Maris Brood - feedback welcome!

[Tamara]

Hi all

 

I'm currently working on a Maris costume (she is divine!) and I'd like to post pictures

of my process to get some usefull feedback on my work!

 

First ones will be up soon!

 

The only obstacle I'm running into at the moment are the tonfa lightsabers.

I've got some experience in sewing etcetera, but nothing the like sabers.

So I wanted to know if you guys know something or someone that has useful

info according to those sabers.

 

Take care,

 

ps. I hope that it is ok to post a new topic, if not, please let me know!

[Guest Anonymous]

ps. I hope that it is ok to post a new topic, if not, please let me know!

Totally okay to start a new thread.

 

I think what most of us have done is use one thread for our progress and post updated pics as we have them!

[Guest Daritha]

Hello again Tamara. As you progress, please post as many pictures as you have of your Maris. We people here are eager to see Work-in-progress pictures. ^^

 

About the lightsabers: I'm, too, more of a sewing person than technician or sculpter (the last one will change soon ^^). I know, however, some people who might be able to help you: The fan groups Order of the Force and Saberproject are two active costuming and lightsaber dueling groups in western Germany. They should be able to help you, maybe even make the tonfa sabers for you?

[Tamara]

@ Visas Marcella haha good to know! I figured, because most topics were started new!

@ Daritha thanks for the tip! I'm gonna go after it! would be awesome if they could make the Tonfa's!

 

Here are some first pictures. Trying to get the fitting right. The belt on the top is

wrong (I just used it for the fitting etcetera!)

 

As I see now, the first one is a bit blurry, but my camera fails miserably sometimes.

Trying it on

 

Let me know! As the title says, feedback welcome, though this is just the fitting

and not really worth discussing haha!

 

Take care,

[Twi'lek Pam]

Hi,

 

It's good to get feedback as you work on the costume... more eyes can help spot the details and keep things on the right track!

 

Don't forget the mock-chap design on the leggings! The outer legging and waistband is glossy, while the inner "pant" part has a more matte look to it:

 

 

 

Pam

[The Clone Emperor]

Good evening,

 

My first reaction would be to point out that no part of Maris's costume is black;

 

Like Anakin, her suit is rendered in shades of brown. The pants should appear as a brown leather for instance.

 

Also, don't forget the hair;

 

Be well,

Thomas

[Tamara]

Thank you guys already for the fast replies!

The mock-chap design is going to be a real pain! But it will work. It seems on the artwork it has a

silver-look on it, but on the game-design she has not got it at all.

Which brings me to question; which one to follow? They have numeral differences (not only the

pants, but also the belt and the shin-guards) and it would be strange to mix them up totally.

Since Pam's post I figured the artwork was the "right" one, this gets me slightly confused!

 

The hair will be done by a wig by the way would not be handy to have to braid my own hair every time.

[Twi'lek Pam]

I honestly don't know what to tell you. This is one of the areas where we're still experiencing growing pains with a brand new character to the legion. I guess it's up to Thomas to make a final call that we can stick with. I was told months ago that the artwork I posted above was the version that all costumes should be based on, so that's what I've been going by. The artwork that Thomas posted is basically the same costume, just cleaner, better lit, and with less gloss to the costume components. If I were to pick, I would say that the one he posted is the best, since that looks like a game turnaround image, while the one I posted is publicity artwork.

 

If the game turnaround is the preferred image, then we will need to make some decisions about the mock-chap on the pants. That detail is present in pretty much all of the renditions of Maris, but it's very faint in that particular version. It could potentially be represented by a simple sewn line rather than a completely different piece of fabric.... but on the other hand, that's not fair to Karen, who was required to put the mock chap on her Maris before it could be approved as the first Maris. Who knows!?!

 

Pam

[The Clone Emperor]

Good evening,

 

Sorry for the confusion. We only have so many references. When deciding the what to base a Stormtrooper costume, and you have a Kenner action figure in one hand, and the canon movie still detailing front and back in the other, you go for the most realistic.

 

With The Force Unleashed, very well developed, high resolution models were created to bring the characters to life. These were rendered with full lighting and environment effects to bring the character to life.

 

For game use, these high end models were "watered down." Starkiller's hanging leather straps for instance were dropped from the game version.

 

The promotional image Pam shared can be found on the internet a very high resolutions. It is to be considered the master reference because simply enough, it is the base model from which all other versions were made.

 

The lower resolution model I've shared is provided to help display the colour of the material in the absence of the material shader and environment renders that give the pants the realistic leather appearance.

 

Be well,

Thomas

[Twi'lek Pam]

And, there we go! Thanks for the clarification, Thomas.

 

Pam

[Guest Daritha]

Anyway, about your pictures: Maris is taking some good first steps. Of course, the colors need to be changes to a very very dark (or just smudged) brown. But I think you can pull her off very good.

 

Alos: Do you were the Slave Leia at FACTS this year? I see the gold brassier in the corner of one of the pictures. ^^

[Tamara]

Thank you very much for this clarification indeed! I'm going to do some brown-leatherish-shopping this week. As I said, this is just the fitting. Working from there!

Really happy with Thomas' and Pam's combined explanation. And it makes sense!

 

I'm also going to make a pattern for the mock-chap pants. As soon as I figured them out, I'll post

 

 

 

 

@ Daritha. Thanks! Were you at FACTS? And yes I did walk around as Slave Leia there. But there were more!

[Guest Daritha]

Nope, I wasn't but I saw many, many pictures. *g* Some good friends of mine were there, Darth Nihl and Maladi along with Princess Sia and Deliah Blue. I'm the Antares Draco of the group (you can see my WIP thread here on the FE forum, IK subforum).

 

Anyway, I'm eager to see your progress on this.

[Tamara]

Hey guys!

 

Update for now.

I got my sabers, pretty heavy but they look awesome!

 

 

I've braided my wig, might braid some extra hair in them but that will

be a concern for later on

 

 

Also almost done with the leather suit/armour/what you'll call it and I'm going to take some pictures of that

 

Take care!

 

 

ps. constructive criticism is always appreciated

[Guest broodingventress]

The thing I would tell you is that I feel your braids are a bit too thin, it needs to be a bit fuller. can't wait to see the rest of your costume.

 

Thea

[Guest Anonymous]

The makeup looks good but right now the horns are a very solid bright red, I would think about adding just a bit of darker texturing to make them look a bit more realistic.

[Tamara]

The makeup looks good but right now the horns are a very solid bright red, I would think about adding just a bit of darker texturing to make them look a bit more realistic.

 

Thanks! I also thought them to be a bit bright, esp. in contrast with the hair! Good that you say it!

ps love your membername

 

Allright here's the leather. Top and chap-pants both leather, have a darkbrown fabric underneath the chaps.

Still got to add the black leather strap on the shoulders, but wasn't happy with their size yet...

couldn't snap a pic of the back yet, was phyisically impossible , will come though.

 

[Guest broodingventress]

I would also say if you can bring up the bottom of the top to be closer to the reference pic, I know not everyone will be as comfortable with the "underbooby" (as I like to call it ), but it will be closer that way

[Guest Aysel]

as broodingventress pointed out, bringing the bottom of the top up to get the "under bewb" look is closer to the reference pictures, then you'd totally rock the Maris top, I know it might be uncomfortable but it's what the reference pics show

[Tamara]

At the moment I'm considering to let my costume go to approval. Let me know what you think.

 

 

PS I had almost forgotten the inner black straps on her shoulders, they are being sewn right now.

 

I really appreciate your honest commentary - positive and negative. It helped me througout this process, since there are so few references of her.

[Guest Aysel]

all in all, it looks really good. The only thing I see that might catch it up is the "under bewb" thing. oh and you don't have to look so serious in your pictures, you can smile (I have to remember to smile in pics all the time cause otherwise it looks like I'm frowning)

[Guest Anonymous]

I like the overall look. You rock it like you mean it.

 

My only comment would be about the horns. They look too big and that makes them look a little crowded. Also, the red on them looks too bright.

 

But man, is that nit-picking about an otherwise great costume!

[Guest broodingventress]

From one Maris to another, the costume looks good. Just as the people commenting before me, just nitpicky stuff. There are wraps on the boots around the shin guards. There is also a tail on the belt with the skinnier strap in the middle. Finally, I would say that the chap part that is cut out MAY be too low, if you look at the ref pic, the bottom part of the chap bit comes almost right under the crotch.

The Costume Reference of Maris is live now if you haven't had a chance to look at it yet.

 

However you sabers look AMAZING!! Did you do them yourself?

 

Thea

[Tamara]

Hey guys!

 

I wanted to let you know my Maris got approved

had to fix the horns and the wig; I added some extra extentions in the wig

and a friend of mine made some superpretty latex horns for me.

 

Thanks all for your honest commentary, it really helped me through the process!

 

http://www.501st.com/members/displaymem ... tumeID=178

 

PS yes, the sabers are super pretty! I had someone make them for me

[kathgruben]

Congrats!