in size, with room for matting the image. I’ll post photos of the actual product soon. I only have 50 prints in this size and I don’t see myself making more prints of this piece in quite awhile–there is always room for making a larger or smaller print, but I’d like to start doing different sizes.

That said, 20 bucks for a print, free shipping. I do paypal, checks, and money orders. You can email me at taylordiabennett at gmail or send me a comment. I will not be running a booth at Gencon this year, so you won’t be able to pick it up there.

Selling the artwork, not the adventure.

Also, I’d like to apologize for not making the quarian helmet tutorial yet. Personal life and a ton of projects crept up on me. It’ll make its way onto the site eventually

So my car has forced me to get my sale pages up. I am having the worst time with my car right now and I have a hefty bill to take care of, so if you’d like to help out please take a look at my for sale pages. I have original drawings, original paintings, or prints if you don’t want to spend a ton of money. I do have the original ink drawing for the wildly popular D&D adventure Revenge of the Iron Lich for sale. I currently do not have prints of the Iron Lich available, but if there is enough interest in owning a print please leave a comment or email (taylordiabennett at gmail). I can always work out a different size print if you want something larger or smaller than 12×18 (note that larger size means a more pricey print).

And I do commissions. So if there is something you want drawn or painted contact me!

Take a look and help an artist from becoming a starving one

Today the 1st adventure in Saturday Night Delves launched! Its a free Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition adventure that is a collaboration between Save Versus Death, Dread Gazebo, and myself (well, I only did the artwork so I’m just ridin’ on coat tails).

The adventure Saturday Night Delves: Revenge of the Iron Lich is available here. And yes, it’s totally free. It’s to spread the gospel of fourthcore. There is already talk of this being run at PAX East and Gencon. So prepare yourself for fun (and death).

My Bones!!

(click image for a good look)

Whether you celebrate it or not, I hope you had a nice day and that you are not stuck in a life-sucking relationship. Because we’ve all been there:

Maybe they should have brought flowers?

A commission for Save Versus Death. Taken on a shoddy camera and cropped way too small, so I will get a proper scanned image for him tonight. (click image for larger size)

I am surprised that the one thing I get the most emails about is my Tali’Zorah helmet. There are now numerous Tali costumes that trump mine, especially in the helmet category, so I’m bewildered that people are still emailing me asking for details and saying how great it looks. It’s not a bad thing, I’m glad people enjoy it, but I am my worst critic so I dislike my helmet. I still have it in storage and the thought has crossed to take it out and stomp on it/blow it up. Maybe someday…

ANYWAYS! To the point, since I get frequent requests on how I made the helmet I will make a tutorial. I didn’t take a lot of WIP photos so it will be text heavy, but I will provide links and inspiration. Maybe some key reference photos I used. I can’t set a day that I will have it up (maybe I’ll have time if we do get hit by a snowstorm!) so just keep your eyes peeled.

Lots of inactivity means nothing new, right?

Eh, not exactly. I quit one of my jobs so I have a lot of time on my hands. Which means I can do a lot of thinking and creating. Going for my MFA has been constantly on my mind, so I’m usually planning/plotting for that. I have a few ideas that I’m excited about, so if/when I get in hopefully they will not be tossed aside.

I also have a busy traveling schedule this year. I will be at these conventions, in costume, for 2011:

May 20-22- ACen in Chicago

August 4-7 – GenCon in Indianapolis

August 26-28 – PAX Prime Seattle

October- Pure Spec??? Let’s hope so!

After much thought I have decided against an art booth this year. Initially I wanted one for GenCon but I encountered an unexpected (and expensive) car problem so I cannot simply afford a booth and new prints to display. If I wouldn’t have already planned and bought tickets/hotel rooms for other cons I’m sure I could afford it but hindsight is 20/20. On the bright side it will give me more time to create more and better art pieces to sell. I did take note that I lacked in quantity, and I probably would have only had about 3-4 new things since fall brought me no time to create.  I’m a little disappointed, and if there are any other GenCon artists reading this I want them to know I’ll definitely drop by the booths and say hello, maybe buy a few things here and there

On that note, I am still taking art commissions. Costume/prop commissions are still closed since I have put a lot on my plate in that category. But I’m always happy to draw or paint something. I have been drawing in my spare time. Here is a doodle I sent to my friend Christa for the holidays:

"And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten."

He’s a bit crooked, but meh. I’m a bit rusty.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I’m still adding links, the page containing tutorials is located on the right side of my website.

If you’re drinking this weekend be careful when you mix them! Certain drink combinations can make things…fuzzy.

(Thanks to Toast Museum for the hilarious gif)

(Also, its a reference to Mass Effect if your character is a huge drunk)

Just got back from Canada. I want to say a huge huge thank you to the Pure Spec coordinators, volunteers, local costumers/cosplayers, and the people who came to the festival. I had a great time, and I hope you’ll have me back next year!

I am collecting all of the tutorial links/videos that I promised I would post up on my website. I should have it by this weekend–if not, please send me an email to scoot me along!

Also, if you have any photos of me in costume please send them my way! We didn’t have enough time to take proper photos of the costumes.