I’m currently making a Barbarian Cosplay from Diablo III based on this beautiful art made by Wei Wang for Blizzard. I really love this design and those beautiful monster heads that hang from her Axe. So… why not to make one?
At the beginning I thought that I could carry both of them but the first head came out heavier than I expected so I decided to make only one.
Here you can see how I made it! Firt of all I must say that I learned the base of this techniche from 4 Ojos Studio, during a course that I did last year.
First stept: Sculpt!
For this project I used Wed Clay. I really like this kind of clay because you can work with it for a long time. It’s easy to keep it wet usuing a wet piece of cloth and a plastic bag to preserve the humidity while you are not working on it. It’s also cheap and really easy to sculpt with it! And the grey color is great to see the depth of your work. I used a base of paper attached with masking tape to get the basic volume and shape. Then I covered it with a uniform layer of clay and started giving it the monster shape. The reference image was not very clear at some points so I decided to make a similar design but not exactly the same.
Time to make the mold and the casting !
Once the sculpture was finished I made a mold using plaster (it’s really cheap and easy to use, althought it’s a bit messy) I reinforced it with sack cloth mixed with plaster to make a solid mold and prevent it from cracking. The fibers of the cloth made it stronger. Once the mold was completely dryed it was time to take out your sculpture from it and break it, of course :__) This usually happens when you unmold your clay sculpture but now you have a really beautiful mold ready to be filled with latex! 🙂
Before this step you should clean all the clay that remains in the mold. Try not to scratch your mold because you can lose some details. Be patient, clean it with a soft brush and a bit of water and let it dry. The mold must be completly dry before using the latex.
IMPORTANT: Never clean the tools or whatever with plaster in the sink. When plaster is mixed with water it becomes solid and it will spoil your pipelines.
For the casting I used liquid latex for the top coat and flexible polyurethane foam to get a fluffy finish. I used Flex Foam-It III from Smooth on. First I applied several layers of latex to get a thick skin and once it was dry I used the polyurethane foam to fill the mold. SAFETY FIRST: This materials are really toxic. It’s really important to use special gloves, a mask that protects you from fumes and toxic vapors (not the white cheap ones) and to work in a ventilated and safe area. You should read all the products information before using them, also it’s not safe to work with kids or pets around.
The horns were scupted with thibra and worbla. I made a base of tin foil to get the basic shape, then I covered it with worbla to make them firm and finally I added the details with thibra. The base of the horns ends in a tip, I made a hole in the latex to place them. To keep them in place I added a piece of wood at the back and I screwed it to both of the tips so the horns don’t move around 😀
Paint and details!
I used a paint brand called “La Pajarita” this is a spanish brand and I don’t know if it’s being sold in other countries. This kind of paint have a latex base so it’s flexible. Also it’s cheaper, and easier to apply than paints that are specific for latex. This is not the best type of paint that you can use for a project like this, but it worked fine for me.
First I applied a black coat and then I added volume and details to all the piece. This is one of my favorite parts of the process! ❤
When everything was done I sew a piece of synthetic fur to the edges of the latex and closed it in the back. And it was done!
Here you have a video where you can see some parts of the process speeded up. The most part of this project was made in lifestream at my twitch channel. Feel free to join me and see me working!
Also, If you want to support my work you can donate at my ko-fi, get prints and replicas at my Storenvy, or buy cute handmade jewelry at my Etsy ❤ ❤ Each penny counts and helps me to keep creating content and tutorials! 🙂
Hope this technique is useful for your projects! ❤
