maleficent reworking

Okay so I am much better able to plan but I still have fatigue and my RA which means I cannot do everything I want. So in the lead up to the Sickening Ball and Armageddon I need a few twofer wins.

And that means working on my Maleficent horns, which were last left as a digitised form of my full head with sculpt. Well I have gone back to that and I am hoping to in fact get an app to take my headcast to make a proper digital form to sculpt on. Slight issue is that is is so much easier to use symmetry to build up evenly when a human head really isn’t.

So I now have blender back and it’s much easier to use though the UI has changed enough that help is no longer helpful, but it does have a boolean modifier which means I should be able to use this work with a cleaned and tidied 3d model of my head.

So I have downloaded an app to hopefully get a decent model.

There is another that is free but requires credits to export some models, though no real explanation if obj is one of the file types.

So.

Working backwards:

What do I want to do in terms of paint? Well I will want something that will bond to the surface so that means the print needs to be in ABS not PLA.

So ABS also allows me to make the print more stable by careful use of acetone and it allows for a very low density fill with a solid skin.

ABS can also be heated to take on a subtle new curve.

Then I need to find where I need to slice the model- in order to make best use of the layering in an extrusion print. And to fit within the physical limits of printers. The horns are easy, the base is going to be tricky. Did I mention it’s going to be in three parts like the original?

While not needed in this headdress the holes in the base are there for a purpose as are the teeth (like a comb) at the front.

Anyway, I have the Christening Gown still in two pieces (train and gown) so once I finally get myself somewhere where I can test some Kryolan TV Stick I will indeed have a full costume and will then also be able to finish my sickening gown.My skin is fussy beyond words. It basically means I am fairly stuck with one moisturiser, one cleanser, and they do not play nicely with makeup. But I can get TV Stick to work, go figure. So I need to match my skin. Ahahahahahahaha! But I think I do know the tint I just need to try some on my face with my full skin care routine. Which apparently now will include Murala oil as the one and only oil I have ever tried that my skin will absorb. Everything else ever sits on my skin and wanders off. This doesn’t. It’s very exciting.

Yes the two costumes are related, I hope.

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Instagram catch up

 

My Take A Breather costume- A remake of my Jem dress 🙂 The belt and shoes were still fine but I also have a glorious new wig. So it needs a really glam dress.

And Ahsoka belt and bracers. I now have the belt wet forming on a dressform.

The horns separated in temperature change, the plastic went up and the clay went down. This necessitated getting the horns able to be worked on more easily and able to be tidied away.

Take the seat off a stool and replace it with the sculpting surface. Perfect height for sitting at 🙂

My back lekku is a little short and the front sit too close so I also had to change how I worked with her.

So I put my old head cast on a dress form. Her neck is so short because I was aligning bust and chin. My shoulders sit much lower and my neck is rather long. This may help exlpain how much work I need to do on patterns to fit them! And why dress forms are rarely helpful.

This is a waratah. It is not supposed to be a standard (long skinny trunk and ball shaped top.) But that is what we have. Also the bottle brush at the back is not a single tree but is doing what the waratah was supposed to.

Finally some of the ducks are back. This one taps on my door for food. And then goes to the other end of the drive to the house to ask for more.

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Today’s plans

There is a mix of street works and digging of property happening so my head is a little unhappy. But I have Maleficent, Elsa, Elissa and Ahsoka to choose from. Or Mina.

Maley and Ahsoka are in the workroom, both are safe in terms of tools and materials so technically I could make use of the patchy sun for Ahsoka.

Maley is at the stage I need to possibly use my dremmel to kick back some of the plastic support as I think I need to scoop out and move some clay from near the base- I think that is what is making my horns curve too much.

Mina needs her bodice internal support tested. The form she was made on now obviously won’t fit as I have padding inside. Also very nervous about my ribs. This bodice is built like a corset. With hip gores and everything. Still I need to try it on.

Elissa would be sitting on the floor sewing the last few jewels then basting the skirt to ruffles. Much as I really need that skirt support for the Wishing Dress and for The Mina I think I should keep it just for Elissa.

Oh speaking of which. I decided to test my voice. And it really is true- somehow trained singers can sing better with a chesty cough than normally. I am not sure how but I found my voice sitting really well. So well my pitch was more stable than it has been in the past. So my pitchy pals- you can do it- take teachers advice but also sing for yourself and enjoy it as much as possible, record yourself and play back just to yourself to get used to how your voice sounds outside and love it at every stage. Love your voice, only you sound like you. Also often it really is less about not being on note but about support and placement. It really is.  And of course that relies on stable core support so when that slips the note slips. It may take time but that muscle memory will lay down. I wish I’d really understood that as a teen.

I was in a group recording (not sure what) and I heard myself. I was asked how I could in amongst all those voices- it’s because I have listened to my voice on tape day after day for years. And so I know what it sounds like even in a mix. Also I tend to be able to pick up the training-my vibrato and when it turns to bleating. Funnily enough it actually works really well when I place my voice higher I sound like a few musical theatre singers when I do that. Still too nervous to ever pull that in an audition. Though I did once at my perf. arts. school. Did well. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..

Maybe I just need to embrace the twee?

But I also had trouble because all the mics I have blow out no matter how far from them I am. Had luck placing my hand over but not touching my phone. Protected the mic. Unfortunately in that recording I did miss a note so I’m just going to remember what I did then see if I can get something out there.

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welp I was wrong!

So after finding the short cuts to delete selections and delete inverted selection I did isolate my horns in ReMake and I did then manage to get them into Sculptris and have been smoothing and pinching and generally finding it really pleasant. Intuitive I think.

Just have to remember that there is a limited number of times you can undo!

 

 

The brush is also cool, I need to see if I can change the shape not just size but the pinching, crease, and smoothing tool have done so much already!

And yes, I am building this as a symmetric piece so it may need care when I print- but I am inflating the base so that should give enough room to put in a foam layer for comfort.

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maley horns scan might work

I have been using @Autodesk @AutodeskReMake for a while. Just the free version while I practice how to photograph my models. I think I finally cracked it, and it’s almost certainly going to offer great results once I pay for the subscription and can send 250 photos not just 50 😉

 

So my very first test.

I can’t find my photos but basically I started with the head cast a little way from my far workroom corner and took photos with it stationary.

 

Looking at the model put out through different angles:

So here you can see the rest of the room was partially captured but the sculpt is well defined.

Isolating the sculpt and it’s even captured all the clay shavings! Just a few lumps in the horns but otherwise I’m impressed.

However I was not really able to get close enough in all angles around my sculpt to get decent shots of the underside of the horns.

 

So I watched a few more tutorials and a few suggested rotating the object rather than standing up and lying down to get angles otherwise difficult.

This was in the same place as before. The doorhandle looks mildly terrifying…

Still on the same stand and this time against a wall in better light. Well I have bricks!

So I painted the horns pink! And put them on a tall stand to really isolate them. Again the horns disappear and there is a great view of the wall.

 

Okay so obviously this sculpt needs to be static not moved around. I realised the back deck is often protected from harsh sunlight but offers good light bouncing from many surfaces. So to the deck with my pink horns on a spike and finally got this:

  

Lots of background but the horns are easy to isolate.

So finally some of the ridge detail is captured! But still quite lumpy.

 

Each model used the 50 photo limit. I do think with 250 photos I’ll be able to get all the detail needed.

 

So for a sculpt like this, of complexity of line:

Do make sure the model is static. Do not rotate it for different angles, move yourself around instead.

Get it at a height where you can get images from underneath as well as on top and all around (for me this is about knee to waist high)

Get some photos with the full area around you as that will help isolate the model and put it in context.

Get some mid distance images.

 

Once those are done you can get in close. I have to reset where my camera focuses because I got a few where the point was on the deck.

 

But yes. I’m going to set up a few sculpts outside so I can digitise a good number of them. Shae for one, old Maley horns for another. And I’ll melt some clay and pour into some other molds to capture them as well 🙂 I think with one month Subscription I can get a reasonable number captured. Heck I will even capture my Togruta horns for in case I have to move and my molds have to go bye bye. I may have someone who could take them on but I’m not 100% sure.

 

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this year, the reproductions

It’s at LACMA. It was being restored for display in a travelling exhibit but I’ve not been able to figure out where/when. But LACMA is a place I’ve wanted to go for a long time. The blue satin mantua is one reason 🙂

Anyway, lots of room for interpretation based on patterning in the 1930s, Adrian and his desire to be historic, and the really not at all 1930s or 1770s patterning. The bodice is glorious. It’s ideal for my figure as it has delves into late 19thC darting. This will have to be patterned on my calico covered stand as the bust is closer to what I need than my other forms. Also the stand is able to be made as tall as me (neither dressmaker stands do and I ask myself how on earth my friends in the US deal as I’m pretty short at 5’6″!

 

Oh look, another Shearer gown. There *maaay* be a folder just for her 😉 Thi s is the Upstage gown. But well the front is not exactly flattering* so I’m also taking from The Magic Flame and using the front of Vilma Bankey’s gown- to the right. If there is enough velvet who knows…

Actually there should be. The velvet was going to be for the maleficent battle robe but I have the main gown nearly finished again 🙂

But this gown is more achievable for my hands than the Sunburst so I’m moving my Feelz to this to make it work. There are challenges in this that will push but not punish. So say hello to the newest/last embroidery project 🙂

(Suddenly WP won’t let me upload an image- it’s the insert media window- I can upload via the upload page- wanted to add Maleficent here..)

My work on the horns is nearly done. The 3D scanning app works, and I may be able to get sculptris to work on adding nice texture. Okay hand warming day then sculpting tomorrow.)

Cunning plan for the epic hoops is to use plumbers coil, tapes, and felt as a brushbraid type deal. Okay, time to rescue the felt that was tossed…

And finally:

This one is really doing my head in but I have a test in foam that looks really good. It’s translating what works nicely on my cutting board into what looks good in reality! Also I’m not sure I can afford 50lbs of leather, that is many many many skins. But boy is this pretty!

And finally tidy the Mina. Just made the few extra leaves to hide the hook and eye closure of the bodice but it was rough so just need to get some more ribbon. Lots of firm cotton twill tape has been purchased to bind the seams and reduce the stretch of the cotton while being worn. There will be a waist stay as well. The rip stop cotton is very firm and so far is holding shape 🙂

New petticoat or skirt lining, not sure what to do. But the pleats are sewn in so many rows that the stitching can get caught so they need to be protected.

Oh yes! Ahsoka!

Cunning plan for casting the montral has worked!!! In fact so well that the few wonky bits are frustratingly there and not worth fixing. But I have latex to do this in the next few days 🙂

Spent far too long on the pc today to actually do anything. Time to get a hot water bottle for my hands and rest.

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sigh of relief

(shown on my battle Maleficent horn base)
This is now available for a very short time- there was a very lucky find in the warehouse as this has not been made for a few years now
What is on the site is the very last left anywhere in the world.

Please be aware the pigment is totally inert, is non-toxic but may not be easily shipped overseas. The size is actually the same as you can buy in any art store, so they fit in the hand 🙂 This is a staggeringly beautiful pigment that mimics natural shifting colours on beetles wings and mixes into any medium.

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