what is the best material to make cosplay armor

When I'thousand not helping assist Looters solar day in and day out with our Customer Back up team hither at Boodle Crate HQ, I spend fourth dimension working on one of my favorite hobbies: cosplay. Otherwise known as costume play, cosplay is when you dress up as a character from any fandom of your choice for the likes of conventions, fandom outings, or maybe an everyday cosplay for a casual workplace. Cosplay tin can come in all forms, from the basic shirt and pants combinations to the intricately details armor builds that you would see at the likes of San Diego Comic-Con each twelvemonth.

With a few cosplay projects nether my belt, I thought information technology might be time to take on a more complex cosplay, consummate with armor. I admit I was and still am a complete beginner when it comes to making cosplay armor, but I'm going to have you through some of the steps it takes to build a prepare armor that yous can telephone call your ain!:

Cosplay armor, piece by piece (Photo by Robby Shuttleworth)

The exact things you'll need to make a set of armor:

• Craft Foam
• Pencil
• Tracing Paper
• Pair of scissors
• White Gum
• Exacto Knife/Sharp Blade
• Gesso
• Worbla
• Estrus Gun
• Respirator
• Paint Brush
• Sandpaper
• Pigment, in the necessary colors

Start making your armor by drawing out your pattern with the tracing paper and pencils. The shape of your armor actually depends on what you are cartoon your inspiration from, so there are endless possibilities. In one case y'all have your armor pattern drawn and cut, it's time to cut the arts and crafts cream. This is where the knife or bract mentioned earlier comes in.

Foam pieces subsequently having the Worbla heated and shaped. Photo by Robby Shuttleworth

Yous volition desire to find a surface that you exercise not want to cutting up or ruin when doing this. A thick piece of cardboard is always a good start as you might have information technology effectually the home and in like shooting fish in a barrel reach! When working with whatsoever sharp object, you want to make sure you are equally safe as possible. Cut slowly along the lines fatigued on the arts and crafts cream. Don't be concerned near cutting the foam as well slowly- deadening and steady makes for meliorate/cleaner edges for your pieces of cream. Clean edges will salvage you time in the long run!

Each of the pieces are made with 2 layers of craft foam, glued together with white glue. This gives the armor some more depth and more strength, which also helps in forming the armor into a specific shape later on in the process.

Once you take your foam pieces bonded together, it's time to apply Worbla! Now, what exactly is Worbla? Information technology'due south a thermoplastic material that you can use to shape and form your armor and is relatively like shooting fish in a barrel to apply for any skill level. There are two ways you can over the cream pieces with Worbla: the one-piece method or the sandwich method. I used the one-piece method, cutting and laying a piece of heated Worbla over the foam pieces.

Catch your rut gun and on the everyman setting, rut the Worbla that y'all have cut to cover the foam. You do not desire to hold the heat too close to the cloth, as it tin burn if heated at a close range. The material volition get warm and malleable, which ways it is ready to become over the cream. Press the Worbla into the foam with your fingers, pressing downwards into whatsoever curves or details. The Worbla will set to the foam and harden equally information technology cools. While information technology cools, yous will want to shape the cream, angle into the shape you demand. In one case it has cooled, you should have a set of Worbla-covered and shaped armor.

Painted and sealed shoulder armor. Photograph by Robby Shuttleworth

Before jumping head kickoff into painting the armor and adding details, it is important to seal the Worbla. In this case, I used Gesso. Add a layer to the armor and let it dry. Echo the process two-iii times, letting the Gesso dry completely each fourth dimension.

Wrist armor, gear up into gloves. Photo by Robby Shuttleworth

Once dried, you lot will want to sand down the armor with the sandpaper. Make sure y'all are in a well-ventilated location and are using the respirator, that way you don't exhale in what you lot are sanding. Once yous accept a adept smooth surface and edges on your armor, you're set up to showtime painting. Now's the fourth dimension to make your armor smoothen! Or look completely and utterly destroyed- the wait is upwardly to you. Selection your paints, pick any designs, and get to it! I luckily had a white and gray color scheme, so I got off piece of cake this time. But don't exist afraid to let your imagination hold you back- the armor is yours after all! One time primed, painted, sealed and dried, make certain you lot take the time to admire the armor that y'all built with your own two hands!

Are you going to endeavour and build your own armor? Share your progress or the finished production with u.s.a. on social media with the hashtag #LootersDIY!

Sign upwards for Loot Crate, Boodle Crate DX, Loot Pets, and Loot Wear by Feb 19th and become ready to #BUILD!

markhamveat1937.blogspot.com

Source: https://blog.lootcrate.com/building-a-set-of-cosplay-armor-a-diy-guide/

Share this post