Portfolio (aka: Projects I Can Call Finished)

This is the space where I will post pictures of past projects I've done.  I'm constantly working on all manner of madness, so check back often to see what else I add.  There's a lot:

Image courtesy of Make Magazine 

I'm also always looking for new projects to work on, so if you'd like me to make something in particular, shoot me an email at sthorsson99@yahoo.com.

Costumes

Imperial Space Marines (early 2012)

Starting with 3D models from the Space Marine video game, forming bucks were built and the bulk of the costume parts were vacuum formed:

Painting was done in mismatched colors with heavy weathering to give the appearance of very old equipment mixed in with newer replacement parts:

 

I also made a variety of weapons:

 

The best part is how small everything else looks next to the fully-assembled suit:

With some plain "grunt" versions built, I also decided I needed to make another more dressed-up version:


Cadian Imperial Guardsmen (2013)
Since the Space Marine costumes make it difficult to get around, I went ahead and built a handful of Imperial Guard costumes to help them maneuver:
I still need to tune up some of the details and organize a proper photoshoot to showcase those outfits. 

 Kali (2012)
Built on commission for Hi-Rez studios to promote their game SMITE:  
 
The costume required the fabrication of prosthetic arms, a prosthetic chest to balance it out, the skirt, shoes, wig, and all of the props she's holding.  Model: Sarah Madill.  Image courtesy of Make Magazine.

Blood Eagle Pathfinder (2012):
While I was working on the Kali costume, Hi-Rez also commissioned me to build a character from TRIBES, one of their other titles.  Here's the finished suit:
 
Project included wiring and circuit design for all of the various illuminated parts of the armor as well as the Spinfusor weapon prop.  Image courtesy of Make Magazine.  
 

Isaac Clarke Engineering RIG from Dead Space 2 (Summer 2011)
This helmet was hand-sculpted in oil-based clay and scraps of sheet styrene, then molded and cast in urethane resin.  The slits in the faceshield are transparent blue acrylic heated and formed to fit, then backed with electroluminescent tape to make them glow as they do in the game.

Here's a shot of the back of the helmet:

Once I'd finished the helmet, the next thing to do was build the rest of the suit:

The whole suit came together in just about a month and a half.

Red vs. Blue HALO costumes (2010):

Originally intended for Halloween 2008, my Afghanistan deployment got in the way. Protoype suit was made around a set of Pepakura papercraft models which I reinforced and added tons of extra detailing and smoothing to. Then I made molds and cast copies in urethane resin to outfit a group of friends. We now have nine suits between us, but the most we've had dressed up all at once is seven:


Here's a full-length shot of one of the suits to show all of the details:


Here's a video from my display at the 2011 Maker Faire where I was doing a demonstration of various prop and costume making techniques:

UNSC Marines (May 2011)

While gearing up to exhibit my Spartan costumes at the 2011 Maker Faire, I decided I was going to need some more folks in more maneuverable outfits to help shepherd them through the crowds.  With about two weeks to get ready, I made forming bucks, pulled all of the armor parts, strapped them together, and painted them.  With the addition of some heavily modified Multicam fatigues, they were perfect:

Predator (Halloween 2005)

Built out of upholstery foam skinned in latex with handmade leather and resin details added on. Total build time: approximately 2 months.
 

Boba Fett (Episode III Premier, 2005)

Aside from the helmet, I cranked out this costume in under a week.  The Jumpsuit was cobbled together from a couple of pairs of Dickies coveralls. Armor parts hand-formed by heating sheets of foamed PVC. Gauntlets purchased on eBay. Blaster cobbled together in wood and a piece of chrome drain pipe.  I've been making upgrades to pieces and parts ever since, but I haven't worn any of it again.  At this point I really need to dust it all off and update this picture.

BABY FETT (Summer 2009)
My nephew decided he needed a Boba Fett costume for an event.  My sister managed to come up with the rest of the costume, but I made the helmet:
 
The prototype was fabricated from card stock and sheet styrene, then I made a mold and painted up one of the castings.  Sadly, it was a bit too small and I never took the time to get good photos of it. 

STAR WARS Republic Commando Helmet (2009-2011)
Based on the characters from the video game with the same name, this project started as a paper model which I reinforced, detailed, and then molded.  It was a backburner project that I tinkered with intermittently for a couple of years before I finished it.  This was the first casting that I painted up:

Having made one, I decided I needed the whole squad:
 

Lifesize LEGO Minifigure
(aborted Halloween 2006)

Built out of upholstery foam skinned over with liquid latex. Head was made of foam rings glued together and skinned with Bondo body filler. Gave up this project two days before Halloween when it turned out the paint I needed couldn't be shipped in time.

Spartan from 300
(Halloween 2007)

Prep for this costume began in April 2007 with a carefully planned diet and exercise regimen. In mid-september I began sculpting out the armor parts and shield in oil-based clay, molding them in urethane rubber, then casting the parts in resin and painting with a faux bronze finish. Leather parts were handmade by me as well as the tussah silk cape (the same type of fabric used in production of the film).

Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine Helmets

Sculpted in oil-based clay and rotocast in urethane resin. Painted and weathered in a complex fourteen-step process to develop adequate used look.  Sometime later, I re-sculpted one of them to make a Chaplain helmet:



I also made another beaky helmet and coached my friend Matt through the process of painting it in the colors of the Night Lords chaos chapter:
 

Warhammer 40,000 Terminator Space Marine Helmet (2012):

This was a one-off built from paper as a demonstration of what's possible with some simple materials and limited tools.

Stormtrooper
(Halloween 2002, 2003, 2004)

Built of vacuformed sheet styrene on hand-sculpted bucks, this project started with a full-body lifecast in May of 2002 and I finished my first suit two days before Halloween. The following year I made another one for a friend. In 2004 we wore them again.

Prop Replicas

M-3 Predator Heavy Pistol from Mass Effect 2:


Working in a variety of materials and using only screen captures from the video game, this was a high-speed low-budget build that took about a week and a half from beginning research to having a raw, unpainted casting out of the mold.  Adding a bit of paint and lights and a cosplay model named Jia Jem, it looked like so:


HALO3 Magnum Pistol:

This was CNC-carved out of medium density fiberboard, coated with epoxy and then detailed by hand.  Once I was satisfied with the details, I molded and cast a few copies.

I had to make duplicates because you can't dual-wield pistols if you only have one:



HALO3 BR55HB Battle Rifle:

The Battle Rifle was made in exactly the same manner as the magnum.  The scope was cobbled together from airsoft parts and a few custom-turned pieces I made on the lathe.

HALO3 MA5C Assault Rifle:

CNC-cut MDF master with some custom-machined details as well as a few found items.  After molding I cast two different versions, a rigid plastic hero version as well as a "bounce-able" rubber stunt version.  These were built for use in production of the HALO: Helljumper short film.

HALO3: Spike Grenades:

The master was a combination of custom-turned wooden parts and hand-sculpted spikes.  After molding, copies were cast in flexfoam for use in production of the HALO: Helljumper short film.


HALO3 SRS99D Sniper Rifle:

The prototype for the sniper rifle body, scope, muzzle brake, magazine, and tripod legs were also CNC-cut MDF.  The barrel prototype was PVC pipe with the fluting cut with a router and the breech end made of a block of MDF turned on the lathe.  The recoil suppressor was also turned on a lathe.  After molding, casting, assembly, and painting, the finished piece has a removable magazine.  The barrel can also be pulled out for storage.

I had to scale it down in order to make it reasonable to carry around.  Even so, it's huge:



Random Little Sculptures

Combat Garden Gnomes (2010)

This is the first in a series of pose/weapon combinations I plan to make on the same premise. What premise? The premise that somewhere out there there must be some angry gnomes having scary little turf wars. I've made a bunch of them and frequently post them for sale in my Etsy shop.

Here's the second pose I sculpted:
 
In 2011 I got back to work on Combat Garden Gnomes and made a prone version:

and a grenade-throwing one:



and a rocket launcher version:
 

Combat gnomes need a leader, so in the beginning of 2012 I also sculpted out a gnome officer with a pistol:
 

With that done, I also added a flamethrower gnome to the mix:

Cthinker (2009)

I got bored one night and sculpted this 8" tall statue of dread Cthulhu in the pose of Rodin's "the Thinker" in oil-based clay, then cast copies in urethane resin with a faux bronze finish. I occasionally do a run of copies of this guy and sell them in my Etsy shop.

I.A. Sailors (2008, 2009)

In 2008 the Naval Reserve deployed me to Afghanistan as an "individual augmentee" for the Army.  When a friend mailed me a bag of little green plastic soldiers, I decided I needed to make blue plastic sailors to go in the bag with them. These were the result.

Paintjobs

Alien (2005):

I bought this piece as a raw cast off of eBay. I painted it using plain rattlecans and a brush for the teeth, then added the latex rubber lace to the top of the dome.

Deepeyes Helmet (Summer 2005)

Raw cast helmet kit bought online somewhere. Painted and weathered, then wired up with blue LEDs for glowing eye effect.

Gremlin (Fall/Winter 2005)

Vinyl garage kit purchased on eBay. Airbrush with acrylic paint followed by a gloss clearcoat.

Terminator Endoskull (Summer 2004)

Vinyl garage kit purchased on ebay. Sprayed with Krylon "chrome effect" paint, then details picked out by hand.

Boba Fett's Amazing Technicolor Jetpack (2005)

Believe it or not, the Fettpack actually is this colorful in Return of the Jedi. I bought this as a kit in primer from a fellow maker at http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/. Then added a 9-layer finish with masked areas to give the paint that battle worn look, then attached machined aluminum details and a blinking LED to match the look seen in ROTJ.

Boba and Jango Fett Helmets (2005 and 2006 respectively)

Purchased as poorly painted casts from different makers in different countries and different years. Boba was painted using everything from and airbrush and rattle cans to a toothpick and mustard. Jango was painted with mirrachrome using an HVLP gun, then given two coats of automotive clearcoat before the two shades of blue were added and another final clearcoat.

Commander Cody Clonetrooper Helmet


Purchased as a kit from a fellow maker.  The paintjob was a combination of spraycan and airbrush paints.