This Instructable will present my somewhat peculiar method for creating replicas of helmets and armor from video games. Admittedly I'm not the world's greatest sculptor, and to make up for my lack of skill in this area, I've devised a way to use 2D templates as guides for making complex forms as easily and symmetrically as possible.
In reading this guide, you may think that the only end result is an identical Draugr helmet from the game Skyrim. In fact, there are many methods here which are useful for creating any sort of 3D shape from shoulder pauldrons to other game helmets.
Note that this process involves some potentially dangerous chemicals and tools, so if you're looking to replicate the things seen here than please exercise caution. A respirator is mandatory for almost all steps outside of the molding process, and in some instances gloves and safety glasses are a good thing to use as well. Be careful!
The methods that follow will furnish you with not only a replica helmet or armor, but also molds from which to produce copies for sale or outfit other friends in similar costumes. Moldmaking is somewhat tricky and expensive however, so if this is your first attempt at such an endeavor, I recommend starting with smaller pieces than a helmet first.
Onto the process!
In reading this guide, you may think that the only end result is an identical Draugr helmet from the game Skyrim. In fact, there are many methods here which are useful for creating any sort of 3D shape from shoulder pauldrons to other game helmets.
Note that this process involves some potentially dangerous chemicals and tools, so if you're looking to replicate the things seen here than please exercise caution. A respirator is mandatory for almost all steps outside of the molding process, and in some instances gloves and safety glasses are a good thing to use as well. Be careful!
The methods that follow will furnish you with not only a replica helmet or armor, but also molds from which to produce copies for sale or outfit other friends in similar costumes. Moldmaking is somewhat tricky and expensive however, so if this is your first attempt at such an endeavor, I recommend starting with smaller pieces than a helmet first.
Onto the process!
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Signing UpStep 1: Blueprinting and Scaling
The lovely thing about basing a project off of a video game is that a designer somewhere has gone through the immense trouble of making a beautiful 3D model for you to work from. If the game you're basing your project on happens to be available for PC, then chances are there is a modding community out there that has extracted these files and can help source some perspective still images or even the 3D model itself. (Pic 2)
For this project I'll be building the female "Ancient Nord Helmet" (also called the female Draugr helmet) from Skyrim. The models for this helmet were provided to me by a gent who mods these games, and I used the perspective screenshots in order to make 2D blueprints of the top, sides, bottom, and front/back of the helmet. (Pic 3)
There is a rather large community of costumers who also employ a method called Pepakura (essentially complex paper folding and cutting) in order to achieve very similar results using game files as a base. While this is an excellent method, I personally suck at it, hence this Instructable!
One of the questions I have received the most concerns how to scale blueprints. Recently I've found a great method for this: Print off a 1" grid onto a sheet of plotter paper, then trim out a space for your subject to stand. Photograph this as close to perpendicular as possible, then import the photograph into an image editor such as Adobe Illustrator. By scaling the image so that the 1" squares are indeed 1" in size, you can then import your blueprints over the image and find all the dimensions of your finished part! (Pic 4)
Once your blueprints are scaled, print them at full scale on a plotter. A local print shop can assist here if you don't have access to one of your own.
For this project I'll be building the female "Ancient Nord Helmet" (also called the female Draugr helmet) from Skyrim. The models for this helmet were provided to me by a gent who mods these games, and I used the perspective screenshots in order to make 2D blueprints of the top, sides, bottom, and front/back of the helmet. (Pic 3)
There is a rather large community of costumers who also employ a method called Pepakura (essentially complex paper folding and cutting) in order to achieve very similar results using game files as a base. While this is an excellent method, I personally suck at it, hence this Instructable!
One of the questions I have received the most concerns how to scale blueprints. Recently I've found a great method for this: Print off a 1" grid onto a sheet of plotter paper, then trim out a space for your subject to stand. Photograph this as close to perpendicular as possible, then import the photograph into an image editor such as Adobe Illustrator. By scaling the image so that the 1" squares are indeed 1" in size, you can then import your blueprints over the image and find all the dimensions of your finished part! (Pic 4)
Once your blueprints are scaled, print them at full scale on a plotter. A local print shop can assist here if you don't have access to one of your own.
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As for your second question, it's not a fill cast, it's a slush cast. You pour in a little resin at a time and roll it around inside the mold to cover all surfaces while it sets. The repeat the process before the resin cures completely so each layer bonds to the one before. This way you can make a helmet that's thick enough to hold together and don't have to make an inner mold (since there's no details we need there)
There's a great example video of this casting process here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bAU3NGI-ZDo) where he uses it to make a calf armor piece for Halo Spartan armor.
Just been reading some of your blog posts about your first Portal gun, fantastic work by the way. Just a question- I know you used wonderflex in the past and I was wondering what you used to harden/smooth it out. Apoxie sculpt seemed like it did the trick but what did you do to give it that glossy effect? Was it just the paint?
i better place orders to you than getting myself a truckload of disaster!!
you have the golden hand for such things!
Maybe try bumping the next one with the round side of a ball peen hammer, the foam should crush and clay will dent if its still malleable and make an authentic hammering texture for you.