Bubblegum Crisis Cosplay WIP: The Lycan Knight Fan Art Digital fantasy & scifi art, custom art design, logos and tattoos by Karl A. Nordman

As promised the updates for the Bubblegum Crisis 2040 costume are here. The new images show a bit more of my work. Still a long way to go. Wish me luck! Take a look at what I have been up to this past few months. The costume is finally starting to look like the end product, though there is still much more to do.
Tiffany is modeling the costume parts for me to see where they need modifications. So far they fit very well and with some final tweaks to the overall fit, they will be prepped for the final run and painted. I am so close to polishing up on these, I can hardly wait to get 'em finished off.			As a side note, the zippers on the boots aren't working so well. So, I am going to scrap them to use stacked 2" elastic straps instead down the back. I am doing this is so it gives Tiff more flexibility in the ankles and allows the armor to adjust itself for a proper fit. FYI, with the modified shoes on, Tiff is 6 feet 3 inches tall. When the helmet is finished and she is in full costume, Tiff will be 6 feet 6 inches tall. That is exactly 2 Meters. (Including the helmet ears of course.)
	The Helmet has been a real engineering challenge. I wanted to have more in between shots, but when I am working, it is hard to stop and take photos. This is very rough as I am making crude progress to shape and form. The visor is all FUBAR and I will be remaking that for better visual and utility for Tiff to actually see out of it. Right now the visor is all wrecked from my impatience. Oh well, the new idea I have for it is much easier to work with.
	The Body armor is started and is very crude right now. Basic shapes and rough form from cardboard, celuclay and tubing. See the Multi Grain Cheerios box there. Now that is some rough fiber for you. FYI the backpack is made from Grape Nuts boxes. The battery pack is a simple cardboard tube with a soda bottle plastic cover and coffee creamer lids for caps. A battery powered light will fit inside for the proper lighting effect.
	The hip armor is also nearing completion. With some minor cosmetic tweaks left to go they are covered and coated ready for paint. The base blue tag will link to the body suit for a seamless fit for the back panels to merge. That portion is yet to be started... the $#*!@#& velcro closures for this aren't working out as well as planned. I will have to come up with a better solution... most likely snaps... we shall see.
	The thighs are now covered and sealed. They need fasteners with some finish paint and they will be done. The boots are also covered, also needing the zipper and fasteners. Almost done with these. With the shoes almost done too, I just need to add the elastic bands for them to snug to Tiff's feet. That is all that is left to go... also with some paint to finish the right look.
	The thighs are nearly completed and are ready for the last skin of cool foam. the boots are also taped and ready for their cool foam and last coat of magic clay. I also have to put on the ankle bubbles and they are cut and ready to be glued on. Zip bang... no sweat. Looking more like a costume now! Started on the armored panties too. Talk about a tough design. Ready for the last skin of cool foam too.
The thighs are far less complicated as far as building the base form. matching the knee socket for the boots was the hardest part... no sweat. Well re skinning the boots was a bear... but it is done and now to retape and finish off the smoothing process.			Making the design match the armor is easy here. Just making the parts line up is another matter entirely. So far so good. Zipping right along. Taking shape nicely!

Ahhh. Now that is looking better. After wrapping the shell to my satisfaction with the foam, I gave it a layer of Duck Tape to smooth it out some. The shoes are shaped with air dry clay and sanded to shape. I think that they are looking tons better and I am getting ready to fill in some dips and knock down the odd lump to make the boots smooth and even on the surface ready for the plastic sheeting.			The back seam will be closed with a zipper to make it a snug fit on Tiff's sexy stems. The filling process is being a daunting one and I am not looking forward to it. After I am done it will look absolutely great though. Time to buck up and just GET'ERDONE! Well on our way!

So far the Shoes are just foam and cardboard to make the structure of the boots. making the curvature has been a real booger to figure out. A simple pattern was required to make the correct arch. So I made one to fit and bang off I go. Cardboard was the best solution for rigidity and shape. It made for a good skeletal arch.			the boots are just foam over the dress form. The shoes slipped into the joint and now it is glue patches of foam to join them together. match up the cardboard and secure it too. I can't help feeling that it looks like a freakin' clown suit right now...

Making a dress form for the costume is critical, so Tiffany and I made a packaging paper form of her long stems to start. I coated the paper with celuclay to make it more rigid. Then I molded the feet to slip onto a cover joint in the leg form. This allows them to slip on and off easily while being able to support the leg form weight. From this point I am ready to begin the costume.		The high heeled shoes posed a real challenge. They weren't near tall enough so I had to extended the heels by an additional 4 inches. I used an old fence post that I had from re-landscaping the front yard. I cut and carved the wood to shape. I secured them with epoxy to the shoes for a secure and level fit. I heat shrunk used water bottles to help secure the back heels. The new height is now 7.5 inches.
Copyrighted © 2009 Karl A. Nordman, The Lycan Knight.