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What kind of paint did you use? Do you have an airbrush? Do you plan to sand with 800+ grit before coating?

There's a lot to learn about paint jobs and sealing them. After a few failed attempts and weird reactions, I tend to keep same brand paint throughout a piece (for primers I hop around, but let it dry completely before top coating).

If you're using a different brand I HIGHLY suggest you wait until it has gassed out (it doesn't smell like paint anymore lol). This can take several days depending on how many coats you used, and whether you applied them too thick.

Sanding allows for better grip of the clear coat to the paint. Wet sanding is best since it removes the debris of paint and prevents most deep scrapes. It is easy to sand through your paint, especially if you only did one coat (which is why you should do 2-3 with some light 600 grit sanding in between)...

I hate sanding before a clear because I suck at it and tend to create a deep scratch or two because I'm too strong for my own good :P What I have found to work wonders is Floor polish/wax.
This is the ONLY one that a lot of modelers suggest:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ARPH4C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It was known as "Futures" before, but after re-branding and all that, it is now what I linked. You'll need an airbrush for this. Do a light misting of the entire part you're working with, then apply several thin coats allowing them to dry in between (usually 1-2 minutes or less if you have good air circulation). It smells great, self leveling, you can dip small parts into a little cup filled with this stuff... it's fantastic. It's slightly flexible as well. If you wait 38 hours (i think that's what the bottle says) you can apply a second coat for added protection. Make sure to clean your airbrush with ammonia (I use windex), to prevent it from curing inside it.

Essentially, floor polish is more forgiving, but offers slightly less protection than a well applied clear coat. If you don't have time for all that prepping crap (wet sanding before and between clear coats), then definitely go this route.

Great start man!

Symmetry: Make patterns. Go grab some cardstock to do it with, it will hold up better than regular printer paper. Assuming you cut these out of craft foam, just draw a pattern that looks good, cut it out, and see how it fits. Once you have something you like, you can take that newly cut out piece of foam and lay it BACK onto cardstock and redraw it to get it just perfect. Then, when transferring it to another side, just flip it upside down. Also, make sure all your edges are glued down nicely.

Painting: Something that a lot of people don't take into account is priming their props before painting. A primer is something that allows paint to bind to the object a bit better, and gives a nice layer that wont have things showing through. I like to use Bullseye 1-2-3 and just brush it on, but it does have a spraycan option. Prime, Sand with 200~ grit, prime again, sand with 350~ grit, wipe with a damp paper towel, let dry for maybe an hour or so, then paint for best results. Also, 3-5 light layers > 1-2 heavy layers of paint. Also, if you want very customized colors and are willing to brush it on/airbrush, then you can go to the Paint section at Home Depot, find a color you want, and ask for a sample can of paint in that exact color. It's wonderful for small projects!

Here's some examples of my processes for crafting/painting
https://imgur.com/a/XkQBp

https://imgur.com/a/xcZEU

https://imgur.com/a/VCmsQ

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Something like this might work for the main strip:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013FZHD06/ref=twister_B016K7JPSO?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

I've used the red one from this link before and had great luck with it. Note though that it's flexible, so for this you might either have to pull it tight to keep it straight, or attach it to something else that is stiff (like a wire or a rod). But it's battery powered, and can be shortened to any length you need.

I could even see it being possible to glue something like wire to it, and also using that for the arcs of light around the top.

Best of luck!

Hey, so I'm working on a project right now using led strips. I'm not using neopixels specifically but these that I found on Amazon. Anyways, the ones I got came with a clear protective rubber tubing which do a good job of keeping the strip in place and protects from bumping into stuff.

If Neopixels come with the same tubing, I think they'd be perfectly fine. The strips probably wont swing and move as much as if you used them without the tubing, but as long as you attach them to pvc really securely and seal the other end of the tubing you cut it should hold up!

The motor in a breast pump is a peristaltic pump (I'm pretty sure), so if you don't have one laying around, you could use the pump at the link below and rig it (with the eCig and LED) to a smaller Arduino unit. That way you could actuate it when you want, either through a button or timer. Depending on the Arduino, you could probably program the rest of your suit off of it too. If you're not big on electronics I'm happy to help too! Awesome work though and great print!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VHYO9F0/ref=sspa_mw_detail_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2M99LKXDQEZXD

No problem at all!

That top section is just spare insulated electrical wire I had floating about, with those grey blobs formed out of Apoxie Sculpt. If you're not familiar with it, it's two-part epoxy clay that will harden to a rock a short time after you combine the two parts, so you can mold it to whatever shape you like and set it fairly quickly. I just slapped it around the wire and hoped for the best, but another option that might look neater is if you find rubber tubing just large enough to slide over the wire in those sections.

For the anchoring, I'm going to MacGuyver this, mostly because I'm having a brain fart and can't think of a search term for what I actually want, so let's start from the bottom of the construction. Get your bucket lid that you'll be using for the base. Epoxy (or screw, if you're feeling adventurous) a light bulb socket to the center -- this will provide that wide, stable base that I failed at when I was building mine. Scoop out a hollow in your styrofoam round large enough to make it sit around that socket, and cut a hole over the socket part. Glue the styrofoam to the bucket lid once you're sure everything lines up properly. We'll be adding the dowel next, but we need to see how long that dowel needs to be.

Take your mannequin head, and flip it upside down. You should see the hole in the bottom of the neck for conventional use. That will not be nearly deep enough. I speak from experience. If you're using a plastic one, you might need to drill to get past the stoppage at the end, if you're using styrofoam a long knife or screwdriver and some patience should work. Get all the way up into the head if you can, but at the very least get a few more inches to work with. Now take your dowel, and push it in as far as it will go. Mark that point on it, that's one end of the depth. Do the same into the socket under the foam. Measure to those marks and add them together, that is the total length of your dowel, cut it to that size.

The most important part here is getting a solid connection from the dowel into the socket. Epoxy should be strong enough, but whatever you use, make sure that the dowel is not moving, it will only end in tears. Once that's solid, cut a hole in the bottom of your (already colored) bucket and slide it down the dowel, attach to the foam round with epoxy. Volia. You have a solid anchor that's long enough to actually hold the head up. That should be able to handle bobbling around, if rotation becomes an issue and you don't expect to take the head back out, you can glue the head to the bottom of the bucket, but if removal might be needed, velcro should do the trick.

I hope that was clear enough!

Edit: Oh I'm a dumbass, you were probably asking about the part behind the wire at the top. That's actually part of the bucket I used and just painted to match, I went digging and found my old order for it. Not sure if that one in particular is still available, but as long as you have that little lip area where the lid connects, you should be fine.

Cheap and quick version? go with a hamster ball for the exterior and suspend the ball using some fishing line. However if you really want to do it right I would go the resin route.

A few suggestions from experience when working with resin. work in a WELL VENTILATED AREA. resin stinks bad, and given enough time it will kill you. so lots of fresh air.

Secondly, if this is something you are going to be doing on a semi regular basis i would suggest investing in a degassing chamber. when you see clear resin that is hazy its either because of tiny air bubbles or a poor mix, the degassing chamber will pull all the air out of the resin and will help get the clearest results possible.

Finally, when actually pouring the resin do not pour directly onto the interior model. pour onto the bottom of the mold and allow the resin to rise up to the interior model. this will reduce the amount of trapped air that can form bubbles around the model itself. (not a great look)

Now specifically to your model IF you do go the resin route you will need to have a spherical rubber mold that you will have to secure your interior model to (much like the hamster ball with some fishing line) if you don't secure it in the mold it will just rise to the top and ruin the look. Also making sure you choose a good location for your pour and drain spouts will be very important as they will need to be cut off and sanded flush later. You can do some great work with 2000 grit sand paper but it wont come out perfectly clear. So I would put the pour / drain spouts where you intend to hold it.


I hope this helps, it was a bit ranty but man I love pouring resin.

Liquitex makes a great starter pack that will allow you to experiment on your first small projects.
Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Tube 48-Piece Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00251I66C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Dvw.Bb1B64GMK

I always try to have matte black, matte white, clear matte and clear gloss rattle cans on hand as well.

Get yourself a leather awl. It'll make hand sewing leather easy, though if the leather is thin enough, normal sewing needles will work.

You can also glue leather to itself and other materials with Barge cement or leather glue. Both will adhere very well and remain flexible.

Depending on what you are doing with the leather, getting it wet can be useful as it will make it easier to fold, stretch and carve designs into.

The problem with using paints or glues is that they require exposure to air to cure, so it will never set under the top layer of skin.

I recommend to go with resin. This mixes 1:1 ratio and dries to a white solid, semi-translucent at the thin areas, plus any bubbles will make it look legitimate. It’s exactly what came to my mind when you mentioned milk:
Alumilite Amazing Casting Resin, 16-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058V9KMK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_3CBhw6kz94uzW

Alternately (and inexpensively), you can use Plaster or Hydrocal. It will cost under $10 in that case.

Plaster: http://www.walmart.com/ip/DAP-Plaster-Of-Paris-Dry-Mix-4-Lb-Box/190101660

Hydrocal (as perfect cast, get this at Joann and use a coupon): Perfect Cast 2lb Cast & Paint Casting Material https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006O87CS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xB9wDbPRN1SXD

Ok, so if you don't think you can eyeball it, that's perfectly fine. Your going to have to make a top view of Whisper and after you finish cutting out the side view of it, put the top view blueprint where it should be, trace major lines onto the foam, then cut roughly, sand it and make adjustments as needed. You can do this man, and don't be afraid to fuck up, it's your first time doing this, plus if you buy this kind of EVA foam then your fine cuz it's super cheap and u get shitloads for like 20 bucks.
Edit: I used a 3D model of ingame thresh to make my blueprints accurate, so you could use a site like this to get a top view of the gun ( don't do this on mobile)

Oh! Diana is my favorite champion by far, and I actually chose Lunar Goddess as my first cosplay as well. I apologize for any unorthodox methods, it was my first project.

Her sword seems intimidating, but I found that it was the easiest part. I used a sheet of craft foam (found here) and carved it using a worn kitchen knife, it was a very forgiving medium. I used the entirety of the block for the curved blade, and the excess to create the pommel of the sword. For the grip, I used a dowel from my local hardware store. I bored a hole into the curved blade and the pommel decoration, and slid the dowel in to connect the two. I painted the blade and the pommel with elmers glue to create a smooth finish, as the craft foam has a honeycomb texture.

After ~3 coats of glue, the sword was actually quite sturdy and heavy. I painted it using matte acrylic paint, and added luster to the blade by daubing on metallic silver paint (found years ago at Blick, the label has worn off). After many days of tweaking the colors and waiting for each layer to dry, I used a thick ribbon made from the same material as the dress to wrap around the hilt. The grip/blade was definitely the weak point, and I tried to circumvent this by looping the material from the grip around the pommel decoration and the lip of the curved blade, then wrapping it around the grip multiple times and leaving some to drape artistically. The finished product looked fantastic, and all the glue actually gave it a realistic smooth finish.

I apologize if anything was unclear! If you like, I can add some quick sketches to illustrate some of the steps.

Thanks! Yes, I have already purchased and used these boots. I recently used them for my Star Wars Jedi Knight costume, they work and fit great! (They were cheaper when I bought them, like 60 bucks not 90!)

This is a bit different, but honestly I'd go with a twisted up piece of acrylic. It's stable, interacts with the light pretty well, and you can cut and shape it to give it that motion effect. Plus a fair number of cons get a little uneasy around smoking effects. Past that however there are an assortment of mini air pumps you can use (https://www.amazon.com/Saim-Motor-Aquarium-Oxygen-Circulate/dp/B01MT7B2A8 and https://www.amazon.com/Motor-Project-Delinx-exclude-cardboards/dp/B075HHQ8TH/) for this kind of thing. You'll have to rig up your own smoke reservoir but that's basically nichrome wire, glyicerine and water, and an on/off switch. Goblin slayer has plenty of pouches for that stuff.

Perfect, thanks for your advice! I think what I'll try is get some cheap curved lenses from something like eye protection glasses. Take one way film and put over them. Then cut to size. I found what I think will work well on amazon, link below. Let me know what you think!

Coavas Window Film Non Adhesive Frosted Home Office Film Privacy Window Sticker Self Static Cling Vinly Glass Film for Bathroom Office Meeting Room Living Room (Matte White 17.7by78.7 Inch) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XHXU7PU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-vtDCbKJGRW2N

Paper mache definitely won't be heavy. You can buy/make paper mache clay that is probably perfect for making bones out of.

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Here's how you make it: https://www.ultimatepapermache.com/paper-mache-clay
Here's how you buy it: https://www.amazon.com/ACTIVA-CelluClay-Instant-Papier-Mache/dp/B001144SDE
I haven't used the clay before but I would if I was going to make some fake bones. I'd probably add some wires or fibre on the inside to give it some tensile strength.


In the past I've also made bones out of Sculpy with pretty good results.

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I also have 3d-printed a bird-skull before and it looked good after I did some heat-treatments to remove the ridges from 3d-printing.

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Another option is to just buy a bag-o-fake bones https://www.amazon.com/Fun-Express-Bag-Skeleton-Bones/dp/B000VGOB8A

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One thing I would say is - you should make all your bones out of the same thing. Don't mix real bones with fake bones - the fake bones might look passable by themselves but they'll look like shit next to real bones - you'll clearly be able to tell the difference

There's these two on Amazon; they probably can't do video but perhaps a fast enough photo sequence would do?

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https://www.amazon.com/Sunpak-Pocket-Digital-Photo-Frame/dp/B001FJQM9S

https://www.amazon.com/Brookstone-Life-Digital-Picture-Frame/dp/B00M52NSFK

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There are some seven inch ones that do video.

Or something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Cywulin-Handheld-Supports-Multiple-Birthday/dp/B07MKGZQ7H

https://www.amazon.com/MonkeyJack-Screen-Digital-Music-Player/dp/B077Q5CLBS

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