UPDATES! - Potpourri of progress

WAH, finally more progress from my side of cosplay. I've been totally absent from the blog for WEEKS, so this update is badly needed.  Ok so here's what what's been worked on so far:

1) Deus Ex Machina - Mask and crown

Mimi graciously created the crown in about an hour's time (excluding the time it took to for things to dry). The general shape was cut out of fun foam, mod-podged, and then spray painted.  Afterwards, Mimi took some gold 3D paint and created the superficial designs on the crown. Then, the whole thing was glued together in a circle.  Finally, Mimi took a hair dryer and heat formed the crown to be droopy like Deus' is.  :D.

The mask has also been completed.  The basic frame and white coat of spray paint have been finished for a while, but with limited pictures taken of them.  So Deus' face now looks pretty cool and angular, just like it should, hehe.  Mimi added the eyes with a couple of brush strokes of black paint.  

The major problem I predict with this mask is the limited visibility....that is I foresee not seeing.  See those to little triangles under the eyes?  Yup, that's where my eyes go, lol. Granted, I've tested it out, and I can see most things, but my peripheral vision will be significantly hindered.  

2)  MZMA - Gloves

To create these gloves, I meticulously cut out many craft foam squares and hot glued them on to the hockey gloves I purchased.......it doesn't sound as exciting written out as I thought it would, but hey, it's the truth.  These gloves aren't exactly accurate with the design of MZMA's, but they are pretty darn close.  This discrepancy comes from the joint placement within the gloves.  Sometimes, you gotta sacrifice design for functionality though, hehe.  

3) MZMA - Headpiece

I've cut MZMA's spinal cord and pelvis head piece out of fun foam.  My next steps with this will be to make it more three-dimensional looking and attaching it to the wig (you know, the one Gachapin modeled ;P).

4) MZMA - Coat

Here's a wonderfully messy work-in-progress shot of the gluing of one side of MZMA's coat.  The patterns on the coat have been cut out of red vinyl fabric and have been glued to the coat.  More pictures will come along as I (with tons and tons of Mimi's help [thanks so much MIMI!!!]) glue the rest on.

Well, that's all for now.  Next time (which will be MUCH SOONER than my previous posts) will be Deus' fingers, more of MZMA's coat and head piece, and MZMA's sword progress.  Now I gotta sleep so I can wake up EARLY in the morning.  Thanks guys!  

~Stuart~

Cosplay Progress - Mask Construction

What is this?  It's been forever since I've posted anything!   Sigh...I need to keep you guys updated more often.

Basically, quite a bit more has been added on to my mask since the last you've seen it.  It now more resembles Deus Ex Machina, being a bit fuller and wider than it was before, though I will let you guys examine it for yourselves.   (and sorry in advance for the blurry pics DX)

More was added to the sides, eyebrows were created (sort of) and I glued a loved paper plate to his head!

Inside view (or where I get to place my face :P)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's what I got to later on in that same day.  The head was too tall, so I glued it down using another piece of cardboard.  I added a little more to the eyebrows, and finished the cheeks part.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And here's a super sexy secret sneak peek at Mimi's armor progress :P

Well, that's it for today.
Please keep entering our giveaway contest! We really want someone to get this $20 gift certificate to Arda Wigs! XD

Thanks everyone!

-Stuart-

[[[For reference, here's a link to the last update]]]

Cosplay Progress - Mask Construction and Gloves

Ahh progress, it is nice to finally post you again, hehe.  Since my last update, I've added plenty more craft foam and hot glue to continue the formation of Deus Ex Machina's mask.  At this point, the task is a little more strategic than just gluing foam everywhere I could.   I am still constantly looking back at the reference photos to make sure I am accurate with my shapes, but through this process I am getting a better sense of how to make the angles work for me.  Mimi has offered plenty of her help in creating this mask in the form of advice and some hot gluing (even acquiring some burns in the process Q_Q).  

Anyways, here's my updated progress gallery:

Created the upper eye framework.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Built the cheek and chin frame work. Also replaced his "tooth" under the eye framework and bent the chin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also in progress news, I received some hockey gloves that I will use as a base material for my MZMA gloves.  I got the idea for using hockey gloves from this Instructables tutorial on how to make Hell Boy's RHoD. These things are HUGE on my hands, so they will work perfectly for MZMA.  I plan to cover the tops in red fun foam and maybe spray paint an orange gradient on to it afterwards, but that's just me thinking.

We cut off the BAUER logo part to make room for the craft foam that  we will use.  

The most pressing issue for these used hockey gloves is to remove their intense smell of sweat.  If anyone has any good ideas on a deodorant for these, let me know (THEY REALLY STINK!!!! X___X)

Thanks, I will keep you guys updated! :D

-Stuart-

[[[Here's a link to the next update]]]

[[[For reference, here's a link to the last update]]]

Cosplay Progress - Masks and Half-People

Getting stuff done feels good, and blogging about it feels even better, lol.  Recently I have been working on my Deus Ex Machina mask/headpiece. I have begun to collect pictures of the mask in its formation from start to beginning.  Hopefully I will be able to write a tutorial once I am finished, but for now, I will describe the process as it has been occurring.

The first step was to create a basic mask framework.  Mimi helped me shape thin strips of cardboard to my face shape and size. 

After this, the nose and chin components were built as guiding points and anchors from which to build more facial components.  Fun foam is our material of choice.

The next part is a little hard to describe, because at this point we basically just took fun foam scraps and glued them to places to help the mask take a little more form, in no specific order.  The goal for this transition was to create a little bit of "sunken-cheek" look and to connect the nose to the bottom half of the face.  This was done wonderfully with lots of help from Mimi. :D

If there's anything I have learned from Mimi in the crafting world (other than glue gun burns can hurt a lot), it's that I should think of this project as sculpting with small pieces of fun foam,and  that fun foam can be used for anything and everything.   At this point it looks like the mask could either belong to Deus, or the King of All Cosmos haha.   

The other awesome thing we did recently is to create a body form for Mimi.  She was very patient as I duct taped around her for about an hour and a half.  We followed this tutorial from Threadbanger, but used regular duct tape instead of water-activated packing tape.  

Look, it's a ghetto Saber :P

After Mimi had a couple or so layers of tape on her, we cut through the shirt and tape body mold, re-taped it together, and stuffed it with some old shirts and pants of mine.  The final result? :

A wonderfully shaped figure that Mimi will be using for future sewing and armor-related endeavors.  I call it SeMimi, because it's more of a half  Mimi than a mini-Mimi.  Hehehe.

Well, that's all for now people.  We will be sure to keep you updated on anything cosplay related, or maybe just whatever tickles our fancy for the day.  Thanks!

-Stuart-

EDIT:[[[Here's a link to the next update]]]

Hey, I want to make a post too~

Mimi and Kathryn have both announced their cosplay plans for Animazement '12, so I guess I'll be a copy cat :3

From the BRS series, I will be doing MZMA (pronounced Mazuma), the second of the Seven Apostles.

Oddly shaped sword, giant hands, non-matching boots, what's not to like? :P

  Since there aren't many pictures of MZMA beside this one, I will be using this video as a reference for any other details.  As for progress, I jumped on Mimi's wig and contacts orders and got a red wig and red contacts. We also bid on a pair of hockey gloves to use as the base for the hands.


From Mirai Nikki, I will be going as Deus Ex Machina, the deteriorating god of time and space.

I'm really liking the hair, and the large chin.

I am planning on, and currently creating, a mask for his face (no human face looks like that).   I have not quite decided what to do for his hair yet, but whatever it is, it will be awesome.  

I am really excited about this year....maybe it's because I will get to carry a huge sword and dress up as a god.  But it also might be that I feel that I will make the transition from Cosplay Noob to Sort of Somewhat Experienced Cosplayer-ish Person.  Also, if we are able to do a skit at the masquerade this year it would be AMAZING, but we'll see how that turns out.

Anyways, I'll keep you guys updated on the mask making for Deus (hopefully ending up with a progress gallery/tutorial).  If Cosplay-Vania reaches to 5000 views, I'll make a little victory composition for us :D.  Thanks Everyone!

-Stuart-