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Materials, Looking the Part


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Good evening,

Recently an increased number of Expanded Universe armoured costume submissions have been tendered using materials that cannot hope to match the reference images.
501stRevanHardSoft_zps7swt9q6c.jpg

 

The hard armour recreation above is an example of a completed costume that would be accepted for 501st membership. The cloth costume is an approximation of the reference. From a good distance the colours and shapes are roughly correct, but it would not pass close inspection by the measuring stick of “Looks like it walked off of the big screen.”

Now some folk will argue that since many Expanded Universe characters do not have an “official” real world costume reference that the construction technique an material is open to interpretation. And to an extent, they do have a point. However, for 501st approval, there will be certain expectations that do reign in the appearance and materials used.

In this instance, from reference and citing similar instances in canon film characters, we The Flagship Eclipse, define Darth Revan’s armour as metal. A hard, glossy material in a form with complexed multidirectional curves that are not easily achieved by simply bending rigid sheet into simple curves.

As such cloth and leather constructions are not likely to be approved for membership.
Neither would untreated EVA foam. (You might have some success coating a foam construction with a rigid material like wood glue, letting it dry and sanding, but other materials might possibly yield better results.)

I have seen all metal constructions for this armour. The two instances were not approved because they did not match the complex multidirectional curves of the reference armour. It could be done in metal. but would require coal forging, an English Wheel, or some such labour intensive and highly skilled art. And it would be beautiful.

Recommended in this and other similar constructions would be materials that might require sculpture over a human form as a starting place. From here molds can be made, and armour can be cast in fibreglass, resins, or made into a buck for vacuum forming. This is another labour intensive method requiring a high skill set. Because of the effort involved many craftsmen seek to recoup their investment by offering kits. Others throw together kits with profit being their primary concern. Such kits are discerned by poor fit/poor engineering and lax attention to detail.

Please consider the building block of The 501st Legion: The Stormtrooper
500px-TK_anh_hero.jpeg
We have a well established benchmark for what shiny armour should look like. TK’s have a bit of an advantage with near 40 years of fans perfecting builds and offering kits. And the 501st allows for a little interpretation with new units, such as those drafted in the Expanded Universe. Still we want our suits to measure favourably with the costume that founded our community. Thus, if the costume you are making for 501st Legion approval involves shiny armour, the material and technique chosen as well as skill level should be appropriate for recreating (not approximating) a 501st Legion Stormtrooper.

Expanded Universe costuming in the 501st Legion is a challenge. And that challenge does not end at approval.
But for those who love our characters from beyond the Big Screen, it is entirely worth the effort.

Be well,
Thomas




 

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In a lot of cases, when unsure of a material, many of the character creators are happy to answer questions on the intended materials. As is the case with Revan, one of our garrison members went right to the source: BioWare. He had the chance to sit down with the character designers for Revan and ask some really great questions. Try reaching out to the creator of a character and see if they can answer your questions. 

As for the Revan discussion, yes, his armour is meant to be metal according to the creators at BioWare. :) 

 

Cheers,

Nef

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