| To make delicate accessories, the most important part | | | | under the paint. |
| is to select the proper materials. It's commonsense to | | | | Upholstery/Craft Foam: Foam is a good selection if |
| use foam or plastic to make your stuff light, and use | | | | you need your props to be light and flexible. Upholstery |
| fiberglass or metal to make it tough. Wander around | | | | foam could be found in a fabric store, or in an |
| your home for things suitable and proper for your | | | | upholstery repair shop. It comes in thick blocks and can |
| props. There is no strict rule on objects made by | | | | be carved and shaped to whatever you need, then |
| certain materials, but only free mind in looking for the | | | | covered with fabric. It can make perfect armor, esp. |
| most ideal raw material to make the most vivid | | | | the knee pads. Another foam is craft foam, which is |
| costumes. | | | | available at craft stores and shaped in thin sheets in |
| MATERIALS | | | | different colors. You can cut it into various shapes and |
| Polymer clay: there are two popular brand-FIMO and | | | | attach or sew it on. In some specific situation, you can |
| SCULPEY, which is nice choice for accessories and | | | | use it to decorate surface on you items, or make |
| jewellery. They're easy to manage, quick dry and sold | | | | great armor coated with sheet plastic or strengthen |
| in various colors. Only problem is things made by them | | | | with glue. |
| could be a little bit heavy. | | | | Skills |
| Foam core: foam core is kind of a craft board, which | | | | Sanding: use a coarse grit sandpaper(50) to remove |
| consist of stiff foam come in between several layers | | | | large lumps. To make porcelain effect, start with |
| of cards. You can find it in any art supply store, and | | | | medium grit sandpaper, 80 or 100 will be ok. Then sand |
| use it as a base to build papier-mâché. | | | | it with fine grit, 300 or 400. Work it in different steps |
| Technically, it isn't strong enough to build hard object. It's | | | | and you can boldly use finer grits. |
| best use is to strengthen large pieces with two or | | | | Painting: first is to make sure the surface is smooth. |
| three layers. Foam core can be cut with knife and | | | | Until the surface is nice and fine, you cannot paint it |
| scissors easily, and be carved to some extent once | | | | evenly. Use fine sand paper to make it smooth. When |
| you replace the paper surface. | | | | paint the props, you can choose acrylics, for they are |
| Papier-mâché: it's a inexpensive and | | | | quick-drying, easy to handle, waterproof and can be |
| extremely light material. You can pulp or strip with this | | | | cleaned up with soap and water. |
| kind of stuff. You may be familiar with the strip | | | | Glue: although there are many glue available, choosing |
| way-simply rip it up into strips according to what you | | | | the right one for your need is crucial. The underlying |
| need, then moisturize and color it, attach it where you | | | | theory is that 5-minute epoxy comes in two tubes and |
| need. There's one little tip: shape something into what | | | | you mix it together to make it work. It's strong and |
| you want, and then cover it with | | | | versatile for most needs, but isn't flexible when dry, the |
| papier-mâché. | | | | same as Superglue. To deal with flexible materials like |
| Pulping is another method to form different shapes. But | | | | leather and attaching boot covers, shoemaker's glue, |
| it cost time and it's really troublesome if you've tried, | | | | available at shoe repair places, is extremely apt, but |
| although things made by this way is vivid and adorable. | | | | when used in a well-ventilated area, it gives off |
| Paper clay: it's a alternative to Fimo or Sculpey. The | | | | hazardous fumes. For attaching things that don't fit |
| make process is same as before, shape, dry, sand | | | | perfectly, 2-part epoxy putty is helpful because it fills in |
| and paint. The prior advantage with paper clay is it can | | | | the gaps and can be filed and painted. If you want to |
| provide smooth effect after finished. Be advised that | | | | glue plastic, there are special glues available at hobby |
| paper clay shrinks as it dries, so unless the piece has | | | | stores that can heat and fuse the plastic together. Of |
| room to shrink, seams on it will appear. These can be | | | | course there's old fashion hot-glue--it's invaluable for |
| fixed up with more clay. | | | | last-minute repairs, but normal hot-glue is vulnerable on |
| Plaster strip: it is kind of strips made of open-weave | | | | durability because it will melt in summer heat and often |
| fabric covered in plaster, water-reacted. it can be fast | | | | falls off completely. While not working well on smooth |
| to set it, but it takes lots of time---at least a day, to dry | | | | surfaces like metal, hot-glue works fabulously on foam |
| it thoroughly. This material is the ideal one for making | | | | and other porous materials, however, you want to |
| body model for its feature, but be sure to move the | | | | make sure to get a high-temperature glue gun and |
| model off the person before it gets too hard for | | | | hi-temp glue. The hi-temp glue is much more durable, |
| scissors. The cast could be extremely strong, but too | | | | but watch out when it is VERY hot as it can burn |
| much heavy if you apply several layers. Remember it | | | | yourself badly. |
| can't be easily sanded to make it smooth, because | | | | Finishing Tricks: There are many ways to make your |
| plaster strip is based on loose-weave fabric. If you | | | | piece look more professional. The truth is that most |
| want to make it nice and glossy, you can apply other | | | | crafting materials, even made into the right shape, still |
| material such as polyfilla or spackling compound and | | | | just look like crafting materials. A necklace made out |
| sand that layer smooth. | | | | of gold FIMO will look like a FIMO one, but not a gold |
| There's other caution about working with plaster. | | | | one. Fortunately, means are available to avoid this. |
| Because the plaster hardens gradually, you may have | | | | An important step, especially for metallic surfaces, is |
| to use a rubber bowl to mix it. When it hardens while | | | | breakdown. This term refers to stressing or |
| you're busy working with it, just squeeze it a bit to | | | | emphasizing the surface details of a piece. The |
| remove the dried plaster. | | | | easiest way to do this is to apply a thin wash of dark |
| Plastic: | | | | brown, black or blue paint. It will run into the recessed |
| If possible, you can choose a latest product called | | | | areas, creating artificial shadows. This gives the piece |
| Wonderflex, which is like thermoplastics but becomes | | | | dimension and makes it more realistic. |
| pliable at a lower temperature. The most | | | | To gain more control of your piece, you can manually |
| advantageous and healthy feature is you can use it | | | | paint in the shadows and highlight some parts. Doing |
| with your own hands without being contaminated by | | | | this, you can completely customize the look of the |
| poisonous chemical substances. | | | | piece and change a flat, boring piece of clay or plaster |
| Same, there's another new material called Friendly | | | | into a shiny and three-dimensional one. Even something |
| Plastic. It becomes malleable in hot water and can be | | | | of right color, like FIMO, can benefit from these artificial |
| managed by bare hands, which is best companion for | | | | shadows and highlighting. |
| Wonderflex and for sculpting small items. | | | | Once the painting is all done, give the finished piece a |
| Styrofoam: it's a quick and easy based material to build | | | | couple coats of clear spraying lacquer (available at |
| pieces, but it requires some preparation before painting. | | | | hardware stores, in the paint section). Glossy lacquer is |
| If you just spray the hue on the surface of Styrofoam, | | | | the most durable lacquer, but if you want your oiece to |
| or use brush on it, you'll soon find it dissolved. So the | | | | be matte, then apply a layer of gloss for protection |
| best solution is to cover it in gesso, acrylic or latex | | | | and then a layer of matte lacquer on top. Make sure |
| paint. Even a small gap in between the coverage and | | | | to let each layer dry completely before adding another |
| the surface could lead to a big mess as it'll dissolve | | | | one. |