Darcy Waters

A piece I did trying out a lighting technique to make a background appear black.
The character is a Jester with a twist.
The costume was purchased from Jesters Costume Hire which has just closed down.

Twist Jester 30 -11-2023 by krazydarcy on DeviantArt

On the way to Work this morning.

The world of wearable arts sign on the waterfront.

Steel helmet
https://www.deviantart.com/krazydarcy/art/974115975

Finally posted a new piece over at Deviant Art.

steel mask by krazydarcy on DeviantArt

As a Pig slave from Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks story from Dr Who.
Mask base layer is fabric, front half is wire mesh sewn to the base fabric. This mesh is covered in foam-clay and the whole mask head coated in multiple layers of latex.
Worn both days at Wellington's armageddon (April 22-23 2023).

Been blobbing over the past week getting some board gaming in - why? 'Cos play matters and only got small but important progress on an av project I've had on the side for the past year.
In fact play is something many adults think is only for children, but they are wrong. Modern boardgames such as Architects of the west kingdom, Wingspan, Viticulture etc usually require exercising your brain while having fun. Cosplay often (but not allways) involves construction of a costume (like I do for each armageddon event I go to). Even adults can dress up like their favourite superhero or TV star and wander around at a convention such as the Armageddon expos held in New Zealand .
Even video games can be a temporary interactive escape from reality.
Many of the above mentioned activities involve some sort of problem solving - exercising the brain (unlike passively watching TV or sports).

Been to the annual sale

WIP
Pigs head mask. Planning to go to Wellington's armageddon as a pig slave (from Dr Who - Daleks in Manhattan/ evolution of the Daleks)
Front part of head is Latex coated foam clay over wire mesh, fabric lining and neck/head rear.

Not final colour. Work in progress

Waitangi day - stat day off at my day job So.....

Got a bit tied up with costuming today. Started about 9am with cutting fabric and making a relativly modern straitjacket.
(I know my arms are not through the loops - can-t take it off ,myself otherwise (I'm not Houdini).

Used the same pattern for the canvas as I developed when I, made the lace-up straitjacket back in 2020.

My "new" Santa suit ( i made last year) has survived another Christmas

Mask I made mid year.

This was used as referance for some of the drawings in a project I have been working on for quite a few months.
Only the exterior was made.
The concept was of a mask permanently attached to the face with a sustenance tube running through the hose and down inside the throat. Breathing tube also goes down the throat. Neither these two tubes or the concept could be done safely so used a blank face mask, built and mounted the external part to that. The mask is simply strapped on with elastic.
Due to the hose and the hole in the mounting, and the hole in the face mask where its mounted, breathing is not impacted.

Well...
That's another over with.

Pictured in my costume after getting home.

Making a mask like Hans wears in the Camp Happy trails scenario in the boardgame Final Girl.
Working off the illustrations in the role sheets for the character and scenario.
Bit improv'd instead of proper pattern making. Will need some filler to both deal with gaps and to simulate wields.
Hans mask was a steel pigs head.

(Making one from leather would be easier which is in the costuming project que)

The latest drawing in a series I'm doing for an a/v based project.

Costume Cave on Wakefield St had their annual ex-rental sale today. Popped over during my lunch break and got a hooded Cape and a helmet. I think I need to make a staff to go with it a staff appropriate to me.

Costume and pose Referance shots for a pile of drawings I need to do for one of my projects.

Used up my expired Fuji instax film (Bb may 2021). Surprised how well the film worked although it had been kept in the fridge.
Three shots came out blurry as I was using desk lamp as the light as onboard flash is small and no external flash connection on the instax camera.

"It's alive"

New printer. Kitset assembled. Extruder feed k**b about finished printing.

Took less time to assemble, level bed and print this k**b than my old printer took to get first successful print.

Finally, did another piece.
Its a mashup of two common things in horror movies
Warning: contains a clown

https://www.deviantart.com/krazydarcy/art/Butcher-clown-7-5-2022-915331127

Some intiresting fabric I found yesterday. At the Fabric Store Garret st (off Cuba st) in Wellington. Pre-shrunk. It was in their remnants rack.

Liking the industrial look to it. Cutting out pieces for an appropriately industrial looking garment

More exploring the advantages of wireless speedlights.
https://www.deviantart.com/krazydarcy/art/Stump-28-2-2022-908355349

This piece inspired by the Swedish smock and pants I was wearing.
Great being able to remotely adjust the flash units from at the camera, this meant I could constantly adjust the flash powers (using them on manual mode).

Stump-28-2-2022 by krazydarcy on DeviantArt

Catching up on scanning and cataloging the drawings I did during my summer holiday.
Half of them were done on black paper with white Faber Castell Pitt pen.

View outside the front door this morning

Managed to have another play with fibreglaas casting tape...

This time I covered my head in ribbing fabric and then bandaged the front half of my head in the fibreglaas casting tape.
Once the first two layers had set, I could remove it and apply more to visually tidy it up.

So far it appears to have a good strength to weight ratio.
It's only disadvantage is it's normally $10nzd for a 3.5m roll.
I used two rolls for this. If I was using it on something else that was ready for the tape, then I could have used 1.5 rolls and use the remainder on the other thing as once a roll is open you only have 10-15 minutes to use it.
Due to the ambient humidity, I didn't dip it in water to activate the impregnated resin.

Pigs head mask finished.

Used vynal as the skin, a fabric called ribbing as the lining.
Home made tag (Jean button and milk bottle plastic.
At back of head, used some string for cosmetic stitching to look like its sewn closed the split from being eeled off the pigs head.

Paper mock up for a mask I'm making.
Easiest way to devise the pattern.
Paper assembled over dummy head. Cutting lines marked.
When cut out, this will form the fabric pattern.
Lining will be cut and assembled first as will be easier to work with than the outer layer

A package dispatched from a company in Whanganui on Monday, arrived today.
It was some stuff I want to try for suitability for use in fabricating costume props.
Hopefully get to try a bit in the weekend if the weather is not too humid or hot.

Crude wire-frame of my head.

Exploring some construction techniques.

The fake miners helmet prop I made today.
Functional.
Body of the torch modified to be the switch and battery housing.
Torch head mounted with a tilt able bracket I fabricated.
The focusing function of the torch head still works.
(I brought a French police helmet Saturday and a second Sunday so I have one unmodified and one I modified - this one)

Costume prop I made today.

Miners helmet made from a plastic French police helmet and an old ever ready torch. Both of which were already scratched and dinged. (Just right for this prop).

Torch body is battery holder with acrylic/tin top & switch housing.
Lamp head is the top from the torch on a mounting I fabricated from tin.

Don't you just love "one size fits most" off the shelf costumes?

Got hold of a "Squid Games" coveralls- usual story with one size fits most. Only problem being they were not made for someone 185 or so cm tall.
Probably Asean sizing.
Normally with one size fits most, it's the chest and stomach that's the problem for me given I'm tall.
Luckily I had matching fabric lying around from when I made the "V" alean uniform for Armageddon a few years ago.
As I dismantled the costume to add fabric, I was plesantly surprised at the quality of the stitching on it given it was not expensive.

I laid a pair of military coveralls on the floor to help gauge how much to add. Its WiP.
(Wonder if I can get away with wearing it at work Thursday given I'm doing the xmas decorating this week and there is a promo Thursday in which the color would be appropriate)

Now it's easier to send Darcy Waters a message.