Monday 14 December 2009

Battle Sister Realized

For those who's been wondering what I've been doing props & costumes wise since the last update, THIS is what I've been working on for the last 3 to 6 months...

I had no prior experience in armored costume making, or any kind of training in this field. All I had was an enthusiasm to learn, and to observe how others make stuff.

Before I get down to the nitty-gritty of what the costume is made of, here are some beauty shots. Thanks so much to Radzie(http://ziedesign.com/blog/) of Sri Gaya Studio for taking these photos for a song.












Torso armor (including shoulder guards) is made entirely of plumbing pipe, shaped with a heat gun; Chest cups were fashioned out of plastic bowls; Collar is cut from a bucket; relief details on shoulder guard and chest cup, and the purity seals were sculpted out of paper clay. the skull on the 'I' was made out of paper clay, then casts in resin using a silicon mold.


Vembraces & Grenades were made from plumbing pipe as well. Finger gauntlets were fashioned out of Wonderflex , which is self-adhesive while its still hot. The skull on the cross was made out of paper clay, then casts in resin using a silicon mold.

Corset is purchased, and beads sewn on by our female costumer.


The base for the leg armor are the only fibreglass pieces in this costume, They were purchased, and started out as Clone Trooper leg armor. I had to modify them extensively to make them fit our female costumer. The base for the knee guards are made of plumbing pipe, and the relief details sculpted out of paper clay. Armor plating on the shoe is made of Wonderflex.


She is seen holder a couple of grenades which I made for fun while waiting for epoxy and putty to dry. They're sized to fit into the magazine chamber and fired like regular rounds.




Close up of the knee guards.



The squarish part of the backpack is made of corrugated cardboard, then covered with mounting board. The rounded section on top is a combination of plumbing pipe, MDF board, perspex sheet, and couple of plastic bowls. The spikes are cast resin.


Close up of the backpack and shoulder guard.
The hose is leftover from a TIE Fighter Pilot helmet I purchased sometime ago.


Backpack detail & close up of purity seal.


The Bolter is constructed almost entirely out of foam board. The handle is made of MDF board, and extends all the way up to the top and out to the front in an 'L' shape to give the whole thing a 'spine' to rest on. The muzzle is a plumbing pipe.


The creators
Joanna (costumer): All soft parts and sculpted details
Daniel (on left): Bolter base structure
Myself: Everything else except the finger gauntlets (hand guard), wich were made by Edgar

Special thanks to:
Shariff for helping with the backpack, and looking for the chain.
Julian for financial support & constant encouragement
and all others who provided support in one way or another, whether physically or in spirit.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow!! Outstanding!! Very well done!! I wonder what the other color would look like???

Nex said...

Hi Mike, thanks for the compliment :)

May I ask what 'other color' are you referring to?

Motorcycle Dani said...

WOW, you did a fantastic job, makes me want to crack on with mine more lol
Well don :)

Nex said...

Thanks DW. DO post up some WIP of your SoB when you have them :D

And if you need any help just ask :)

Lisa said...

I'd like to ask some questions if you're still here. I'm trying to make an outfit like this myself, and I'd like to know where you got your 'plumbing pipes' and your gloves.

Also, where can I find other reference pics of this particular order? Thank you.

Nex said...

Hi Lisa, the plumbing pipes are bought from hardware stores; they're just regular PVC pipes that come in various thickness and diameters. I shape them using a heat gun and hold the together using a combination of screws, epoxy or rivets.

The gloves are a cheap pair of black cotton gloves with wonderflex shaped to form the armor, and attached.

Just Google 'Battle Sisters', or Sisters of Battle' and you'll find all the reference pics you need. I worked mainly based on these two images:
1) http://www.fantasyshop.gr/gallery/40k-Witch%20Hunters-Pic%201.jpg
2) http://www.thq-games.com/resources/conceptart/large/98fe022896b1b0033e622aa099f56eca.jpg

Email me at saberfreak(at)gmail.com if you need more information.

Lisa said...

Alright, thank you very much! At least I'm giving myself at least a year to finish, so I can afford any mistakes. Can I finally just ask about the pattern you used for the red clothing under the armor? I'd like to know how you made it.

canvhealthu said...

Just Awesome! Hollywood Top Producers should engage you for the next Star Wars alike movies

Roxanne said...

HELLO! I'm Roxanne-the one that interviewed you at Comic Fiesta 2010.
WOW! you really did a great job make Joanna's Costumes! :D
Anyway, good to see you here. :)

Nex said...

Hi Roxanne, thanks for dropping by :D

And thanks for the detail write up in your blog :)

I was hoping some of that info would make it into the Star article, but I guess there's just enough space.

Roxanne said...

:) You're welcome. It was my pleasure.

I was hoping it did too. But then, we were just helping out, the main reporter was jessica, and so she wrote the article.

It's okay, there's always a next time right. :D

kurtvdv said...

This is amazing. I myself am not a big fan of the Battle Sisters, but seeing a life size version gives me a new perspective on them. Im extremely interested in the bolter. It amazingly crafted compared to others I have seen. Very well done, and I hope to see more of your work in the future.

Nex said...

Thanks Kurt :)

Daniel (the guy on the left in the last pic) made the base of the Bolter out of nothing but foam core (foam board to some), including the fluer de lis on the body, while I made the 'spine' (as part of the grip) out of MDF for the whole structure to sit on, and did the painting and detailing.

I've since made another Battle Sister costume. Click on my blog header to goto the latest post to see it :D