Twi'lek Pam

Hi Amanda, I haven't had time to type up a solid response to your Malak and Revan threads yet, but I wanted to let you know that I take great pleasure in seeing people put a lot of effort into planning and building their own costumes from scratch. Kudos! Pam

Welcome to the Flagship forum, and to the wonderful addiction known as Star Wars costuming. (Now that you've started down the costuming path, forever will it dominate your destiny! ) Could you take some pictures to show us the changes that you've made to the costume and it's accessories, and with everything being worn in the photo? That way we can give you a critique of the complete current look. Is the cape pink, or tan? In one picture it looks pink-ish, and in the other it seems tan, so I can't tell what color it truly is. Lighting tends to do things like that to fabric. It should be tan. If it's pink, you'll need to remake the cape. (One Decipher photograph of Mara used violet stage lights, which reflected off of her tan cape and made a lot of girls misinterpret her cape as being pink or violet instead of tan.) Pam

Sounds good. Pam

Hi, Cathy. I'm glad to hear that you like the "Flagship's rendition" of her costume. We try to base the references on game turnarounds whenever possible, since they're the most detailed and show all sides! (Plus, I think the artists get a kick out of knowing that we pour over their character studies as much as they do.) Let's see if I can work my way through all the things that come to mind for your costume... First off, it isn't necessary to lighten the color of your costume pieces unless you want to. Black on black is just fine. (Notations about different shades will be removed from the final version of the standards, which I'm currently working on and hope to finish soon.) It also isn't necessary to cut your wig shorter in the back. While the reference pictures only show the back of her hair going to her shoulders, it's assumed that the back can be as long as the front; and the rest is thought to be hidden by her cloak, which isn't pictured in that reference. The Traya artwork is a customized fan version, I believe, from deviantART... I don't think it's quite proper to call her "cute," but in that picture she looks like a cute pair of twins! I had wondered about the loops on the back of your headdress as I was going through the post. I think you can certainly modify that with the back section, no problem. The look of the final result is important, but how you get there is completely up to you! Your hair bands will need the red stripes to go completely around the diameter of the bands, rather than sections of them. I'm going to look forward to seeing your progress with this costume. Please keep taking pictures, and share, share, share! Pam

There are a few in the legion, though some are not accurate and most aren't active in the detachment. What did you mean by "better references" in your post? We have the absolutely best references for this version of Nihilus. It's the tattered version that has very limited references! Scott and I started working on this version in July, but it's been a busy summer and we haven't gotten very far yet. We've got a new mask sculpt more than halfway finished, a big pile of black fabric washed and waiting to be sewn, a sheet of foam for sculpting the chest, and a few pages of scrawled design plans. I hope to get it finished sometime this year, but we always tend to have too many projects going at the same time! Pam

Some of the armor makers sculpt the armor over a body cast, while others sculpt it in foam and never use a body cast. It depends entirely on the style of sculpting that you want to use, and the accuracy of shape that you want to get. Working from a body cast will gve you the best fit between sections of the armor, and make sure that it's a good fit once it's done.... though I've also seen some really amazing armor come out of big blocks of foam that never touched a lifecast. I cast armor pieces in fiberglass all the time. It's prickly when it comes out of the mold, but a bit of edge trimming with the belt sander and a go-over with a mouse sander on the back surfaces take care of that problem. However, I only use it for sections of armor, not for full-body suits. Trust me when I say that you do NOT want to make a full body suit out of fiberglass. Not unless you want to feel like you're weightlifting with every step you take. It's heavy, and will wear you out very quickly. It's much better to make vacuforming bucks, and vac the armor with styrene or ABS. In general styrene is easier to use for the basic garage build, but you have to paint it. ABS doesn't have to be painted, but it's a much more sensitive material, and things like moisture can cause problems. Hope that helps a bit, Pam

Heh, when I posted that the upgrades looked accurate on the GML forum, I was multitasking, and helping someone work on their green Admiral Daala costume at the same time. I mistyped and wrote that the "Daala" costume looked good. Then later realized my mistake... and then later again, realized that the name Daala still fit in that particular circumstance! I'm so confused.... Congratulations. Pam

Okay, those contacts are just plain creepy! (But also really, really cool...) Pam

The legs are definitely a custom design, not quite clone, not quite TK. I've "grown up" around both, so to speak, and I'm familiar with their looks. This doesn't match either! The overall shape seems to reflect both styles, with the seamless look of clone armor rather than the bold front seams of the TK. The knees are completely unique; I can't think of any other armor that has knees hanging by short straps from the thigh armor. TK knees are very different, with the strap across the right knee and an attached plate on the left. Clone armor has "floating" knee pieces, but they're attached to a strap that goes around the knee, rather than hanging from the thighs. The closest "base" armor would be clone, but it might be too different because clone armor has triangular areas on the front, which hers doesn't have. The lower legs seems quite close to clone armor, though I don't see the spoon in the back, so you'd need another way to close the armor. Honestly, this whole thing would need to be a custom sculpt. The chest armor is much more boxy than standard TK chest armor, and more akin to clone armor in that respect, even though the base design is TK. The ab armor plate has an inward curve that standard armor doesn't have, looking rather like a corset. The forearm armor has a high point at the elbows that I don't think is on the standard TK armor. The boots are also quite different from TK boots, which tend to have flat soles. Is the detonator clipped on top of the belt in the back, instead of hanging on the belt? Pam

The veils are evil, and exist only to make our lives difficult! I think you've done a fine job, and I'm sure you have an approvable costume now. I do encourage you to keep upgrading... with each little bit you tweak, you'll be happier with your creation, and it'll look even better. Experience teaches us a lot in the costuming hobby! I would suggest upgrading the sleeves sometime to have an even greater bell shape. They're okay now, but could be even better. Her sleeves are really big! Both the pinwheels and the gold patterns look really good. Well done. Pam

You're awesome... thanks for making me laugh! (I needed that!) Pam

Beautiful work. I especially love being able to see the texture in the hood. Is the RL badge canon, though? I am wondering if it might be possible to tone down/weather the gold trim with a light wash of fabric paint, or something along that line. To me it seems a little too bright, new and shiny for such a rustic costume. Is the obi riding up a little bit, or is that the intended location? It might help to put some sort of anchor points (hook and eye, snaps, or velcro) on the waist to keep the obi in place if it is indeed shifting out from underneath the belt as you move. The leg wraps look fantastic, both in the wraps themselves, and in the color gradations. You might be able to improve them even further by applying a wash of darker color along the edges, to really accent the wraps the way they are accented in the reference images. The color can be sprayed on, or painted while the fabric is wet so that it blends. Experiment before trying anything on your good wraps, though! This is something that some of the Ventress costumes have done to great effect. Pam

Hi, We won't be able to make you a member of the detachment until your costume is approved by the legion membership officer(s). I imagine your GML approved it for moving forward to the next step in the approval process, but it's not yet officially official. Once the costume is approved by a LMO, you will show up on our roster on the legion database, and then we can make you a member of the detachment and teach you the secret handshake. Pam

We ended up using these (large size) on Scott's new belt, and spray painted them flat black: http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-u ... 0-007.aspx Pam

::applauds:: Seriously cool! Pam

Best original use of a level EVER!!! Pam

It's amazing how much difference a few details can make. I think you've got a great match now. Did you give the pauldrons a bit of weathering to make them match the vest? I'm not certain from the pictures. If you haven't, I'd suggest giving them a slight beating, too. There's always something theraputic about weathering costumes after making them. It's like revenge for all of the frustrations they caused, with the added benefit of making the costume look lived-in! Pam

Hi, I'd say to just take a breather and wait for the needed information to come in. Find out what the current LMO says, and go from there. At this point his opinion is the only one that will influence what you need to do. As for the past issues, we don't know all the facts so there is no good that can come from being miffed. Nobody likes to hear that things have gone wrong, from either end of the equation, but everyone appreciates a calm resolution. The GML may have dropped the ball, or they might not have understood how the EU approval process works. It has changed multiple times over the years, afterall. There's also a chance that I missed a post in one of the EU approval threads, considering that it's approaching a year now and that's a whole lot of posts to search through. I did say "As far as I can tell" to show that I am not 100% certain. Or, the GML may have had a private conversation with the LMO, which I wouldn't have known about. There are a lot of possiblities, but I know that your current officers are concerned, and people do care about getting it resolved. It'll work out. Just be patient. Pam

Very nice! I would suggest giving the lips just a tiny bit more fullness; they look a little on the thin and masculine side, while the reference images give a hint of more feminine shape. Overall, though, it's truly beautiful work. Make sure you share your progress on the Bounty Hunter's Guild forum, too.... while I LOVE seeing build threads here, they'll be the detachment to represent this character if she becomes 501st approved. Pam

YangObi, I don't recall seeing your costume in the LMO approval thread yet. Perhaps your GML has approved it, but it has not yet gone to the LMO for legion approval. When it does appear in the LMO approval thread, my critique will include the need for weathering. Your costume is well made, but it looks too brand-new and spotlessly clean for a 501st tusken! Pam

Hi, I'm not certain of who gave you the critique and did not approve the costume the first time, but as far as I can tell this costume has never been formally submitted for approval before yesterday. I checked back through the LMO approval threads, and I could not find it. Nor do I recall ever giving it a formal critique before. (I apologize for not posting more in this thread back in October... let's just say that you posted during a rough patch in my life.) If I had seen this costume posted in the LMO Approval thread in the GML forum, which is the place where all EU costumes are approved, I would have given the same critique that I gave yesterday. My guess is that your GML at the time reviewed the costume, then waited for you to correct whatever they asked you to correct before they posted the costume for LMO approval in the GML forum. I feel confident in saying that if the costume had been posted for LMO approval, he would have pointed out many if not all of the same details that I pointed out as needing a bit more work. As it was, I don't think he was ever given a chance to review the costume. Now, you also need to keep in mind that the costume has NOT been approved or deferred yet. The DL's are asked to give a critique, but we do not make any decisions about the approval. We offer our opinions, and then the LMO is the one who decides if the costume is ready for approval or not. At this time, the LMO hasn't posted a response yet. My advice is, keep working on the costume if you want to. If getting it approved is a goal, then make any upgrades that the LMO asks for. If you want to leave it as is and continue using it for conventions or informal events where your garrison is okay with it being worn, then that's fine. Sometimes with very complicated costumes, you just have to decide where your priorities fall. I would suggest doing some research on other options for supplies if it is costing you $75 for each wearing of this costume. I've been buying Reel Creations and bald caps for years, and it shouldn't cost even half that much. Personally, I think you should keep working on it and see how wonderful you can make this creation with some more dedication and time. As with all costumes, they get better with time as we learn more and upgrade them. I thought my first Aayla costume was awesome, but now I look back at it and cringe. I know a lot more about what I'm doing now, and I'm glad I kept working on it to make it better. Aayla has come a long way.... These are the suggestions that I made for improving the costume: This costume needs a bit more work before I would consider it ready for approval. She has a fine start (and either she got brave enough to shave her head, or somebody did an amazing job on the bald cap application); she just needs a bit more accuracy on some of the details. Please invite her to share her work on the Flagship forum; she can get a lot of advice and encouragement there, as well as the support of other girls who have made this costume. From the top: The tattoo patterns need to be correctly shaped, lightly colored, and evenly placed. A template would be a great help for this. Shirt: Looks great! Torso and arm wraps: Need to be neatly and tightly fitted, not sagging loosely. Belts: Need to be properly segmented all the way around: To me the belt doesn't have enough of an X shape, and I really can't tell what is segmented, and what is hanging open. Perhaps part of the problem is the bright direct sunlight washing out some of the details. Skirt: Very nice! (I want one...) Sash belt: The overall design is good, though it could use a bit more finishing work. Some areas look considerably more complete than others, and the paint occasionally appears mismatched. Torso and arm body paint: It appears that she's wearing a white shirt instead of body paint on her torso and arms. I know of a single instance where a body suit was approved instead of body paint on a female character (Darth Maladi), and a single instance of a male character having fabric covered arms (Sith Stalker Starkiller.) In the case of Starkiller, the fabric is somewhat necessary because of the "torn skin" look that has to be replicated on his damaged arm.... but I do not advise (nor would I want to approve) any female using a bodysuit instead of body paint on her arms or torso. I'm not especially happy that the precedence was set, and I hope it does not continue. You can see the wrinkles, it doesn't look like skin, and I don't consider it a 501st-quality technique. As a Twi'lek costumer, I know how big a job body paint is, but I also know how much it improves the look of a costume when body paint is used instead of shortcutting with fabric. Also concerning the white coloring of the skin, Ventress doesn't have a "clown/mime white" coloring... it's more of a whiteish tint. A light application of a slightly gray toned makeup will give a more natural look than a solid coat of pure white. Pam

Heh... that's a really close color match, I would have sworn it was Sculpey! Super Sculpey is similar to oil clay in that it doesn't dry up, and it gets softer when warm. The difference is that it's a polymer clay, so you can bake it to harden it when you're done. The clay turns rock hard, and then you can sand or tool it. The downside is that it can occasionally crack or delaminate when baked, so I tend to leave it unbaked unless I've used it for a sculpture that I want to save. (Though it occurs to me that I've never used it with a silicone mold, so I don't know if it has a sulphur content that would cause issues. I've only used it with plaster molds.) Pam

I've been finding myself with a time shortage lately, too. If only we could figure out how to stockpile that stuff... it sure would come in handy while costuming! Are you using Super Sculpey on the edges? If so, I can vouch that it works very well for giving a beaded edge to a master mold. No worries there! Pam

Suddenly I feel very short and squashable... eep! Nice work! Pam