Big Suits/Mascot Costumes

>>9397261
No plans to at the moment.

While fun to wear, it's a lot of effort and takes up space. Plus I wasn't good at keeping things cool while wearing them, besides taking breaks and staying hydrated, and honestly I always forget to build a proper ventilation in those sort of costumes.

>big Gengar Costume
Did you look up how Adam made the Totoro cosplay on Tested? It's worth checking out, it kinda gave me some insight to alternative methods where I don't have access to giant vacuum/heat molds.

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This is what I came up to. A 6 foot tall, 4.5 foot wide Gengar with the same concept as Adam Savage's Totoro Suit
https://youtu.be/L9O3KWrvxKA
But with a mechanism on arms and legs

>>9397281
Yes, I did, but I'm sure I'm missing some details.
I'm not sure on how to manipulate the arms, the only thing I know, It's that it's going to be a puppet or something, like those mechanic arms, but just with the elbow

>>9397284
>>9397288
Ahh cool cool!

For the arms... I'm just remembering what I did for my Domo-kun costume where I found the arms too long for me to reach to the "arm nubs". So what I did was stuffed the hands, and added sticks so when I held the other end of the stick, it would be the "elbow" of the arm since that's all I could reach for. It worked, a bit wonky but by george it worked.

>>9397295
I didn't quite understand, do you have a video or a photo?

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reminds me of this snorlax i recently saw (theres a person in there somehow)

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>>9397261
I'm working on Carmelita Fox costume

>>9397522
Any WIPs?

>>9397545
http://imgur.com/a/yMzgv
It's in early stage though, I've only just started working on it.

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>>9397322
Sorry about that, I posted that just before bed and likely sounded confusing then.

Here's a picture that will hopefully clear up anything, and excuse me that I couldn't find a better picture to work off from.

So what I meant to say is, at the arm socket of the costume was where my elbow was, and my hands acted like the "elbow" in the costume arm. And the best solution I came up with, since using a stick alone was hard (it left indentations outside the costume from poking), was making a case with stuffing in it and had the stick pitch up the stuffed case. So the pointed end of the stick was soften, and I ended up with these stuffed clubs in each arm to function as an extension to my arms.

Probably could work the same if I stuffed some socks and slipped it onto the stick, and tied the socks on then, but this way it was easy for me to fetch the stick in mid-air inside the arm, rather than to fish for it. If it wasn't for the sticks, the arms would've been too noodley for me to manipulate, especially since the arms aren't that short.

I'll clarify anything, this method I came up with I feel is kinda primary but hope it inspires you for your Gengar arms.

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I have a question, does this outfit look kind of like a fursuit or something? Because I've got a commissioner making the mask for me and I'm not sure if I want to go full suit, only if I know exactly what it could be.

>>9397261
I'm currently working on a Reinhardt costume, but it's my first time ever working with anything more than cardboard.

It's not great, but at least you can recognize who it's supposed to be.

>>9398331
Just take it slow and don't expect perfection. No amount of research can make up for experience.

To answer the OP, I've made a mascot-style suit of a certain Pokemon. It wasn't phenomenal, but people seemed to like it and I got a lot of picture requests, to the point where I would take the suit off if I needed to get somewhere in a timely manner.

Ventilation is super important, and it's something that I didn't take as seriously as I needed to. As a result, I could only wear it indoors for about 20-30 minutes before having to take a break. And I would always be completely drenched in sweat by the end.

Being in an an anonymizing suit for the majority of the convention lends itself to a different type of con experience. I thought it was really enjoyable.

>>9398358
Same anon here, I forgot to answer your question about Gengar.

This is very different from what a lot of people would do, but I would create the base ovular shape using chicken wire. After that's shaped and sized properly, cover the wire with loft batting, similarly to how Savage did with Totoro.

Following this, you can make his details (such as the spikes, arms, legs) using upholstery foam. Cut out holes inside the body where the arms go so that you can stretch your own arms in order to move Gengar's arms. If you can't reach Gengar's arms due to the costume being too wide, use PVC pipe or something of the sort to extend your wing span. The arms are the only thing that will realistically be mobile in the entire costume, so be sure to find a way to move them, one method or another. Having four motionless appendages would be pretty boring.

After this, make patterns using the masking tape method and cover the entire suit in purple felt.

For the face, cut out the shapes of the eyes and mouth from the costume. Then stretch semi-transparent white and pink/red fabric over the holes of the mouth and eyes from the inside. This will be where your visibility will come from. Details, like the pupils and black teeth spaces, can probably be drawn using fabric markers.

This isn't meant to be a step-by-step tutorial by any means, but it should give you an idea of how one anon would personally build it. Good luck and post pics when you're done.

>>9397809
>>9398406
Thanks, maybe I should use a camera, since Gengar's face it's more likely on my stomach.
Also, how should I do all the ventilation work?

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>>9397261
I'm currently trying to touch up pic related so I thought I'd dip in.
A couple of "tutorials"/build-throughs I used as inspiration: http://hensocks.com/post/124776113332/mega-charizards-x-y-full-build
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nkxt5FVpwg

Ventilation: hot air travels up so at least have a fan pointing outwards through the top. Google "ventilation fursuits" and you'll see plenty examples of re-purposing computer fans. Some people like to add a fan blowing cool air in at the bottom, but that's personal preference. For such a big costume I'd recommend it, though.
I personally have two desktop USB fans pointing outward though the ears, but it still gets hot really quickly. Bring a lot of water and take breaks regularly.

One thing I noticed afterwards (and you can see on the legs) is that I didn't have enough structure inside the costume to keep the foam from buckling in on itself. It looks okay from the front but pathetic from the side. I'm currently retroactively fitting in some support wire and hope it holds up.

Camera: not a bad idea to have at eye level. I bought an endoscope for my phone, and it works somewhat. If you could find a cheap parking camera set that would probably be perfect for your needs. I would also do what >>9398406 suggests and make the mouth and eyes transparent so you can have the camera for frontal view and the mouth for ground view. I nearly bumped over a kid who snuck up on me from the side since I only really have the eyes as viewports.

Good luck, would love to see how it turns out!

>>9398130
It does but it looks like you only need a top piece like a long sleeved fur shirt from what i can see.

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>>9402780
I think I might just need to go full suit since another look shows his hands are somewhat clawed. I know the entire thing is a suit on a human though.

>>9402788
Ohh i see yes you're right you would have to make it a full suit, the character is badass anon good luck!

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>>9401259
this video makes me want to make a monokuma costume like this.

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I've been wanting to do a proper Teddie suit with unzip able head, but I just don't know where to start it.

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>>9407250
You will want to make a "body pod".

>>9407268
Might you have any recommended tutorials or should I just google them?

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I dont make these at all, but I've always wondered, HOW do you guys carry these big ol suits around?!

Where do you put it when you go to and from the con, like do you just strap it tothe top of the car like luggage in old movies??

Where does it sit/stay/sleep when its not con season? In the garage or storage...?

If it gets stinky inside how do you clean it? Do you keep snacks in there and eat them throughout the con?!

These questions keep me up at night and from ever attempting a big suit...

>>9407274
watch the video in >>9397284

He goes through the entire construction

>>9407303
Oh cool, thank you.

>>9407290
I wear it.

My suit is fairly collapsible, it fits in the back of my van

I sell my suits after I wear them once or twice. I have one in storage, so I always have one, but they take up lots of room and as much as I love making them, I don't have the space for more.

It doesn't get stinky, I practice basic hygiene and wear athletic gear underneath. I remember to always take a mid day break and take it off. I do clean it before the sale, but its usually just like a lysol wipe everywhere

I always have a water bottle inside. Probably die without it

>>9407290
I've only made one so far, a No-Face out of pvc and chicken wire. Being made of durable materials meant it transported pretty easily, it got thrown into cargo on the bus and was fine, and had a good spot around my face area to grab and carry around. Storage hasnt become much of a problem yet although just yesterday we were trying to find a different closet to put it in and failed. It doesnt really get stinky since the fabric lays so far from my body and the football padding harness hasnt gotten smelly either. I had an apron for my gold where I kept water, but not any food.

Basically the fun of a big suit and the reactions you get out of people make all hardships worth it. People act very differently to a cosplayer where they cant see their face or have a human shape.

>>9407250
Man, no one ever looks that cool after they're crawled out of the sweaty guts of a mascot costume.

>>9407798
Maybe he could enter a stage in the suit and take it off quickly, just for presentation

I want to make a mascot costume but not sure how to make the seams in short fur less noticable. I've seen some stuff about brushing the fur out of the seam but how well does that work?

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Guys, have you seen the Coca Cola bear costume? Can blink and open his mouth, how the fuck? I've seen how Big Bird does it, but is it really like that?

>>9416272
Yeah, puppeteer costumes are pretty wicked. It's a lot of hard work but I'm sure it pays off.

>>9410222
Carefully brushing out the fur that gets stuck between the sewn seams will really make a difference in making the seam less obvious. I've personally take my time with a pin to comb out small minky stuff, to a knitting needle with long faux fur, but that's just my preference of evening out the seam.

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>>9397261
How big is big? I'm doing the jaegers from pacific rim.

>>9407290
Made a mascot-style suit of a certain Pokemon a while back. It breaks off into 2 pieces and was able to fit in a minivan, with one piece in the trunk and the other piece in the backseat area. I was also somehow able to squeeze it into a Prius after collapsing some back seats, but the driver wasn't able to see out the rear-view mirror/window so it definitely wasn't optimal.

When I wanted to go to a panel or something of the sort, I would just take it off and leave it against a wall of the room that the panel was taking place in. This let me keep an eye on it while still being able to fully enjoy the panel. When not at a con, one piece goes in one closet and the other piece in another closet.

I only ever wore it twice, and don't plan to wear it again, so smell was never an issue. But I feel as if it wouldn't really get smelly even after multiple wears.

Always had a water bottle with me while in the costume. I could eat and drink inside the suit if I wanted to, but I usually took it off first, unless it was just a quick sip of water or something.

>>9420030
good lord how much is that costing you in filament and why are you hot gluing it together

>>9420164
not to mention the weight lol, the walls seem thick

>>9420164
>>9420340
Haha yeah this is the first time I've ever 3d print so Im learning as Im going along. I wanted the walls thick so itd be sturdy and hot glue cuz im a lazy bastard (contact cement was working). I plan on coating it with resin and cleaning up the glue, since its there just to hold the pieces together. Weight isnt an issue, I'm used to wearing heavy cosplay all day and the density is printed 15% infill so its not as bad as it looks.