Some questions?

In the last time I got some questions about the materials I use. It's hard for me, to find the right meaning or the right words for a specific material, because I just don't know if it's the right one or not. So, I want to show you some pictures!

Paper mache and modeling clay:

You see, paper mache is this stuff, which needs a bit water to become a sticky compound. The modeling clay I use is from the brand Efaplast and is very lightweight and easy to work with. But it also dries very fast and is very breakable.

Expanding foam:

I guess, you don't have my brand in your country. I use expanding foam from Lugato, because it's just the cheapest I could find. I heard in the US it calls great stuff. And as you can see, it's in a pressurized can.

Crepe tape:

It's just the stuff you use, if you want to paint your room. The brand doesn't matter.

I odered my Wonderflex on www.cosplaysupplies.com and if you live in Germany, you can try it on www.mycostumes.de.

For my makeup I use Kryolan Supracolor. Also if it's not perfect, I'm very satiesfied with the finish results.

And since my Aion plate set I use a body suit for the blue skin color. It's much more comfortable and easier to wear than real make up.

Now I'm working on a new sword for a cosplay skit: (Flarestorm's Sword from Aion)

This time I used balsa wood and insulation foam for the base. I'll need this weapon for a fight cosplay skit, so it's just perfect because it's very lightweight. And I'm very free and my work again. Sure, I often wish to be able to use wood or materials like Sintra or just something new. But I don't have the money to import something special from the US or have the space for new tools. It's a bit depressing, but I hope this will change soon.

As you can see, I used expanding foam to cover the wooden staff and to model this dragon head on the sword. Now I still have to find a better material than paper mache to cover it. It need something that is lighter but firmer.

















And last weekend I finally wore my Aion cloth set costume:

It was very comfortable and so diffrent then a Warcraft costume. He he, and I felt so girlish. Yeah, I really like it and to hope to get a photoshoot soon, but the weather in Germany is just so bad!

And I got some very nice new Tier 8 picutres from Squirrel of Doom. Thank you for your awesome work!

By the way: I have an facebook account now:

Svetlana Quindt | Erstelle dein Profilbanner


So, follow me!

Thank you for reading!

Druid Tier 8: First Photoshoot

After finishing my Druid Tier 8 costume I was so looking forward to a nice private photoshooting with my boyfriend. The weather was not the best, but I wanted to use the last week in Germany (I will make a trip for almost 4 weeks to California) for taking some photos:

Unfortunately the sun hid itself behind some clouds, so the contrast was not the best. But we will repeat this shooting soon enough.

You see, I finally added my moon, too. It was a very easy contruction of a serial connection with a battery and a switch, but the result was just stunning. I'm so happy that I built this last part, too!

For the next shooting I really have to build some glowing spheres, like the ones I already used for my shoulders. Surely they will give much better lighting effects than these tea candles.

He he! And our 'light painter' has to exercise a bit more!

But for the next costumes I definetely have to add light effects, too. The result is just stunning!

And now, after seeing the final photos, I SO want to visit Blizzcon again! It's so frustrating, that I'm not able to be there, just because of it's date in October. I will be in California this month, but in October my studies start again and I have no money just to fly for a weekend to LA again!

Druid Tier 8 finally done!

It was a very long hard way and last weekend I finally finished my Druid Tier 8 costume. So here are some progress pictures:

I coverd my pauldron with a last finishing paper machè layer, added some lines into this with my dremel and installed a light effect.

It was a very simple circuit, but I love how it turns out at the end!

Then my boyfrieds started with his paint job and gave it an amazing look. I just love his work!

 And this was the finish result.

Later my staff got a new look. I was not really satiesfied with her old paint and her round spikes, so she get new ones.

She also got finally her buttom, which I also made of expanding foam and paper maché like her head.

So she grew a bit!

My boyfriend gave her a new paint, too. Now she looks a bit more wild an natural.

As you can see she also got some light effects and so this was the finished result!

I also had to finish my robe and this had a LOT of details! Sometimes I really thought, that the designers of Blizzard was just crazy and just wanted to annoy cosplayers!

And so after some months of work, about 700 euros and a lot of pain and desperation every part comes together... and...

... GLOWED!!!

As you can see I was not alone. This year I had two cosplay partners: My roomie and a good friend and we were a worgen druid (mostly in human form) in purple Tier8 version, a troll druid (Cataclysm!) in red Tier8 version and a night elf druid in green Tier8 version. I just loved my group and I'm also looking forward for next year! 

And now I have to finish my next costume. He he, I'm never able to make a break!

Druid Tier 8 in progress

In the last months I was very depressed and it's still didn't become better. I love cosplay so much, that preferable I want to build something new every day. But unfortunately I have so much to do because of my studies and my part time job, that I almost have no time for my costumes. So two of my projects will be not finished in time and I have to wait for a later convention to wear them. At this time I'm working on my Druid Tier 8 costume and I'm glad to show you at least some progress:

This were my first steps for my skirt. I used some furniture leather for the most parts. It has a great wild look and it's great to work with: I soildered and painted it with Copic markers to add all of these details of my referece.

You see, these combination is really awesome and this material is just perfect for the texture looking of Blizzard's design.

So, this is the current status of my costume and I hope to find some time to keep on working soon. I have still one month and I'm sure, I will manage this, but I hate to do something else I want to!

I'm also working ony a new staff for these project, despite of I already have a fitting weapon (Intensity). So, here you see little making of "Ony" (I don't like it's real name!):

This time I used only expanding foam and greyboard for it's base form and it was a lot of fun to carve it. After this I covered everthing with crepe tape, newspaper and paper maché and polished a long time to got a smooth surface. You see, I was to lazy to use a base of greyboard or something else for the horse, so I put a lot of paper maché on the part between head and horn. But this thing is really solid now and I cannot wait to see it done!

This is the reference I have and I have to say, that I chosed it because of it's horns. All of my Druid Tier sets had horns, so T8 need some, too! I didn't manage her form perfect, but despite of this I'm satiesfied with my work. It's not so important for me, to make a costume like it's reference. I just want some fun in building of it, so I don't care about this. You see I also chanced the colors a bit, so it will fit to my robe better.

And as you can see my staff is still in progress. I have to finish it's paint and to build it's button. One month left, so I cannot wait to show you the finished costume soon!

Actual projects and a lot of expanding foam!

I'm still working on my three costumes: Aion, World of Warcraft and Bayonetta. The Armor of Aion is almost done and there are only a few armor parts missing. I'm very bad in sewing, so I dodge the parts which require seewing skills. So, here are some pictures and step by step making of's:

 

This was my ankle armor. Someone asked me for some more pictures, so I hope here you see better, how I built it.

For this knee armor I used almost the same technique, but just with a bit more single parts. One armor part consist of 54 parts! Oh, this was a long, hard job!

After covering the armor with some layers of Gesso, I started to paint it. The left picture shows my job. The right one shows the result after my boyfriend helped me. I'm very happy to have him, because he sets some nice highlights for me and redoes my work a bit. In the last years the did the entire painting job, but this year it's just too much for one person. So I do the basic painting and he sets the details. It's great to have such a good assistant!

Now, we both are almost done with our university exams, so we can start to paint together.

 

This was my basic painting job. I'm happy to be able to manage the colour gradient. Then I just have to add some simple details like the patterns on the bladed and my boyfriend have to do the rest! 

   

Here I also had to stop, because the sample is full of details. I cannot wait to see the finished work and I'm sure that he will do a great job!

Yeah, and every part here needs a paint... This will be long, hard work... (And there are some parts missing...)

 

Uhm... and I still have to finish this sword. But I have only 3 months left for this project. I'm very afraid that I will fail to get it finished in time, so I have to hurry a lot! 

Here is a little making of. You see here a lot of expanding foam. I LOVE expanding foam and it's awesome, how much you can create with it. I used just a bit of greyboard for the base and covered everything with this stuff. The last steps just consisted of a lot of carving. This step makes a lot of fun, but much more dirt, he he!

 But this was the dirt of the following project:

I've got a commision to do two gigantic hands for a commercial.

 

 He he, this was a lot of fun and it was an awesome experience to carve something of such a great size!

I also carved a lot for my World of Warcraft project:

I just have to finish the paper machè layer, polish it and can paint it afterwards. You see, expanding foam gives the chance to create every form you need!

I also started with my shoulder armor and my robe for this costume:

  

In the first steps I just cut a styrofoam ball and put some grey board parts with hot glue on it. Some soft foam stripes helped my to build the right form.

 

Then I used the same technique that I formed Journey's End antlers for the twines. I covered the top with a bit of expanding foam, carved the twines and the base out. For a solid base I added a layer of crepe tape, newspaper and papermaché. Now I just have to finish the twines and add some details. 

And my robe? It's just standing in my cosplay room. I'm happy, that I managed the hardest part of this costume for me: The seewing. And now it have to wait, until I cannot run away anymoreuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuj, he he!