Sub-Zero Elsa Progress Tutorial: Armor

 

 

 

Sub-Zero Elsa CosplayTutorial: The Armor

 

The Sub-Zero Elsa cosplay I did for GenCon was a lot of fun because I designed the costume which gave me some creative freedom.  I still may make some tweaks to it yet, but it came together quite nicely.

The mask and the wig were the most important parts of this cosplay because they are the most iconic.  I do have a tutorial on how I made my mask here. 

Sadly, I do not have a tutorial on the wig.  But I used Tauriel from Arda Wigs in titanium blonde.  However, I would recommend Suzi in the same color for an Elsa cosplay as it's already layered.  They were just out of stock when I bought mine. Tauriel is the same style, just not layered. 

And here's a video on styling the wig for Elsa's hair
On my wig, I used a fishtail braid and I made the top wisps more spikey because I thought it looked better with this mashup version of Elsa.

 

 

 

 

 

And now on to the armor!!

 

 

 

The armor I made for this was actually pretty simple.  Here I'll discuss the shoulder pads, ice gloves, belt emblem, and boot covers.


Belt emblem

For this I had a resin ring.  This was one that I had made for the tassels on my Princess Hilda cosplay, but didn't use.  But any type of ring shaped thing would work for this.  I cut out a piece of acrylic and glued it to the top.  Again, you could really use anything here.  Cardboard probably would have been fine.  Then I painted the whole thing blue.
I cut the Lin Kuei symbol out of craft foam and painted the pieces black.  Then I took those pieces and arranged them on the circle and glued them in place.

At this point, I had run out of hot glue so I actually ended up gluing them down with fabric glue.  Doing this, I learned something very useful.  The time of fabric glue I used dried with a clear watery look.  Perrrrrfect.  I shall use this to look like ice!  I painted everything a darker blue and covered with the fabric glue and let it dry.

 

After this, I added some shading and highlights and touched up a few places with fabric glue.  The speckled on some pure white paint with a sponge brush to give it a frosty look.

Shoulder pads

The shoulder pads are very simple shapes.  They are ribbed and painted to give them a frozen look.  I made these out of craft foam.  If you don't know, craft foam is invaluable to cosplayers.  It's inexpensive, lightweight, and flexible.  If you heat it up you can form it into shape and once it cools, it will maintain that shape.
The shoulder pads were very simple shapes and just curved around to fit my shoulder.  They took like 2 seconds to form, but we will come back to that.

So to start I cut out 2 pieces for each shoulder.  I marked where I wanted the ribbed indentations to be and then I sewed them together.  Yes, sewed...on my sewing machine.  This was partially because I ran out of hot glue and partially to see if it would work...it was probably completely unnecessary, but it did have kind of a cool effect.  I stitched around the edge and then along the lines I marked for the indentations.

After they were stitched together, I made my indentations.  I did this with an old soldering iron.  I just ran the soldering iron along the lines I made, melting the craft foam and creating indentations.

I painted them blue and airbrushed in some shading and highlights.  Then I took my fabric glue and spread it over the shoulder pads giving it an icy look and sponged on some white around the edges.

After all that, I used my heat gun and shaped them to fit my shoulder.  The shoulder pads attach to the tunic with Velcro.


Ice gloves

For the ice gloves I bought some really cheap arm warmers.  They're like long gloves without fingers.  And I got an aqua bluish duct tape and wrapped my arms in it.  I tried to make wrinkles here and there.  The idea was to make a jagged ice look.  I also took smaller pieces and wrinkled and folded them to add some jagged edges around the top and bottom of the gloves.

 

 

After this, I cut them off by cutting a zig zag line on the under side of my arm.  I trimmed up some of the jagged edges and added a few more.  Then sealed them with a few coats of spray on mod podge.  Then I airbrushed in some shadows.

 

 

And then some highlights

 

 

 

Then I sealed them again with the mod podge spray.  The mod podge spray I have is a pearlescent sealer.  So it gave them I nice shimmery look when they were sealed.



Boot covers

I didn't really get many progress photos of these, but the process was very simple.  I have these fierce boots that I came across at Goodwill a couple years ago.  I never wear them. Ever.

I found fabric that matched the suede on these boots perfectly.  I started out by taking some scrap felt fabric I had lying around and pinned it around my leg.  Marking where the back seam would be and drawing the shape of the top and bottom with a paint marker.  I cut this out.  Stitched it together and tried it on to make sure it would fit.  I didn't need to use stretchy fabric or a zipper. 
Then I did the same thing with the black suede fabric I got for the covers.  Pinning and stitching until they fit just right.

Then I cut strips of the fabric I made the tunic out of and folded them and ironed them to make a trim for the boots.  I fabric glued the trim on and BAM!  Boot covers

And just because I know some people are thinking it or wondering.  Yes...these shoes were wicked uncomfortable.  I mean...the devil..  Just the worst.  I'm not very good at heels to begin with, so these were not the best choice.  But look at them!  They're just such good looking boots!

I will most likely be purchasing different footwear sadly, or investing in some very nice insoles.  Hopefully the insoles...because I love these boots :)


So that was the process in making all that stuff.  Hope it was useful or at least interesting! ;)

 

 

 
 

 

                                 

 

Sub-Zero Elsa Progress Tutorial: The Mask

 

Sub-Zero Elsa Cosplay Tutorial:  The Mask

Hey all! 

So the Sub-Zero Elsa mashup cosplay I made for GenCon may possibly be one of my favorite cosplays to date.  I was in love with the idea of this mashup and I couldn't have been happier with how it turned out.

This progress tutorial will go over how I made the mask.  The armor and other pieces of the costume I will discuss in a separate post, here.

 



My original concept sketch

 

 

Hair and makeup test after the mask was finished

So making this mask was definitely trial and error.  All in all, though, I think it was fairly uncomplicated.

I started by making a cast of my entire head, so I'd have something to work on.  You can find my tutorial on the process I used for making the headcast here


So once I had a head cast I began by using wire mesh and forming the shape of the mask over the headcast.  This is the kind of wire mesh you use for sculpting and it can be found in craft stores around where the sculpey and clay is.

 



This is what I used.  Jo-Ann Fabrics: $6.99 (or $4.19 after my coupon)

I had to use tape to hold it up on the headcast, but the stuff was pretty easy to shape so it didn't take very long

Wire mesh has been shaped and the plaster strips are being prepared for the next step.

Once I was happy with the shape, I covered the mask in plaster strips.  This is basically a roll of gauze imbedded with plaster.  You dunk them in water and apply in layers.  When it hardens you have a nice hard shell.  I did a few layers of plaster strips and let it dry for a few hours.  Once it was dry I could pull it off and it looked like this.  (The wire mesh and the plaster shell are all one piece now, I did not separate them)

Then I moved on to sculpting a little more detail.  Initially I was going to use light modeling paste for this, as I was only planning on modifying this slightly.  Then I started having ideas so I actually ended up adding on top of this with sculpey.

Oh...and cutting little breathing holes...those are important!  I just used and x acto knife and made little slits

 

 

Then I baked the mask to harden the sculpey.  I sanded it a bit to smooth it out, and then it was paint time!

So first I painted it light blue, then added in some highlights and shadows.  It looked like this:

 

 

Unfortunately the colors didn't mesh well with the rest of the costume.  So I added more green to it. 

Now, since I wanted the mask to look like it was made out of ice, I thought a clever idea would be to coat the entire thing in a super high gloss sealer.  Then spackle some frost over it once it dried

That was a bad idea

So that idea did not work.  The gloss didn't really give it the look I was hoping for and furthermore, highlighted every blemish in my work.  The mask is one of the most important parts of this costume, if not the most important.  So it really needed to stand out and look great.  I hated how it looked at this point and was starting to get a little frustrated and worried.  So I put it up for the night.

The next night I sanded it down.  I sanded and I sanded and I sanded.  I sanded until all the paint was gone, and then some more.  I wanted it to be very smooth.  I hit it with a few coats of gesso and some sanding in between just to get things extra smooth.

The next day I gave another shot at painting this thing.  I decided to try my hand at airbrushing.  I really liked how the mask looked initially, but I wanted even smoother blending.  So I look across the room at the airbrush I've never used and decide today would be the day I learn how to use it.

This mask was probably a good piece to learn on since there isn't really any intricate details.  It's mostly just shading and contouring.  Here's how it looked after I was done airbrushing it:

 

And here's the first paint job again (before the glossy coat)

 

Yup!  I was much much happier this time.  I took a sponge brush and speckled in some pure white on the raised parts to give it a frosty look and it was done!



To complete the mask, I utilized the wire mesh to actually sew in elastic bands that would hold the mask on to my face.  Then I coated the inside with mod podge to seal in any loose plaster dust that was still inside the mask.  The stuff is not fun to breathe or to get in your eye (which is exactly where it goes when you exhale)

And there you have it!

Here's the link again to my headcast tutorial.


Here's a link to my armor tutorial

 

 

 

 



 

 





Making a Headcast

Hello all!

My latest cosplay was a mashup of Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat and Elsa from Frozen.  For this costume I made a face mask similar to what Sub-Zero wears.  Since sculpting the mask on my own face seemed pretty unreasonable, I figured it would make more sense to sculpt in on a cast of my own face...so I went all out and did an entire headcast.  It may have been overkill for this particular use, but I could see myself finding a headcast useful in the future so I went ahead and did it.

This is the method I used:
Please note that my head cast was made for accurate size ratios when sculpting a mask.  The end product was pretty rough.  It would not be a good cast for sculpting things like facial prosthetics.  However tweaking this process just a bit by using different materials will surely yield much more detailed and smooth results.  Alginate, for example would be a good material to use for a mold.  I'll post some links at the bottom to some tutorials using some other materials!


Things it will help to have:

• Plaster strips (I used just over 1 roll)
• Plaster of Paris
• Something to cover your hair (ideally a swimcap or  bald cap, but I just used a plastic bag)
• Vaseline
• Dish soap
• Scissors
• A friend to help you
• Trash bags for mess making
• Two big buckets
• A friend or someone you trust not to mummify you

You should be able to find everything you need at Walmart.  I got the plaster strips at Jo-Ann Fabrics because their coupons rock.  But it's easy to find just about anywhere really.
The mold making process took about an hour and I was able to pour the plaster in the next afternoon and remove the cast that evening. 



Step One: Prepare your head and face

You will want to make sure your hair is covered  for this.  Ideally you would like to use a swimcap or bald cap that will contain and protect your hair and make a smooth mold.  But I just put my hair up under a wig cap, covered it in a plastic bag, and but a headband around it to keep it in place.  Then you will want to basically just smear Vaseline all over your face, making sure to get a heavy coating around the hairline and eyebrows, and facial hair if you have it.....Plaster will be drying on your face.  The Vaseline is so your hair doesn't dry up in it and rip off when you remove the mold.



Selfie optional

 

 

 

Step Two: Prepare To Mold

 

(This step could technically be alternated with step one depending on how you'd prefer to allocate your time.  They are both preparation steps so yeah.....Do what you do, this is not an oppressive tutorial-guide-majiggy)

 

 It's best to prepare your strips in advance.  So start cutting strips from your plaster strips.  These are like gauze with plaster imbedded in it.  Cut a whole bunch that are about 2 inches thick.  Then cut some that are about an inch thick and then cut those in half (these will be good for the smaller areas like around the nose)
Get a big bowl of water.  I'd suggest lukewarm to warm just because they are going to drip down your neck and back and cold water just wouldn't be a lot of fun when that happens.  Unless you're into that.  I don't judge.

Pro Tip:  Wear grungy clothes or something you really don't like...because this will be messy and clothes may get ruined


Round Three:  MOLD!

Here is where a friend or trustworthy ally will come in very useful.  After you have prepared your strips and protected your hair and face, it's time to start the mold process.  The plaster strips actually dry pretty fast so you will want to work fairly quickly.
To use these strips you simply dip them in water and apply to whatever you're casting.
Start by making a seam.  The seam should just be a small gap (about 1/4" thick or less) between the two mold halves that runs down the middle from one shoulder to the other.  So visualize where that line would be and lay a plaster strip border on one side of where that gap would be.  Then do the same on the other side of the seam.  Now layer strips around the back of your head to build that half of the mold.  Do several layers, because you will definitely want the mold to be sturdy.  You'll want to  do the back half first to minimize the amount of time your face needs to be covered in plaster (which is pretty uncomfortable)



Try not to worry,  you picked your ally because you trust them....right?

Once you're done with the back, move along to the front.  Take care to leave the seam open because you will soon be separating these halves. 
When doing the face, it's best to start at the forehead and work down.  Again, this is to minimize the time you'll need to spend with your mouth covered.  Leave holes around the eyes and below the nose, you'll fill these in later on.

Make sure the strips are placed around your eyes in a way that makes you look worried, so when you post this on instagram, people can be concerned about your safety and/or sanity

 

 

 Step Four:  Remove Mold

This step is pretty self explanatory.  Once your mold has dried...you can knock on it, and it will be hard, carefully remove it one half at a time. 

Then set it out to dry!

 

 

 

While you wait:

 



Clean up, cause you're a mess

 

 

 

Step Five: Fill in the Eyes and Nose

After a few hours, your mold should be dry enough to add some layers to fill in the eyes and nose.  Just place a few layers of the smaller plaster strips over these areas to close them up.  This is also a good time to reinforce any spots that may be weak.  You can hold it up to the light and see if it shines through in any thin spots and add a few more layers there.  Once you're done with that, put the two halves together and put some strips around the seam to make it all one piece

Step Six: Reinforce and Pour Your Cast

Before you pour you plaster of paris into your mold, wrap some duct tape around it to reinforce it.  Then take a paint brush or sponge brush and brush in a coat of dish soap all around the inside.  Just  a layer will do.  Don't soak it or you'll weaken the mold.  This will act as a release agent.  Now, place a towel in a bucket and arrange it in kind of a donut shape.  This gives the mold a place to rest and adds some padding.  The plaster of paris will be very heavy so you don't want it to crush your mold.  The bucket will help stabilize the mold while the plaster sets and will contain any possible accidents.  It's not a bad idea to put the mold in a plastic bag also for mess prevention.

Have all of this done BEFORE mixing your plaster.  You will need a decent amount of plaster and you will need to get it mixed and poured quickly before it sets.  I used about a gallon and a half for my headcast.  Plaster of Paris is really inexpensive.  I bought 2 gallons for about $8.
Follow the instructions for mixing your plaster of paris.  You'll want to just mix one large batch so I'd recommend overestimating how much you'll need.  It's better to have too much than not enough.
Mix and pour quickly because this stuff sets fast.


Now wait...

Once it's poured, let it sit.  Go to work, see a movie or two, play some games, visit friends.  Whatever you do.  It would probably be best to let it sit for 24 hours, but I think I took mine out about 10 hours later.


Step Seven:  Finally

Make sure the plaster is set....it should be hard and cooled off.  (Plaster of paris gets really hot while it's setting, so if it's still warm, best to wait a little longer)
If you feel in your heart it is time to hatch, then grab your scissors and start cutting the mold away.  Cut where the seam is and then rip away the mold.  Your mold will probably not be reusable after this.
Once the mold is removed your are done.  You may choose to sand down and smooth out rough areas.  Or leave them, it adds character.

 

This method was an inexpensive and easy way to produce a very simple headcast.  My headcast came out a little rough, but it can be sanded and smoothed pretty easily.  Right now it works great for what I'm using it for.

There are other methods for making life casts.  If you're needing something more detailed, you might look into something like alginate for your mold.  If you need something more durable you might try casting in something like permastone or ultracal

Check out these links:

This is a tutorial on using alginate for a mold of your face

This site sells all kinds of kits for casting and provides useful video tutorials as well

This site has a variety of casting and special effects tutorials and also sells materials you'd need for them