Making a dragon
Making a dragon- special effects and filmmaking
Hey, im making a small dragon for use in a short film Im going to do, and Im trying to figure out how to do it. It's just going to be a small 2ft long dragonette and Ive figured that i can make an animatronic skeleton to get movement and all that(im good at that kind of stuff) but how im going to do the outside is the problem. Im thinking i can sculpt it in oilbased clay first and then make the negatives of the main parts seperately (one mold for the arm, one for the torso, etc..) And then just make a thin skin from those and fit it over like a glove. So my question is, should i use regular mask latex to make the skin or some other material? or has anyone done this kind of thing before and know of a better way?
-The Nightgaunt
Thenightgaunt:
Here's a potential good link for ya. Good luck.
http://www.geocities.com/stopmoworks/moldpics.htm
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--Chaggie
Slush cast latex is OK if it is thin and the prop will have limited movement. Of course, the thinner the skin, the less durable it will be and more susceptible to damage and breakdown.
Gelatin is great for temporary make up appliances, but unsuitable for prop work.
A soft Foam latex will fight the mechanisms less than slush cast latex. Hot foams are available in softer grades than cold foams, but are more fiddly to get consistent batches to come out right. Cold foams are easier to use but release a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas, so they should be used out of doors in warm weather.
Silicone is expensive, and much harder to glue & color, but is quite flexible.
Hot melt Vynil (Plastisol) is less expensive, very elastic in the softest grades (usually used for making lifelike fishing lures), but a real pain to color & glue.
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Jeff F - Moderator
Magic and FX
Amazing the Masses
something right up my alley...
if you go to my link page, then scroll down, you'll see a link that says "starting out" or something like that...has some basic pics that are totally related to this. also you can find lots of other cool stuff in there
as far as sculpting goes, making a basic form out of polystyrene foam insulation covered with wood glue makes for an excellent armature. The wood glue helps the oil based clay hold onto it better. the best bet for this may be to make the sculpture first, then build the mechanics into it afterward.
Regular mask latex may be somewhat stiff, but can be used, possibly in conjunction with some "carpet foam" like you would find in a couch cushin.
As jeff points out, there are some different materials available...although i would stay away from most of them, especially the hot pour vinyl...cool stuff but a bit of a pain to work with.
quote:
If it weren't such a pain in the tush I'd use it more often. You always have to weigh the pros & cons of materials.Jeff F
If you need any general help just drop an email, always willing to help out especially in the puppet area
later
TOm
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[This message has been edited by Jeff F (edited 11-18-2000).]
Wow, thanks for the info guys. You all have given me some pretty good ideas on how I can actually do this and make it look good. Ill post again when im finished and have the final product to show.
ttfn ^_^
The Nightgaunt
There are a few ways to go about it.
Cheap way is using sheet foam, spray adhesive and paper towel soaked in latex.
You can paint it with latex paint base or spray paint.
Or if you're sculpting make a fiberglass mold and use a 10 pound A/B foam, use a plug if you can.
Or make an Ultra-Cal 30 mold (uhhh, heavy) pour in some casting latex and back it up with a soft (maybe 3 to 4 pound) foam, plug required. Actually skin latex is better, it's thick and you can brush it in. This is what some scenic shops use for their animatronic animals...some big ones too. It's stronger than regualar casting, is brushable and you could use a fiberglass mold.
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Thea
www.stagedoorstudios.com
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