The Topknot Build. New photos of torso life cast build. 05/07/2015

[NeXXt]

Absolutely incredible work! Crazy detalization and animatronic base.

 

[davidkraww]

this is radical!the face is awesome!

 

[eaglewood]

so freaking cool Jeff.

 

[ZombiXenoHunter]

This whole build in my opinion is far beyond hollywood quality my friend. Can't wait to see more progress!

 

[LunaticNic]

this is an incredibly awesome and inspiring build!!!! hope to see more updates soon!

 

[alphatech686]

Hey everyone thanks for all the nice comments. I'm still tring to get all the post that deal with this build on this post so here is the duct tape dummy build for the legs. Before I get into this I want to say I will be doing the upper torso with plaster bandages as a mold then lay up fiberglass in it. The duct tape route to me is more time consuming to get the best results. Here is the leg build. 

First off I want to say that you need to wear something tight fitting. I see people wearing loose fitting stuff then only putting one or two layers of tape on. You won't get a nice duplicate of your form like that. You wil get a duct tape bodysuit that looks bumpy and with no form.You want a solid shell to start with.
Here I am with some long johns getting ready for the taping.

The next thing I did was tear 6 to 8 inch strips and handed them to my wife to place on me. Don't start just wrapping yourself it will distort your form. I also used
2 different colors of tape so I could keep track of how my layers I had done. I ended up using 6 or 7 layers.
Sorry about the shirtless photo. It is all I have of the occasion plus I was getting very hot standing there.

Here is the shell cut off me and taped back together. It is holding the shape like I hoped.

Next I built this frame out of gas pipe and fittings.

Then I suspended the legs around the framework.

Then I filled it with expanding hard foam. I did it in several small batches.

Here is the final for that time. I sprayed with a coat of primer and I don't really remember why. As you know by looking at the previous post I ended up doing quite a bit more work to them to get them smooth. 

 

[made007]

Why sculpt a body?
You could have done a bodypaint lol
Youre almost as strong as me
No, not really
Im 5'7" 120pounds

 

[Predasaurus]

You know I did something very similar to that for my duct tape dummy of my body for my new predator suit. Although I'll do this next year, if you don't mind I will do something like how you made your dummy. But I gave mine a frame that looks like a giant T made out of PVC pipe. Then I put the dummy up on that. I just thought I'd share that because your's reminded me of mine. Sorry for hijacking your thread. Thanks


Eli

 

[alphatech686]

I hope ya'll aren't getting bored with these small updates. Every update usually represents a few hours of work. Yesterday I was really trying to get the left 
cheek done and matching the right. Here's what I got done.

Of course now that I have studied these pictures I can see there is more straightening to be done. The little horn on his left jaw is a little platter and the rear of the jaw is slightly flatter also. Back to work. I do still realize the paint will cover most of this up but I think if someone gets up close it will look pretty cool.

 

[kithunter]

Most detailed documented build EVER!!!...awesome thread,  I say you turn it into a book.

Costume Fabrication: A Journey

 

[Chasing Coyote]

as always alpha marvelous mate

 

[Lowdmekon]

A star top of the class buddy

 

[mydigitalvoid]

Wow, amazing thread and work!  I have a question about the skin details.  I am new to sculpting and am wondering how you go about getting the skin to look that way.  Do you use some sort of fabric and stamp the clay and then clean it up or do you do it 100% freehand?  Thank you!

 

[alphatech686]

Wow, amazing thread and work!  I have a question about the skin details.  I am new to sculpting and am wondering how you go about getting the skin to look that way.  Do you use some sort of fabric and stamp the clay and then clean it up or do you do it 100% freehand?  Thank you!

Yea I'm not much into stamps. I don't know how you would even begin to stamp such a bumpy surface. This was all freehand. Thanks for the comments.

 

[alphatech686]

Most detailed documented build EVER!!!...awesome thread,  I say you turn it into a book.

Costume Fabrication: A Journey

Hey Andrew thanks for checking now and again. This is my book. Thanks.

 

[alphatech686]

Thanks for the comments everyone and thanks for keeping up with this glacial slow build. After studying the above photos of the cheeks I realized there 
was just something that looked not right. I decided to spend some time on youtube again. I love watching sculpting videos about skin textures and such. I happened across a video with Don Lanning from Stan Winston studios explaining his "rule of x's" I think he called it. It helped me a lot. Last night and today I
went over all the texturing on the cheeks. I believe I can live with what I have now.

I still need I tiny bit of cleanup with the alcohol but that is about it for the cheeks at least.

 

[troggs]

I haven't been on here in a while,  this has come along a lot in that time, I've seen that Don Lanning vid myself and I think the "x" rule has really brought the cheeks to life. Great attention to detail as always.

 

[alphatech686]

I finished up the top of the nose area and around the eyes today.

 

[XilianX2010]

Truly amazing detail! Very beautiful work! I love how the spikes really merge into the skin rather than just stick in, very good!

 

[wonko]

Every time I look at this I think it can't get any better.  Then you post an update and prove me wrong.  I can not wait to see the animatronic rig in this thing.  Keep going Jeff, it's getting better all the time!

Brian