Actual projects and a lot of expanding foam!

I'm still working on my three costumes: Aion, World of Warcraft and Bayonetta. The Armor of Aion is almost done and there are only a few armor parts missing. I'm very bad in sewing, so I dodge the parts which require seewing skills. So, here are some pictures and step by step making of's:

 

This was my ankle armor. Someone asked me for some more pictures, so I hope here you see better, how I built it.

For this knee armor I used almost the same technique, but just with a bit more single parts. One armor part consist of 54 parts! Oh, this was a long, hard job!

After covering the armor with some layers of Gesso, I started to paint it. The left picture shows my job. The right one shows the result after my boyfriend helped me. I'm very happy to have him, because he sets some nice highlights for me and redoes my work a bit. In the last years the did the entire painting job, but this year it's just too much for one person. So I do the basic painting and he sets the details. It's great to have such a good assistant!

Now, we both are almost done with our university exams, so we can start to paint together.

 

This was my basic painting job. I'm happy to be able to manage the colour gradient. Then I just have to add some simple details like the patterns on the bladed and my boyfriend have to do the rest! 

   

Here I also had to stop, because the sample is full of details. I cannot wait to see the finished work and I'm sure that he will do a great job!

Yeah, and every part here needs a paint... This will be long, hard work... (And there are some parts missing...)

 

Uhm... and I still have to finish this sword. But I have only 3 months left for this project. I'm very afraid that I will fail to get it finished in time, so I have to hurry a lot! 

Here is a little making of. You see here a lot of expanding foam. I LOVE expanding foam and it's awesome, how much you can create with it. I used just a bit of greyboard for the base and covered everything with this stuff. The last steps just consisted of a lot of carving. This step makes a lot of fun, but much more dirt, he he!

 But this was the dirt of the following project:

I've got a commision to do two gigantic hands for a commercial.

 

 He he, this was a lot of fun and it was an awesome experience to carve something of such a great size!

I also carved a lot for my World of Warcraft project:

I just have to finish the paper machè layer, polish it and can paint it afterwards. You see, expanding foam gives the chance to create every form you need!

I also started with my shoulder armor and my robe for this costume:

  

In the first steps I just cut a styrofoam ball and put some grey board parts with hot glue on it. Some soft foam stripes helped my to build the right form.

 

Then I used the same technique that I formed Journey's End antlers for the twines. I covered the top with a bit of expanding foam, carved the twines and the base out. For a solid base I added a layer of crepe tape, newspaper and papermaché. Now I just have to finish the twines and add some details. 

And my robe? It's just standing in my cosplay room. I'm happy, that I managed the hardest part of this costume for me: The seewing. And now it have to wait, until I cannot run away anymoreuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuj, he he!