RESORT TO CRAFT FOAM.
So this tutorial is for making inexpensive lady armour. (I'm serious. I think I spent $30 max on this breast plate) Obviously you will have to adjust it to your personal needs. I kind of winged this the first time I made this, so I've figured out what works and what I should do next time.
TIME- 5 hours (approx. including wait times for paint to dry, NOT including getting references and supplies.)
DIFFICULTY- Beginner
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1.Reference Picture.(you will want to have a basic sketch or picture of the armour you want to make. I sort of winged it since I wasn't set on making a replica of anything in particular.)
2.Some paper and a writing instrument. (This is for drawing out all the pieces of armour on paper and pin them to your base to see how its going to look before you go and cut them all out.) Check out this tutorial for a great way of making a pattern with some cling wrap and tape.
3. Base. Your base is what you are going to build on top of. I used an old bathing suit that was a little big. You could also use a old bra or cheap corset.The reason for using this is that it already provides some support for your ladies and you know it fits. Ideally you will want to make sure it isn't too tight/stretched on your underbust because foam doesn't really stretch. (Seriously, foam is very chill and doesn't take stress well) I personally like having ties/lacings/bra snaps at the back. You could however cut it so your ties are at the side (more like how traditional armour is made. This is entirely up to you. You don't really see the back of mine because I wear a cape or jacket with Loki so it wasn't a big deal for me what the back looked like.)
4.Craft foam. (I purchased a package of 50 sheets for about $2 at a local dollarstore. However you can get large rolls at craft stores like Michaels for about $8-$15 (you will probably have to ask an employee to pull them from the back for you). This may be an option if you can't get sheets big enough for your pattern. I didn't use all 50 sheets. More like 10 ish)
5.Scissors or a xacto-knife.
6. Hot Glue Gun (I have a heavy duty one. Cost about $6, but its so hot it gives you blisters if you touch the glue by accident. However, I don't recommend going with a light use ones as the glue for whatever reason really doesn't hold on well to things in hot weather. ie. Florida and the like.)
7. Flex Seal (Video- Flex Seal) If you don't know what flex seal is, it's a spray on plastic that is used to fix leaks and generally make things water proof. It's very durable and I basically use it on almost all my foam props. You can get it at places like Walmart, or hardware stores. There's other brands as well (Leak Seal is what I happened to pick up, but it's the same thing. Plastic). They retail for about $12.00 and come in white, black and clear. I personally prefer white or black just because its easier to see where you have sprayed. Clear would be beneficial if you aren't going to paint your armour/prop after.
OTHER BRANDS INCLUDE- Plasti-Dip, Leak Seal, Flex Seal, Permatex. (I have only ever used Leak Seal or Flex Seal as that is what the Walmart near me had. But the principle is this... it is a spray on plastic sealant)
8. Spray Paint. (in your desired colours. Alternatively you can use acrylic paint, but I find spray paint easier to work with and gives it a fairly even look. If you want weathered armour you could go in and use acrylics to weather it on top of the spray paint and then seal it after)
9. Plastic garbage bag (or any kind of "drop sheet" This is so you don't damage anything while spray painting or sealing.)
OPTIONAL ITEMS
Decorative pieces like gems or stencils. (ie. say you wanted to make Elsa armour and you have some snow flakes hanging around that you want to include)
Heat gun. This is if you want to mould your foam. Foam will heat up and then you can press it over a rounded object and hold it there until it cools. This is an alternative way to make your lady cups. However I am too lazy for that. (Though it would also be good for making rounded shoulder armour) If you are interested in that method I'd check out the links below.
Additional Info & Sources-
LEATHER LOOK TUTORIAL
(Another way to create "crackled leather" is to scrunch some tin foil up, flatten it out a bit again and iron it onto your foam. There's a mini tutorial online somewhere that I saw, but I'm having trouble finding it again)
EVA FOAM TUTORIAL- (Eva foam is that playmat foam you can get at Walmart. Bit more expensive but also really durable. However you will need some additional tools)
CRAFT FOAM BREASTPLATE TUTORIAL- (This one is really handy for showing how you can make a pattern and also making foam armour without a base. I would however use flex seal or similar product to toughen it up and make it more durable)
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Step 1 - PLANNING
What do you want your armour to look like? How far do you want your armour to go down your torso? Pull some reference photos and then start figuring out on paper what pieces you are going to need. Make a pattern if you want. (highly advisable) See the video tutorial above for a great way of making a pattern)
I personally skipped this the first time since I sort of made my armour up as I went. (It was a trial and error process) But if you are going to accuracy then definitely do this. Cut your pieces out and label them. Better yet, pin them on your base to see how they will fit.
** I AM GOING TO UPDATE THIS WHEN I START WORKING ON MY SECOND ARMOUR.
Step 2. - CUTTING THE PATTERN OUT
Cut all your foam pieces out. (Label them or alternatively use different colours of foam to see which pieces go were) I used scissors for all of mine, but exacto knives also work.
Step 3. BUILD!
Now is when you are going to heat up your glue gun and start building!
I unfortunately didn't get a picture of the bottom bit. I glue on two sheet of foam to the bottom of the swim top and then built on top of that to length the armour.
Step 4. Decorations (optional)
This is where you can take your glue gun and add decorations.I used the glue gun to add swirls similar to what I used for my Loki Horns.
So before you get ready to spray the plastic on, try your armour on, This is be the last chance to make any big changes.
Step 6: LEAKY SEAL TIME
Take your armour out to a well ventilated area. Put something down to protect your surface. I opened up a garbage bag for this purpose. Lay your armour flat. (Alternatively if you have a manikin you can use the plastic to protect your manikin and then have your armour on there)
Shake your can of Flex Seal up and spray the front section of your armour. (If you are using white or black flex seal this also acts as your primer for painting) Then wait for it to dry, turn over and do your back section. I only had to do one coat, but if you notice you missed some sections or crevices (this is when the brightly coloured foam comes in handy) you can go over it again. Make sure you clear the nozzle once you are done with the Flex Seal. (To do this follow the instructions on the can. It's usually just turning it upside down and spraying it on plastic till the nozzle clears. That way you can use it again without having a clogged nozzle)
Once it's dry, try it it on again. It should still fit the same but be a lot more durable. The great thing about Flex Seal is that it is "flexible" and allows the armour to bend a fair bit without getting any cracks. (Though the more "stress" you put on the foam, the higher the chance of getting little hairline cracks there is)
Step 7: PAINTING
I usually give my props a couple hours in between flex sealing and spray painting.
Since it's armour, I use a metallic spray paint. They actually have quite a few different metallic colours out now. If your armour is going to be an "unusual" colour (blue or pink or something like that) you may want to get a shiny clear coat for sealing it, if your base colour is matte. Again it's all up to you and what you want for your personal armour.
If you want you can go with acrylic. However this will usually leave brush strokes. I only use acrylics for weathering my armour, or for small details. (Shadowing, intricate designs or spraying "blood" on)
(Lady Loki armour as it will be worn underneath my jacket)
Step 8- ADDING DECORATIONS
This is when you will want to add any additional decorations, such as gems that you didn't want painted over.
Step 9- SEALING
Couple of options. Get a clear spray paint sealant.
Or if you were using clear Flex Seal, then that works great too. (and adds that extra protection)
Alternatively, spray paint is pretty good at sealing itself. But this is just added protection.
Step 10- WEAR IT
Parade around in your awesome new armour.
And share pictures! I'd love to see how this tutorial worked out for you!
** THERE WILL BE A VIDEO TO FOLLOW WHEN I PUT TOGETHER MY NEXT SET OF ARMOUR. (Which is hopefully going to be less "impractical" and more styled after Sif's armour) This was a trial run, so I didn't really get as many photos as I should have. I will also update this with some more info and pictures later.
If you have any questions hit me up on Facebook (DJ Cosplay) or in the comments here.
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