Hi costume fanatics, I decided to update my Hellboy costume as I had done with my gargoyle costume. I’m a big costume/cosplay fan. So I wanted to bring my Hellboy to the next level.
There are still many areas that I want to improve still but the result so far is decent
I want to mention that my costume are always done cheaply by repurposing items and fabricating other items. This Hellboy cost around $250-$350 build

Supplies

Clothing-tan coloured overcoat(value village-$15)
-leather pants(Halloween store sale $30)
-black boots(ATV boots $25 value village)
-black gloves($5 VV)
-2 regular brown belts ($5 each at vv)
-small pouches ($5 each vv)
- thin brown woven belt ($5 vv)
Long black wig x2 ($5 each from vv)
Muscle shirt (you can make one like I did for my gargoyle, I found this pre made one for $10 at value village at Halloween)
Toy gun ($10 at discount store)
Small pieces of brown leather material
Various bits for decorating pouches
Wrist bracelets x 2 ($6 vv)
Several sheets of Eva foam ($10)
Glue gun
Dremel tool for sanding
Soldering gun or something to melt the Eva foam
Sandpaper ($5)
Red spray paint ($20)
Poly tubing ($10)
Foam sheet ($10)
Nylon string ($10)
Metal key rings ($2)
Face prosthetic materials- gelatin powder, glycerin, red liquid make up, water, mixing bowls, durabond 90 compound, plaster bandages, sealing spray and spray cooking oil ( approx $70)
Sculpting clay ($14 Michaels)
Yellow contact lenses ($25 Halloween store)

Step 1: The RHOD

This was done using the tutorial made by Odin Makes from YouTube. It is a superb tutorial that allows you to make an articulating puppet hand in the style of Hellboy’s RHOD. Your hand sits inside the palm and you pull on some key hoops with string that run up to the finger tips. When you pull the hoop the string pulls on the tip forcing the fingers to bend. The pipes in the fingers are cut into sections that allow them to bend.
Follow his directions and you’ll have a RHOD that looks just like this one. This one pictured is the updated version of what you see in the complete costume pics.
I just added some neon light stings into the RHOD so it lights up like it does in the movie when Hellboy’s RHOD starts to glow.

Step 2: The Face Prosthetic and Hair

This was a very long process but produces better results than just gluing some horn stubs on your head.
I first created a plaster life cast of my face using the plaster bandages. Poured plaster in the plaster bandages once removed and it created my face as a positive mold to sculpt upon. There are several tutorials on YouTube about this process. Once done you seal it with the sealer spray.
Sculpt your Hellboy on your life cast then make a negative mold of your sculpt with the durabond 90 compound making sure you have sprayed the clay sculpt with cooking oil so it will release from the mold.
I followed a tutorial on YouTube about making special effects gelatin to mix up the face prosthetic. I added some red liquid make up and poured it into my negative mold then pressed in life cast. Let it sit in the fridge or out in the cold for 10-20 minutes until set. Then carefully separate. You should now have a red Hellboy prosthetic!
I found some latex pointed ears that I painted with liquid make up. I attach them with pros-aid adhesive and blend in with liquid latex.
I cut the top out of a black wig for the hair. I used another black wig and cut out the chops and chin patch. I adhere these and the face prosthetic with pros aid adhesive. A little make up to blend and face and hair done.
The hair pics on the styrofoam head is new and not shown in the full costume pics. That was my prior wig. The updated wig should add extra volume and length with a bigger topknot.
I have done a new prosthetic. This time I used eco flex 00-20 from Smooth On. I mixed it up and poured into my mold and pressed my life cast into it. No mold release is needed for silicone. I did not have pigment to colour it during the pour so I coloured it with some makeup. I plan to do yet another silicone pour with pigment. I may even do a full head sculpt to create a full head silicone mask custom fit to my head. For now this one will do. I have added pics of the new prosthetic. It is very soft like real skin with great deal of movement unlike a stiff mask that is mass made.

Step 3: The Muscle Shirt, Gun, Tail and Belts

I found a red muscle shirt that worked almost as is for the body. An alternative would be to make a muscle shirt with carved foam and spandex on top of a shirt painted red.
I also found a toy gun that with some black and brown paint and some silver painted accents made a good version of the Samaritan!
I used two brown belts to hold a gun holster made from Eva foam and wrapped in brown leather. I used the woven belt as the thigh strap for the gun holster. I added the pouches, some plastic bullets, some beads and a cross made out of Eva foam as well as a horseshoe made from Eva foam.
The tail is a price of pipe insulation. I narrowed the end and used contact cement and it’s own glue to glue it together then painted it red. I glued the end to a piece of Eva foam and put a ring of Eva foam over it to strengthen the hold to the Eva piece. It can then be tucked into a belt. Then Eva plate is covered by the overcoat so just the tail is visible.

Step 4: Putting It All Together

Get dressed in the pants, boots and muscle shirt. Put in the yellow contact lenses. Put on a layer of pros aid adhesive on your face and forehead. Glue the prosthetic to your face pressing into place.
Use double sided tape and adhesive to attach hair pieces and wig. Fill in with make up. Put make up on your left hand then put on the black glove with the fingers cut off and the wrist bracelets.
Tuck tail into belt, then put on other belts.
Put on the overcoat and allow the tail to poke out the back of the coat. Put on the RHOD and become Hellboy!