MOTHER TALZIN WIP

[Guest Aysel]

O.O that gives me a new mental image of Pinhead....

 

try a florist shop or craft store like Micheal's

 

Katie

[romero4444]

Trimmed the buckram and started the wire frame. I am having a hard time thinking of a suitable material for her forehead. It needs to be 3 times the size of her forehead now. I just can't think of anything that will look like it is a part of her head. Lol.

 

[romero4444]

Progress report on the headdress. Since finishing the basis,

 

 

i started to make the top that will hold the fabric and create the shape of the headdress.

I made the shell and used fiberglass resin and sheeting to reinforce it:

 

 

Then made the center piece that will have the "ribbon" going down the center of the headdress holding the medallion:

 

 

Also using fiberglass resin and sheeting to reinforce it.

Next I need to attach the center piece to the slots I made in the shell and more fiberglass will be needed.

[Guest Aysel]

wow, looking good there

 

Katie

[romero4444]

Now another coat of fiberglass resin....

 

[romero4444]

Starting making templates for the decoration on her forehead today. Need to take them home and see which one looks better, then I can make the forehead extension and start putting everything together.

 

[Twi'lek Pam]

Things always work out so much better when test pieces are made first! I'm leaning toward the shorter version... it looks closer to the reference, though I think it might stand to be even a bit wider than it is.

 

Have fun experimenting!

 

Pam

[Koda Vonnor]

For element scaling, use your own features as guidlines. Things like distance between your own pupils, height of your own nose, etc. This will make the finished costume look more accurate and natural on you. By example, the width of the white forehead hex-shaped tab looks to be approximately 70% of the distance between the model's pupils. Measure the distance between your own pupils and go 70% of that as a guideline. Don't be afraid to adjust that measurement a bit up or down if needed. Another thing I do is take a photo of my own body part (face in this case) and photoshop the costume element over it, then adjust for size until it looks right. Then just do the same ratio method to get the final dimensions.

 

Looking very nice so far.

 

~ Vonnor

[romero4444]

Yes, that is what I was thinking as well. I measured Lisa's eyes, forehead and other elements hoping to make it fit better to her proportions and the headdress. My only concern is making it too long so it will look right for the long forehead that I have to create. We will see.....

[romero4444]

OK, back at it this week. No pics yet, nothing to show really ‘cause I’m trying to adjust the two pieces of the headdress so Lisa isn’t feeling like she is having her hair pulled. Lol I also need to make sure the fake forehead is aligned correctly to make it seem natural.

 

I just wish (mini rant) that I could take Lisa out shopping for boots while the holiday sales are going on, there are a lot of thigh high cloth boots on sale this season that have a platform which we could use to make her taller. Possibly make her at least 6’ since in the scenes with Count Dooku she appears to be looking down at him and Christopher Lee is about 6’ 1” I think…..BUT since we where rear ended in April, Lisa has been in and out of rehab for a torn muscle in her left calf, so she can’t go around trying on boots right now with these crowds of holiday shoppers. Stupid drivers with their cell phones, GRRRRRR….. (end of mini rant) She is really down right now, with all the events she is missing out on trooping at, and the Fiesta Bowl Parade coming up. We are going to have to put her in one of the vehicles and just wave at the crowd I guess.

[romero4444]

Well, I must confess that I have now wasted 2 months on this forehead extension and come up with nothing good. I tried a few different pieces of plastic, but none of them would conform to her head without some kind of gap forming between her forehead and the piece of plastic. I'm at a loss on what to do. Does anyone know of something that I can make that would keep the shape of her forehead that I won't have to burn her head while I'm trying to make it? Plaster form negative and then make a piece from that maybe? Any help would be hot!

[Guest Aysel]

have you tried to glue it (using the right type of glue for skin) directly to her forehead? I know it sounds a little strange but it's the only thing that comes to might right now (also I'm a little sleep deprived )

 

Katie

[Guest Anonymous]

i'd do an alginate mold of her face, produce a plaster cast, then build the piece off of the cast.

[romero4444]

Brian!! Didn't expect you here, Lol! That is kind of what I thought I would have to do, hoping that I wouldn't.... Is there a good step-by-step on the web, 'cause I haven't ever done this, and she is claustrophobic? BTW, what is alginate? Wait, I'm setting here on the web posting this, maybe I should look it up?

[romero4444]

Could I make a mold of just her eyes up, and the back of her head? She might not be as worried then. Just watched some vids on youtube about it, seems pretty easy. Thanks!

[romero4444]

So I started forming a new piece of plastic for the forehead, this time it will go around her head completely. I forgot that she will need a hallow from a safety helmet in order for the headdress to stay on. I will grab some alginate mix and clay in order to form a head that will work correctly this time. Thanks for the idea Brian!

 

[Guest Anonymous]

You should be able to do just from the eyes up. It is a pretty freaky experience the first time!

 

The guy that did mine last time used a LOT more alginate than he needed!

 

 

That little straw was my breathing hole. See all the red there? Guess what that is? Turns out, if you whack a straw up your nose real hard it bleeds a LOT!

[Twi'lek Pam]

Owww! That's a hard lesson to learn! ("You want a straw for your drink?" "Ummm... no, I'm not very fond of straws anymore...."

 

If alginate is more than you're ready to deal with, there's always the easier technique of plaster bandages! They give good results, and you don't have to worry about bandages running over the nose or gelling while they're still in the bowl. You can also use them only for a certain area, if need be, such as the forehead. Lifecasting can be pretty intimidating at first, but it really is fun once you get into it! (Our workshop is filled with body parts... it's quite comical! There's a leg over there, a face over here, an arm on that shelf...)

 

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=267

 

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=279

 

 

Pam

[Volund Starfire]

Have you thought at looking for Conehead makeup?

[romero4444]

I wonder if I could use that conehead latex piece.... I could make the white plastic circle I am doing now, secure it to the headpiece I have and put a halo from a hardhat inside so that it sets on Lisa's head right. Then I take the front of the conehead, cut it out, and apply it to the top of the front on the plastic, and with spirit gum apply the bottom of the latex to Lisa's forhead. Then blend with airbrushing when I apply her makeup before each troop. I would have to cover up the cloth on the headdress each time with paper so as to have no over spray on the rest of it. What do you guys think? Should we try it?

[Volund Starfire]

It sounds like you have a good plan there. Glad I could help.

[romero4444]

I was really stuck there for awhile, almost too embarrassed to post my problem. Thanks for the fresh ideas guys! I think the only thing that will be rough about it is airbrushing everything at once when we put it on her instead of what I was hoping to do, which was paint the forehead extension when I put it on the headdress and be done with it. Then I would just have to match her airbrushing with that piece, and never have to worry about getting any over spray on the headdress. Oh well, we can't have everything. How long does the average Darth Maul take to get ready, because by the time I'm through, we may have them beat.....

[Guest Anonymous]

our maul is usually a couple of hours.

[Volund Starfire]

We have an Aayla in our base that is in the prep stages of a body suit. It takes her two hours to get painted with an airbrush. I'd suggest using sponge to get an even coat of the white since it is only the face and hands. After that, I'd look at doing a live cast and making an ABS template for the black and gray. I think the plans are stickied in the SLD Maul area.

[romero4444]

Cool, thank you sir! I will look into that. Whether she likes it or not, we will most likely be doing a life cast of her head and hands.