The helmet-and-hangers idea sounds perfectly doable, I think (and comfortable and lightweight). You'll probably want to do a layer or two of papier-mache over the base structure, and then build onto it with some plain (dry) paper (cut, folded, stacked, or whatever, and taped on) to make the shape more exactly what you want, and then papier-mache over that again. It's really hard to get the shape you want with just papier-mache over the original structure (unless your base structure is already exactly the shape you want, but that sounds really hard to do with a helmet and hangers, which probably won't want to stay stuck together at all before you start papering).
Oh, and if you can find non-newsprint paper to use for the last layer of papier-mache, I'd highly recommend it. It takes several coats of paint to cover up newsprint. Or, to get a more dinosaur-like texture, you could make the outer layer with toilet-paper-mache, which is awesome. I wish I could give you a recipe for it, but all the ones I'm finding on
( ... )
Oh no, never too much for costumery, especially something like this that I've never really done.
I like the toilet-paper idea! And it is just a grey pterodactyl, so I can probably get away with just primer paint and maybe some sponging so it doesn't look too even.
The biggest obstacle I see right off the bat is what I should use to make a frame for the jaw & back crest, cause you're right, those frames are not going to stick together before I start papering. Unless I get some cheap wire to wire them on, I guess.
I may see if my neighbor has any chicken wire -he has all sorts of weird stuff in his garage - but I think could would be super-heavy.
For about ten whole seconds, I seriously considered using my hair for the back crest, cause it's not too hard to punk it up like that. But I feel that I am too lazy for that route.
Did you get that steel mesh for the pirate's legs at a hardware store? I have the rest of the week off at the dayjob, so I may spend some time at the thrift/hardware store, giving myself an idea of what stuff costs.
I think your cardboard and duct tape idea sounds like the best thing. Chicken wire would be pretty heavy, and it would be hard to bend it into such a narrow shape. (And it really does cut up your hands.) But you should be able to get the shape you want with cardboard and paper. If you've got any old paper towel or wrapping paper tubes, those would be great. Or even toilet paper tubes, if you tape them together.
Why not do Babyface? I think it'd be easier. Just attach the legs to your neck and wear black clothing underneath? Maybe even do a modified version where it's a baby head on an actual spider body (so you can do cloth legs)...
I looove Babyface, but I think the legs would be a harder thing for me personally to do. Although if I could find some way to make a giant yo-yo for my top half, I got my own legs. :)
Posssibly no use at all, but...kortirionSeptember 5 2012, 12:54:04 UTC
I don't know if this would work... but I see three wire hangers (one back of head, two for the jaws) if you can make them into a frame that sits on your thrift shop helmet - wire and pliers to join them together and maybe gaffer tape to hold them in place on the helmet.
Next comes the 'maybe' bit... a pair of thick grey lycra tights/thin track bottoms stretched over the hangers - you might have to stitch them in place - and then paint eyes and scales on and glue white paper/white fabric teeth to the jaw. This might only work for an upper jaw and you'd have to cover lower jaw with a half leg cut off the tights, lined with some ref fabric maybe? - I think this would make the head-piece lighter than a papier-mache one. but that's only if it works!
This is assuming your face is going to be between the jaws. If you want the jaws closed it might be easier, but then your face would be the neck, but you could make yourself a stocking mask to match the colour of the head.
Re: Posssibly no use at all, but...wheelriderSeptember 5 2012, 17:11:41 UTC
This idea might work way easier... I could see the basic shape coming from wire hangers. Also -- if you get an old bike helmet, the wire could be poked through the plastic outer covering and into the foam pretty easily. Just don't poke it all the way through -- that would get uncomfortable! Maybe poke the wire into the helmet and get it set where you want, then take it out and wrap the ends in a bit of duct tape, then shove back in the holes. Would help it stay stable and keep the wire from poking all the way through the foam.
Re: Posssibly no use at all, but...edoraslassSeptember 5 2012, 21:24:28 UTC
Oh I hadn't thought about fabric for teeth, excellent idea! I don't know what ref fabric is though.
On my thrifting today, I got a cheap baseball helmet with a partial bill, so hopefully I'll able to just build the top jaw off of that. And it's got big ol ventilation holes in it, so I can run wire through there as well.
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The helmet-and-hangers idea sounds perfectly doable, I think (and comfortable and lightweight). You'll probably want to do a layer or two of papier-mache over the base structure, and then build onto it with some plain (dry) paper (cut, folded, stacked, or whatever, and taped on) to make the shape more exactly what you want, and then papier-mache over that again. It's really hard to get the shape you want with just papier-mache over the original structure (unless your base structure is already exactly the shape you want, but that sounds really hard to do with a helmet and hangers, which probably won't want to stay stuck together at all before you start papering).
Oh, and if you can find non-newsprint paper to use for the last layer of papier-mache, I'd highly recommend it. It takes several coats of paint to cover up newsprint. Or, to get a more dinosaur-like texture, you could make the outer layer with toilet-paper-mache, which is awesome. I wish I could give you a recipe for it, but all the ones I'm finding on ( ... )
Reply
I like the toilet-paper idea! And it is just a grey pterodactyl, so I can probably get away with just primer paint and maybe some sponging so it doesn't look too even.
The biggest obstacle I see right off the bat is what I should use to make a frame for the jaw & back crest, cause you're right, those frames are not going to stick together before I start papering. Unless I get some cheap wire to wire them on, I guess.
I may see if my neighbor has any chicken wire -he has all sorts of weird stuff in his garage - but I think could would be super-heavy.
For about ten whole seconds, I seriously considered using my hair for the back crest, cause it's not too hard to punk it up like that. But I feel that I am too lazy for that route.
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In any case, I highly recommend paper and tape!
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Next comes the 'maybe' bit... a pair of thick grey lycra tights/thin track bottoms stretched over the hangers - you might have to stitch them in place - and then paint eyes and scales on and glue white paper/white fabric teeth to the jaw. This might only work for an upper jaw and you'd have to cover lower jaw with a half leg cut off the tights, lined with some ref fabric maybe? - I think this would make the head-piece lighter than a papier-mache one. but that's only if it works!
This is assuming your face is going to be between the jaws. If you want the jaws closed it might be easier, but then your face would be the neck, but you could make yourself a stocking mask to match the colour of the head.
Reply
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I'm actually thinking I might be able to just do the crest and bottom jaw with cardboard, re-enforced with duct tape. Lord knows I got both of those.
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On my thrifting today, I got a cheap baseball helmet with a partial bill, so hopefully I'll able to just build the top jaw off of that. And it's got big ol ventilation holes in it, so I can run wire through there as well.
Reply
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