cardboardcostumes

Hi, i did email you a while ago about getting the plans for the Optimus costume. I would love to make one of my own, so i was wondering if you had any pics of the plans you could upload. I have tried to copy your production photos, but it is difficult to recreate the nets from the constructed parts.

Thanks in advance!

Before I build a costume I start by drawing out a human figure with about my proportions, and then I draw a 3-D Picture of the costume around the figure (which I haven't been able to find since we moved - it's got some rough sketches of Starscream that I want). That gives me a feel for what the pieces look like and how they'll fit together. From there I just start cutting out pieces, measuring everything on the fly- writing it out on the cardboard as I go. In reality, it's a bad habit and I should start documenting it better, at least I have all the pictures. OP's midsection took 3 tries with 3 different giant pieces of cardboard before it would fit well with the chest. I used to try to make larger parts out of a single sheet if I can to cut down on the corrugated sides showing, but then I started covering all the edges up with Paper Mailing Tape.

Just building the chest with the motors and getting the Matrix to light up when opening the chest took a month to get right.

I tend to have a bunch of pictures of the character printed out around me when I'm doing this, but I'm kind of a stickler for getting the details in the cartoon.

Thanks for the reply... i did just as you did, by taking photo's of myself, front and side, and overlaying a 3D model optimus onto myself, which i then could start the measurements of... I am also documenting all of my proportions, so if you wanted, i could send you the plans and the construction pics after i finished.

That's cool. I'm looking forward to the pics!
-Steve