UFO/Enemy Unknown Stunrod- Steady As She Goes

Heya.
Progress on the UFO/Enemy Unknown Stunrod.  The more I carve in wood the more I love it- just a fantastic medium.  Here's where I'm at right now.  Starting to really take shape.  Still plenty to do in the way of shaping and really digging in to the design, which will really bring it out.  Hoping to see that today.  Keep an eye on the photostream.
Looking like next up will be squeezing in a Decapitating Knife for a Naruto Suigetsu Hozuki cosplay.  What a huge...  knife?  Should be fun.
What's up right now?  The need for coffee- home-roasted Kenyan AA- oh, the coffee-snob in me.  :)  Then heater on in the shop, ipod, sawdust and cosplay goodness.  Be good to you.
bc

UFO/Enemy Unknown Progress

Heya.  The UFO/Enemy Unknown Stun Rod has been delayed a few days while I scratched my head and got it pinned down.  Talked with P and decided the lesser of the pics we could find was better.  I found a bigger image but it's an artist rendition, which cool or no, often means trouble trying to reproduce it in 3D.  This is much better.  Back to the old school hand-drawn template.  It's a little time consuming, but it brings art to the project very quickly, and can sometimes aid in the near future work by highlighting areas and issues that would otherwise be encountered on the spot.  The front end of the piece needs a little tweaking, but that's an easy fix.  I feel so much better about it now!  Lol.  So many times I look at a project and wonder 'How am I going to do that?'  Sometimes you can see the way ahead, and others you just have to get there to know.  I'll tweak the template today and then there's really no excuse for anything other than sawdust!  I'm out.  :)
Be good to you.
bc

UFO/Enemy Unkown Cosplay Build

Heya.  UFO/Enemy Unknown Stun Rod is prepping for take-off, and the shop is COLD.  I know, every time this year, right?  Getting set for a heat wave later in the coming week for cutting and carving.  It's supposed to get between 36-40 degrees!  Woo hoo!  Break out the Jimmy Buffet!  Just kidding.  No Buffet.

Progress pics on the photo-stream  soon.  Many thanks to P, who's persevered with me to make this build happen.  An unusual piece that I'm looking forward to, cold or no.


Be good to you.

bc

Buster Cleveland Review- New Year!

Heya.  Thanks to all of you making cosplay requests to help keep me on track and learning new things.  The past few months have been whirlwind busy on a personal and shop level.  Projects ranged from the usual host of Halloween madness, gift props for the holidays, Kingdom heart's Oathkeeper and Oblivion, the Chicken Ranch sign (for a Chicken Coop), straight-up carpentry around the house, new tattoos for me, and study and practice based around getting an apprenticeship and learning to tattoo.  Also cosplayer and other fantastic artist reviews from cosplayer Toko, Cosplay builder Fev, to Queen of Knotwork Pat Fish, of Luckyfish Tattoo.  

Coming up is the UFO/Enemy Unknown Stun Rod cosplay prop, on hold since November due to our local post office bumbling.  Beyond that, more requests- most recently a set of Chaos Emeralds from Sonic.  Received that one while at a party last night and it brought back how much fun is packed into the Sonic games.  So short text.  It's a new year, which means nothing beyond our perception of it- so take advantage!  New start, new day, new decisions and new determination for what you've already been toiling away at!







Be good to you.
bc

Cosplay Propmaker Review: Fev

Lee Camara is an illustrator, propmaker, sculptor, and woodworker based out of Georgia, but those of us who follow her magnificent work also know her as Fev.

 
I stumbled across Fev when she created a scratchbuilt wooden model of Vash's gun, from the anime/manga series "Trigun". The piece is articulated, with a spinning cylinder, removable wooden bullets, basic trigger/hammer mechanism, and a hinge lock for swivelling the barrel to access bullets.

Every propmaker has to stop and and think for a moment when asked how they started building props. Most point to theater work or Halloween prop building as a start. Fev has been making props and replica weapons as a personal hobby, as well as work done for conventions, display, and occasional commissions since 1998.

She made her first sword from a piece of scrap wood, and carried it to a convention. Over the next few years, she made wooden daggers and fantasy weapons that she took to local conventions until she made a shift back to 2D, which was easier to transport to cons, but occasionally stepped back into the woodshop to play around with an idea.... Oh, those ideas!

After doing the fittings and propworks for her first major cosplay project, she remembered how fun it was to make cosplay props & weapons.

“There's almost always something new to try and do with most every new project!”

Approachable and passionate about her work, she doggedly pursues a busy con schedule, while continuing to build new and exciting pieces, like the current project- Lion-O's Sword from Thundercats. This one made me momentarily revert to after school cartoon mode and completely geek out. Thundercats, Ho!

Fev has also created the very best Assassin's Creed costume out there. Fact.  

 

Her aforementioned woodwork is nothing short of phenomenal, and she continues to push her own envelope by learning new skills. 

As a propmaker, Fev continues to inspire, entertain, and educate. For this, Ima say thanks! Check out her awesomeness. I'll see you there.  Enjoy!

Be good to you.

bc

Cosplayer Review: TOKO

Heya. 

I run across many awesome artists, cosplayers, prop builders, as well as other fantastic folk that I feel compelled to share.  Many of them spend countless hours crafting costumes, props, and art.  They post them on their various sites and then sweep up, observe their lessened bank accounts and go through their day only to return with some new hair-brained idea that sends them scouring the net for a new prop tutorial, or maybe a fabric they've never heard of. And the cycle continues.

Most cosplayers are filled with joy, and as a consequence are fearless in their own way. They laugh. They dream. TOKO is the epitome of this.

Living and working out of Canada, TOKO crafts cosplays focused in the Kingdom Hearts genre, from Riku, to Axel (including a Halloween Axel), Aqua from Birth by Sleep, and more. 

TOKO spends most of her online time these days at Deviant Art, but you can also find her on Cosplay.com as well. I always look forward to seeing what she's up to. Whether it's a new prop she's spent hours cutting and sanding, a wig that's been getting her attention, or pics from a con or cosplay picnic, she never fails to interest, inspire, and most importantly share. I could go on about TOKO as a cosplayer and person, but my advice- go check her out yourself, and take note. Emulate. Go have a laugh. Go make something. Share who you are today- it's all you really have.

Be good to you.

bc

UFO Enemy Unknown Cosplay

Heya.  Been quiet here in the shop but for sweeping and moving things around, getting ready for winter and new projects.  The last several months have been exhausting, and after a brief rest I think we're getting ready to roll again.  Kazuma is shifting to another time slot at least...  'Halllloooo?' while the Stun Rod from UFO Enemy Unknown takes its place.

The shop's all insulated and sealed up against the winter wind that ate me alive last year, so here's hoping for warmer climes inside!



 Many thanks to the cosplay model TOKO for letting me use her image for the new cosplay.com ad.

The Chicken Ranch sign will come along shortly as well.  The break was much needed, even though I'm still madmanning and researching upcoming projects.
I'm out!  Off to lunch with friends for the first time in weeks!
Be good to you!
bc