Achilles Helmet
This project was a last minute decision. I was without a Halloween costume and I had just watched the movie Troy starring Brad Pitt. I had also watched a YouTube video on foam building and I thought to myself “I have some EVA foam.” So I set to work. Well needless to say I didn’t finish the whole costume in time for Halloween. The helmet is missing the black plume from the movie but I DID make good use of the helmet without the plume some years later in my design for L’incoronazione di Poppea. The project began with a tape and tin foil pattern, then the pattern cut out of EVA foam with which I built the base, hardened with Bondo, sanded, and painted. It was my first foam smithing project. If I could go back I would have spent WAY more time sanding and smoothing those low points and making a cleaner edge. But thats living and learning.
Tin Foil and Duct tape
I used this method because it’s the fastest way to make a pattern of an irregular shaped surface.
Duct Tape Pattern
Once the head is incased in tape, I can draw with sharpie the pieces to cut out. The trick here is to plan the lines so when they’re cut out they lay mostly flat. True enough you can heat foam to form convex shapes but you shouldn’t rely on that.
Cheek Plates
The cheek plates I didn’t want to be the same width as the base because it’s way too thick to be believable as metal. So I have put on some cereal box cardboard cheek plates and nasal.
Sanded Bondo
Bondo Patching
trying to fill in the low spots
Paint
Rustoleum spraypaint with black spritzing around.
Final Product
Contact