Horn Tutorial
Okay! I'll make this tutorial with a pair of Gamzee horns, since I just kind of want some tall horns anyway.
Alright, so the first step is to gather up some reference shots and figure out the size of horns. Figuring out scale like this is useful in a lot of different cosplay situations, so it's an important thing to do!
So, find something to base the scale on, like head height. We'll find of fake in a head here, and use that height versus the height of his horns to match our own proportions to the height of the horns we'll be making.
Then, math time!
With that out of the way, time to start sculpting! Get together clay (I use Sculpey Ultralight for tall horns like this), some floral wire and whatever you plan on using to attach the horns to your head. I connect them to a headband with screws. You can also use jewelry wire, or simply hot glue them to a headband (this one works well with only very small and light horns.)
I love this clay. It's really super-light, and a little flexible. The flexibility really helps with the brittleness that usually haunts sculpey. Using floral wire as an armature also helps, since even if it cracks a little, the wire holds it all together.
In my opinion, you should use an armature under pretty much everything, you can never make something TOO strong, and it doesn't add much weight at all.
So, first, cut yourself some wire slightly shorter then the final horns will be. So, in the case, I'm going with 7 1/2 inches.
Then, roll out some clay into a long log. Make sure it's thicker then what you want the final horn to be.
Once it's a nice smooth shape, cut a groove all the way down, like a hot dog bun. I use this super-professional sculpting tool, a cable needle I stole from my own knitting bag.
Anyway, go ahead a place the armature into the groove and roll in back into a smooth tube, but with the wire now in the center.
Get it a little closer to the thickness you'd like, but not quite there yet. Cut it off to the right length, though.
Now, it's sculpting time! Things get a little headcanon-y here, where Homestuck is concerned.
In my mind, a troll's horns keep growing their whole life and the older they are the more warped and textured they become. So with horns for Ancestors, I like to make them pretty heavily textured and twist them along the wire so they pick up a nice organic-looking spiral look. For kids, though, smooth horns look best.
These aren't ACTUALLY Gamzee horns, though, just the same shape and size. so I'm going to give them a twist.
Once you have the horns looking how you want, time to give them a bake!
(If you'll be putting in any wire to twist into a wig or anything, here's where you'd push that into the base of the clay.)
The Ultralight Sculpey is pretty sticky, so I recommend baking it on some parchment paper.
Beyond that, just follow the directions on the package. Make sure you don't overbake Sculpey, since it gets toxic when it burns, and gets more brittle to boot.
Once the Ultralight bakes, it gets so super-light!
These ended up weighing 2oz. I weighed a raw egg for reference, and it came out at 2.5oz.
Once they're baked, time to break out the sand paper! Usually, a nice fine grit is all you'll need, I've got a bigger grit here because I decided to change the shape of the base so it'll sit on my head a little differently.
The bigger grit will change the shape pretty easily and quickly, and the finer will smooth out any imperfections and bumps. Any Sculpey sands really well, so be sure to utilize it to create a nice final product!
And now you should have some horns you can be happy with! I'll probably sand these a little more, make them pointier and such?
For paint, basic acrylic paint works best. It's easy to work with, and if you water it down and use many thin coats, you can't even see brush strokes in it.
After you paint, it's good idea to use a sealant of some kind, as well. Sculpey has a glaze that I really like for glossy finished. Mod Podge is also pretty easy! You can just dip smaller horns right in and let them dry, sometimes!
What's also fun to do is dip the horns in mod podge, then cover them in glitter. :3