Tobi's Mask: Naruto

This was created entirely on a whim, this mask. I had no costume I wanted to do with it, I had no commission for it, I just wanted to make the mask because I knew I could do it better than the weak masks I'd seen around cons, which were all flat, tended to be cardboard with marker and... fail. Thus, the mask was born.

I started off with a leftover bunch of Model Magic from the gourd project the year before. I formed it into the familiar oval shape, shoved my face into it, and let it dry between two books it had a curved shape to fit my face. Not the most advanced of techniques, but it worked well. Then, I penciled in the lines where I thought the grooves were, and lightly went at them with a dremel. The eyehole was made by, no joke, pushing a pencil through, gouging some out, then letting the clay dry around a film canister. Sanded it, perfect hole.

Here you can see me goofing off with craft foam, the 'scales' of Tobi's armor, and a much more refined version of the mask. The grooves are deeper and smoother now, done entirely with a dremel and sand paper.

Sorry the quality is poor on this one. You can see a close up of the grooves. You can also see I've gotten that weird bit of clay at the bottom/chin area.

Several (and I mean several) layers of geeso later, the mask is smoothed out mostly. I didn't want it to be perfect and look like plastic.

I painted over it with orange paint, and added the head band. It's surprisingly comfortable, if a bit nose-squishing.

Most people use a marker or something to make the grooves. I decided that the ones above just didn't pop enough, and the mask ended up with that plasticy look I was avoiding. So I mixed some brown paint, not black, and water together and sponged it into the groves.

I am hugely pleased with the look it ended up with. Realistic yet stylized, comfortable to wear, and it looks amazing. It has age to it, and it looks like it's been on a ninja's face for who knows how many years. <3~

Gaara's Gourd: First Attempt - Part 4

With it spray painted, I started on the MWM symbols.

I quickly learned something - should have done the yellow first.

And here it is, completed and in use.

It was quite a task. It has some major problems - it's too heavy to wear on my back. Next time, I'm not going to use any clay in it. Also, probably because of the clay, it didn't come out as smooth as I'd like. Otherwise, it looks beautiful and I'm pleased with that. There will be a next time, someday!

Gaara's Gourd: First Attempt - Part 3

After many tears and blood and sweat, the gourd is whole and hollow. It's a little weightier than I had expected which has been deeply concerned.

The fiberglass cloth gets laid on the surface, sewn and sticky-tacked down.

Many, many hours later and discovering its the worst smell ever, the gourd is completely covered in resin. It's as solid as plastic and everything I could have hoped for. Unfortunately, it's much heavier than I would have expected.

I found an amazing spray paint that gives a sand-like texture in the perfect color. This is the result. You can see a close up of the texture...

Completely random, but this was waiting for me just outside the front door when I went to spray paint.

Gaara's Gourd: First Attempt - Part 2

Well, the second half of this project didn't come as clean as I'd hoped.

And... what happened when I removed the ball. That pile of white on the right there? That's the gourd-ball. -.- I cried.

 With some inspiration from JF, I started to glue the pieces back together. Note that the hot glue gun did not make a pleasant smell when it hit the glue I original used... hence the mask.

 FRANKENGOURD LIVES! You can see it is a ball now, and hollow. In the bottom of it, that dark stuff is the pool of resin which is drying to fill in a weak spot on the interior.

Gaara's Gourd: First Attempt - Part 1

Thus begins another prop I have never made before. I didn't want to do paper mache, but I knew about resin... so I honestly just started off without much idea what I was doing.

These are the two balls I decided to use to make the gourd from. They're large playground balls, and below is a height comparison.

Amazing, huh? I used Crayola Model Magic as it was fairly light. Not cheap though at 20 dollars a box for it. After the first round, and purchasing one very, very large and real cork from a specialty dealer, I have the top of the gourd.

I peeled off the top once it was dry and popped the ball inside, leaving only a hollow shell.

What was left is what you see - a hollow bubble with the top seperate. When the top dries, and no longer is in danger of falling inwards, I'll make it one piece. I will carefully use resin on the inside of the ball, then I am going to fibercloth resin the whole outside so it is one solid piece.

Demyx's Sitar: Part 5 (Original Creation)

I was cutting it close by working on it until nearly the day of the convention it was supposed to premiere at! But you can see the bottom string-attach knob has been put on, the edges of the front panel have been done.

Here's an interior view including the speakers, iPod, and terrible (hidden) paint job.

The top half of the front being glued to the foam.

Neck, with everything glued in. Tuning pegs ACTUALLY turn. Unfortunately, also can be pulled out. But won't fall out.

The bridge, cut unfortunately out of solid oak. (I would never chose to do this again.)

The paint job on the backside (beautifully sanded, if I do say) of the sitar. I am very proud of it.

 I'm not happy with it, but the curved sitar bridge.

The final shot of the sitar before it went into active costume phase. I am still so proud of this prop.

The sitar in its final glory, with me in costume. I was lifting it strangely in this shot to get the whole thing into frame. I finally chose fishing thread as my choice of strings so they would be somewhat invisible, and I love how the flash reacted with them.

Several things I would do differently, and have done:

1) Resin and fiber glass.
2) Non-wood bridge.
3) Smaller

They are small to list, but would have vastly improved this prop. Future models have been far superior, but this is still the one sitting in my living room, proudly displayed.

Demyx's Sitar: Part 4 (Original Creation)

After more hours of carving and sanding than you could possibly imagine, this is the side and back views of the not-yet-finished backside.

Neck of the sitar, sanded and painted with seven or nine layers of gesso! And hanging from the ceiling to dry.

After gessoing the plywood front, I chose my color and did the dark blue interior. Note that the edges haven't been touched yet.

The beginning of gesso the still not finished-being-sanded base.

The tuning pegs...

The dark part of the neck, along with the frets.