Mimiru’s Cosplay Diary
December 22-24 2012
Nevermore’s Light Armour: Arm Armour
Attempt 1 at Craft Foam
This is my first time using craft foam, and I am
seriously happy with the turnout. J It can be better in most places, but for a
first run this is not too shabby. ;)
These were made for Nevermore for his Generation
III: War presentation as the Dagda: High King of Ireland. Before, I had his
Winter and Summer set, but I really wanted to go somewhere further with him and
explore his character more. He is incredibly fun to play and an outstanding
character to cosplay.
This is the step by step that I did to create his
arm armour. This piece is called The Mother’s Guidance.
THE MOTHER’S GUIDANCE
On them, they feature the Goddess Danu (whom is also
considered the Dagda’s mother) inside a shield, presenting the Celtic Trinity
knot. For Nevermore, she represents protection, guidance, light and Future. She
watches him in battle, granting him her protection.
To her sides, she is surrounded by two ravens, which represent Nevermore,
himself. They are his animal spirit, and guide him to make the right decisions
for himself and his people. Nevermore presents himself to his comrades as the
Raven. The ravens are presented upside down,
telling us that the wearer is chaotic and not always down to earth.
The color is Gold, regal and unwavering. Powerful
and wealthy. The metal is worn and the surface marred from centuries of battle.
The double layers protect the wearer, but also
direct that power at enemies with powerful arms and strength.
PERSONAL
REFLECTION:
Honestly, I find using craft foam to be easy and
fun, but sometimes it can become tedious because of the time consuming process
it can be. Draw, cut, draw, cut, trace, cut, repeat, seal, seal, dry, dry,
seal, dry, more sealing, more drying, seal, dry, trim, seal, dry…… Finer details while cutting on
craft foam can be a pain, especially if working with dull blades or tiny
details. The craft foam doesn’t always want to cut easily or smoothly,
sometimes leaving you with knicks, messy edges, or cut places that shouldn’t be
cut. However, it is quite convenient, and certainly fun.
The creative possibilities are endless, and it truly gives you an elated sense
of self-worth and accomplishment when finished.
I noticed that my time spend in Graphic Design
seriously helped, and it made me happy to be able to apply what I learned in Commercial
Design into these arm armours. Sewing allows me to use other forms of
design, but being able to use commercial digital design gives me satisfaction.
MATERIALS:
Mod Podge (matte)
11 Sheets of Craft Foam (13.9cm x 21.5cm)
Hot Glue (low temperature gun)
Krylon Gold Metallic Spray Paint
“Chocolate Bar” colored acrylic paint
“English Ivy Green” colored acrylic paint
Black Createx Airbrush Color
Scissors, Exacto Knives, Carpet Cutter (heh heh), Pencil, Brushes, Sponge
Brushes
STEP
I:
First thing, I created the base of the arm pieces
using four sheets of craft foam. Because I wanted something layered, I just
used the same pattern four times. Pretty easy stuff.
I needed to sit and figure out a main design. Nevermore is an Irish deity, so I
wanted to do something a little close to home. I browsed around for different
knot work, designs, and jewelry hoping to find some inspiration. I came across
a lovely pendant and decided that although quite large and not exactly the intricate
and tiny details I was originally looking for, it was quite lovely and would
suit my Dagda perfectly. The pendant represented everything around his
mythology, and I decided it would be perfect to turn it into the main
centerpiece.
I printed out the image twice, and then proceeded to
cut them. One was cut with just the image of the Goddess, and the other was cut
with just the Trinity seal. I glued them together as seen in the picture in
order to get a layered, embezzled look.
Following, I outlined everything onto the craft
foam.
Mind you, this was quite annoying after a while. I
ended up being unable to find my exacto knives, and had to deal with scissors
and a carpet cutter. *facepalm* Funnily enough, when I was searching for my hot
glue gun I found my knives hidden in one of the drawers of the china cabinet.
I cut out a total of four pieces for this,
duplicating the Goddess and the Trinity twice for both arm pieces.
STEP
II
I back tracked a little on the arm pieces, and used this time to shape them
using heat from a blow dryer. Once the shape was satisfactory, I mod podged the
heck out of them buggers. The mod podge helps the craft foam become easier to
glue and seal together.
Once everything was dried, and the four arm pieces
became two, I centered and attached the Goddess and the Trinity to both of
them.
STEP
III
Once I got the main pieces together, I decided that
I wanted to elaborate a little more, and add a border. First, I used a paper “pattern”
of sorts, and then used it to measure the approximate length I would need to
fit around the design. I cut out a foam pattern using extra scraps, and then
traced it and cut out two final, single pieces. They were elegantly mod podged.
I noticed how plain they looked (to me anyway), and
began searching for ideas to fill in the gaps. I wanted something that would
describe Nevermore or at least fit him, so I looked into tribal designs to see
if I could come up with something.
Originally I was contemplating using swirls or
something of the like, but I honestly wanted something a bit more symbolic for
the character.
I did, and immediately fell in love with these
lovely birds. They would be perfect to place around the Goddess, as if
protecting or taunting her. I knew that these would be perfect.
Here is where some more of my commercial design
skills kick in. J I adjusted sizes, and then printed. I
made sure to print extra just in case the paper tore, and then proceeded to
trace the images onto the craft foam…..four times. Although, I can honestly say
that the birds were not NEARLY as bad as drawing and cutting the two Trinities. It was fun to see a flock of birds on my table when I was done. lol
STEP
IV
Mod podge. Mod podge and hot glue goes here. I
placed the borders and the birds in their appropriate places and then began to
add additional layers of mod podge onto the entirety of both arm pieces. Overnight,
they hardened more, and now they have an excellent, firm shape and durability.
STEP
V
At last! Painting! This part I was actually most
looking forward to, since the paint and final detailing will definitely make
the difference between two pieces of foam and two pieces of armor.
It also means that I am one step closer to being completely finished! The other
thing I need to do would be to apply a method of attachment to them. Would do
no good if I had armour I couldn’t wear! lol
The gold was a wonderful idea, and is perfect for Nevermore,
although I should have sprayed the layers on a little thinner each. For the
next project, I will definitely be doing that.
I wanted to use some type of shading, but I wanted
it to look worn, so I chose to use a dark green and a chocolate brown with a
hint of red.
The weathering is a rusty green, and I actually mixed a little black (opaque Createx Airbrush Color) into it.
FINAL
NEXT ADDITIONS TO LIGHT ARMOUR SET:Pauldrons
Leg and Knee Armour
Amour Adornments
