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[Breezie]

so i'm working on cosplaying as sylvanas the banshee queen of world of warcraft. http://www.wowction.com/wp-content/u...Windrunner.jpg so far my experience with making cosplays limits to well one wig i cut and styled. =_='' this cosplay...well..im making the whole thing. i have ideas for a lot of the different pieces. just not sure what exact types of materials to use.

for the shoulders gauntlets and leg armor i was going to use a type of foam, something that is durable and can hold through lots of friction. thing is it also has to be able to bend to the curved shape but stay in that form (i was thinking of using thin strips of curved plastic to keep the form).

but when it comes to the boots i am lost. i want them to be detailed like in the picture. just painting the designs on might look cheesy. also not sure if i could find boots that go that high O.o so i was going to find something, probably a fake leather to extend the boots. but i would like to keep that thick armor look to it.

any suggestions about how i should go about this and what materials i should use?

[dbchan]

Sylvanas' outfit is very similar to Alexstrazsa. Maryssa did her alexstrasza out of craft foam and wonderflex! You should send her a PM.

[Etrina]

You can definitely get over the knee or thigh high boots that are that tall.

[Merodi]

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Rose-Wome...=pd_sbs_shoe_8


Something like this maybe? I dunno. It's not hard to find though.

[Breezie]

awesome thanks guys. still not so sure how to make the boots like the ones in the link though. maybe use clay to boarder around them...not sure how that would look though

[Nozze]

You could make bootcovers and then use leather trim for the parts you're talking about. That or craft foam (or whatever it is that Maryssa uses, the tubing?) would be way better than clay. Please don't use clay :P

[dbchan]

i agree, you probably shouldn't use clay. I have to imagine it would weigh down parts of the costume.

[Breezie]

see thats what i was thinking, but i'm not sure what i would use. i want that 3d look to it

[dbchan]

Originally Posted by Breezie

see thats what i was thinking, but i'm not sure what i would use. i want that 3d look to it

I think there a lighter weight materials you could use. The first option is layering craft foam to give it height and dimension. if you're worried about durability, you could use wonderflex over craft foam to reinforce it.

[EcstasyEcho]

problem:
does anyone know what said lightweight material is?? i'm making the same cosplay and no one seems to know what materials are (heard of wonderflex. so out of my price range).

i've been experimenting with paperclay. it's seriously not bad. thoughts?

[catfetus]

Originally Posted by EcstasyEcho

problem:
does anyone know what said lightweight material is?? i'm making the same cosplay and no one seems to know what materials are (heard of wonderflex. so out of my price range).

i've been experimenting with paperclay. it's seriously not bad. thoughts?

One big problem with using paperclay for this costume is that it won't flex (it will just crack if bent) and it is also heavier than foam.
Craft foam is a good substitute (it is sold in sheets, sometimes called Fun Foam, at craft stores) if you don't have access to Wonderflex, it can do almost all the exact same things but just isn't as sturdy or perhaps not as easy to mold (I haven't used Wonderflex before) and it is a lot cheaper.

Paperclay could be good for parts like the shoulder armor that you don't have to worry about moving or flexing. I really like Orangemoose's step-by-step styrofoam+paperclay shoulder making description, I think if I were to make shoulders I would try something similar:
http://www.cosplay.com/costume/248742/

I also second dbchan's comment about layering craft foam to create depth. If you want more detailed depth (like slanted edges on your protruding parts rather than just straight up protrusions, if that makes any sense) you could try heating and molding your foam to create that effect before putting it on instead of just attaching it as a flat surface like it comes. (Sorry, it is hard for me to describe But craft foam is very versatile and with practice can make good shapes)
A lot of people also use hot glue or any sort of glue to draw in the protruding designs (for example, the little swirly designs on the tops of her boot linings could be done well this way).

[EcstasyEcho]

thank you

this is my first cosplay as well so i don't entirely know what i'm doing and paperclay was a suggestion from a friend. i haven't even started on the shoulders yet cause that's going to be the most challenging part. fun, fun. what size craft foam would be good?

i've heard of the hot glue thing and was considering doing that for the thinner designs since hot glue is easy to get ahold (i have a ton of it already).

[EcstasyEcho]

oh and one more thing. how hard is it to paint craft foam?
i'm sure there's tutorials about this somewhere...

[Reformed Tomboy]

Painting craft foam is super easy, but you have to seal it first because it porous. I picked up a giant bottle of "Sealer" (that's what it's literally called on the bottle) at Michaels, it's an all-purpose sealer, but other people use other types that work just as well. A couple of coats should do, and then just paint on top of that.

[Breezie]

Originally Posted by EcstasyEcho

oh and one more thing. how hard is it to paint craft foam?
i'm sure there's tutorials about this somewhere...

geso is wonderful!! it seals the foam and it wont melt when painting