Trading Faces...A Hulk mask love story

So back about a year ago, I started sculpting the mask for this little project I've been working on *cough* FOR FOUR YEARS *cough*.  Some big green character with "astounding anger management issues".

Here's how it looked back then:

This was July 2011, after The Avengers had been announced, but before we knew who the line up was and definitely before promotional photos.

Well life started up and things got in the way. This little puppy sat in my studio, wrapped in an air tight box...and collected dust. I just felt like there were more important parts of the project to get underway.  I guess that's one thing I've learned is that when a project wears you out, you have to move to another part that inspires you. That being said, there's a fine line between keeping going by changing things up...and being completely ADD and flitting about like a horsefly.

Anywhoo... about two weeks before we left for my wife's 20th high-school reunion, I started back on the sculpt, having decided to make it look like the 2012 Avengers/Ruffalo Hulk.  Here's the result:

You'll notice a few changes. The sides of the jaw have been widened and the nose has been "toughened up", which basically means bent down and flattened. I don't know if it was to have more of a prize-fighter look or if it's because he's supposed to look he's taken repeated slams to the nose, but the Ruffalo Hulk looks MEAN.  And I like it!  I also brought out the forehead and opened up the mouth, since it's going to have to open and close when I/he speaks.  I'd say this took at least 8 hours of work just for the update.

Let me know how you think it's coming. Hope you enjoy this.

All's Well that Ends in Laziness pt. 2

Before I leave on the trip (we're staying on the party floor for my wife's 20th high school reunion. Shoot me now.)... I thought I'd also show you one of the props I made for the Malekith costume that never made it to Dragon*Con 2011.


BEHOLD, THE CASKET OF ANCIENT WINTERS!  (well actually don't behold yet.)

First, a little Marvel Comics knowledge dropped on yo ass.

http://marvel.com/universe/Casket_of_Ancient_Winters

Second, a few ref photos:
 

And now sitting in our parlor....




 


So how did I make it?

Well I found a wooden box at Hobby Lobby and stained it. Then I mapped out all the pieces that looked like gold on the outside of the box and cut them out of 6mm foamies. Painted them with gold puff paint and superglued them to the wood. The rivets are just wooden pieces I found on the wood aisle.

Hope you like it! Would you have done anything differently?  Made anything similar yourself? TELL ME about it below!

All's Well that Ends in Laziness pt. 1

So last year I was supposed to be a part of the Asgardian photoshoot at Dragon*Con.  I'm assuming that 85% of the people reading this will know (and love) the costume convention I'm referring to. For the other 15%, it's a comic-book convention mixed with nerd prom wrapped in fetish ball, and the weirdest, most fun brain hallucination you can have (legally).

Always enjoying the more obscure characters, I chose one named Malekith. I sort of knew about him before I did the research, but once I did...I really started digging the dude. He's like 10x the badassness of Loki without all that silly gender switching and trickster coyness. Just evil.  I decided to do a mixture of the comic-style portrayal and the equally wicked television (Earth's Mightiest Heroes *sob* *sob*) version. Of course I couldn't help but put my own mark on it.

Comic
 

Television



So the first thing I did was buy the liquid makeup that I was going to use for the various parts.

I painted a pair of Dr. Manhattan gloves in the respective colors.



Then I got the CFX Imp prosthetic which I thought had a real dark elf look to it...and painted it as well.  (The flesh colored parts are the back curling up)




Found the appropriate wig... Nice fibers and the appropriate amount of curl and rocker to it.



Bought some elf ears and painted them too...




Then bought a Romanian army satchel and spraypainted it gold.




The very next day I got the colored contacts appropriate to the eyes they drew in the tv animation.



I ended up using a really nice faux leather for the war skirt, some old knee pads for the shoulder armor and spandex for the rest of the costume.  I don't have pics of me wearing the whole thing..but that's coming.


When I get home from my wife's 20th high sckool Reunion in Johnson City, TN (gooooo Toppers! (yeah, weird ass mascot: a guy in a top hat. that's the whole thing?!)) ... I'll take some pictures of the finished costume.

Let me know what you think of the costume! Good, bad or indifferent...it's fun to talk about it!

There's NEVER been a blog this tWisTed!

If you're reading this, then either you've made some completely terrible life choices or you're the kind of demented individual who enjoys creating works of art and feats of engineering. The kind of stuff that ends with sweat on your shirt and a smile on your face...and people saying "Hey, that's pretty cool."

My name is Alfred D. Norris, III, Esq. and I like to build costumes, paint on canvas, create special effects, design photography shoots and engineer mechanical/electrical wonders.

Thanks for twisting your way through the intarwebz to what I hope you'll find is a useful resource for the videos, walkthroughs, materials, tools, reviews, and feedback to make an amazing array of projects come alive. (It's alive! It's alive! *laughs maniacally*)

In any event, the name of the blog shall be your constant warning: I'm sick and twisted. Don't let the Southern accent fool you...I'm liable to type or post something NSFW at the drop of a hat.

Did we get that pesky "getting to know you" period out of the way? GOOD. 

Now let's build something!