Being a thread created to share a project I'm working on, a component/prop of the full-suit version of my Gara-character (now to be called Pygmike; Garamike will still exist as his own head/hands/tail/leisure suit entity). I am TERRIBLE about documenting my work in photos and am trying to change that, so here we go... to be updated sporadically...

Unpainted flesh Marmit Semi-Ningen and Garamon coinbanks:




Each was horizontally, magnetically affixed to the side of a small rectangular container, which was tipped slightly toward one end with wooden shims. A hot solution of RIT dye was then poured in until the liquid level met, as closely as possible, three small Sharpie markings on the sides and heads of the toys. (Would that I had taken good pics of that process... see what I mean about being bad at this? ) Left overnight to soak. This created a level cutting guideline through and around the various crags and curves of the sculpts. The dyed backsides were then Xacto'd away:





...and the eyes trimmed out:



Giant hollow foam skull; Nordstrom head for size reference:



Purchased at Rite Aid a couple weeks before Halloween ("Giant, decently anatomically-correct foam skull for $10? Must purchase. I know I'll find a purpose for it at some point...")

Did some work with Aves putty, fixing areas that had been badly flattened by the shrink wrap (bridge of the nose was completely smooshed flat):




... and prepping the more poorly sculpted areas of the teeth for some work:



...now done... just needed to define them/deepen the grooves between a bit more in preparation for the next step:



Top o' the staff to ya!
7' waxwood staff from an online martial arts emporium, photographed against the Lectroid escape pod interior of my fully-closed-cell-foamed attic stooge-e-o:



Beginning to sketch the Eternal Gara-Flame:



Shape of things to come:

well, this is intruiging...looking forward to more, dude!

Thanks, atom!

Ack, I wasn't really thinking... shoulda put this in Custom Toys & Fan Art...

Master craftsman at work ! Can't wait to see the result. Thanks for taking the time to post the process, always interesting.

Looking awesome mike! Can't wait to see more. So you're doing a full pygmon suit (pygmike) in addition to garamike? Awesome. And I love the semi ningen bank- I gotta find one of those!

Thanks, Ben and Phil!

Phil, to clarify: I’m only making one full suit, and when I’m walking around full-suited (w/ the Staff of Pygmike… and possibly a Chirusonian Shield ), I’ll be Pygmike. When I just make appearances as I have to date- in just the head, hands, tail, and some set of human clothing- that’ll be Garamike. (As if any of this needed to be more opaque and confusing, esp. to people outside our particular art-neighborhood. ) I wanted to retain an easier-to-don, less physically demanding option (Garamike) outside of the full suit, and a decision to separate the two incarnations character/personality-wise flowed from that.

For a spell, I had gotten a little off-track, when it came to progress on the full suit. In large part, this was because I was rigidly stuck on the idea of creating a suit that was as close to the original in form and design as I could achieve; I really was trying to stay away from anything too interpretive, as I’ve hated pretty much every interpretive spin I’ve seen on the Garamon design. My aesthetic considerations also came butting up against practical ones: I'm trying to design something to be worn in and outdoors, under various conditions, for long stretches of time. It's got to be easy to move in, easy to get on and off, and as durable as possible.

I came home from NYCC last year reinvigorated on the project, opened up to some interpretive tweaking. I suddenly felt like I could pull it off well. I came up with some design concepts which should result in a suit as fully honorable to the original and its creators as I feel necessary, while further defining my creation as a close “cousin creature” to Garamon and Pygmon. I chose to go with “Pygmike” as a name for the full-suit character because I think the body shape will call Pygmon to mind a bit more than Garamon. In terms of personality, while Garamike is a highly sociable, down-to-Earth being, Pygmike is going to be sort of a warrior-mystic type, and a monster of few words.

And yes, those Marmit banks are awesome! Wonderfully impressive sculpts, and I would highly recommend grabbing either or both if you can. There was another flesh Garamon up on YJA just recently at a great price, w/ no one bidding through several repostings…

Thanks for the clarification Mike, I know I was a bit confused. It's all good now though. I am definitely interested to see the difference in your two 'characters.' I can definitely understand how donning the whole outfit can prove an ordeal at the best of times, especially for long hours like a con would demand. I suppose eventually, if you were reaaalllyy ambitious ( ), you could cast the extra parts in another colour have a real split personality. Gara- or Pyg- I am excited.

Ooooh, I'm getting a mental picture for what you're doing but I can't wait to see how the final product turns out! Very fun!

HAAAAA… and BLLLLEEEEERRRRGGGH! When we first got the project underway, I was certain I would do at least an alternate headpiece/silicone mask in the green Gara-color scheme… but at this point, that’s not even on the table… too much else to do, on this project-front and others (oh, and also, a baby and a teenager and a wife and a FT job… and skullbrain… and Facebook ). I would LOVE to make it happen, but it will be at least 2 - 3 years out, if ever…




I’m wondering at what point the SoP will begin to truly take shape in deductive readers' minds… even still, there will be some details to the finished prop which should surprise…

WOW! This is looking amazing!!!
I look forward to seeing you fully suited up, waving the Pygmike staff and parting the Kaiju Sea!

Fantastic work Michael!

HA!
Thanks, Ralph!
If I can just part a swath through sweaty ComiCon attendees, I'll be alright...

I actually did more work this week; the flame-shape was further refined and turned into a vector drawing- using a print of that and an acetate overlay, I'm going to fiddle around with an inner design for it... then it's off to the cutter's...

Though I did pretty well (>pats self on back<) in achieving fairly straight lines with my freehand cutting away of the backsides of the banks, there were some lengths of the edges that weren't as flush as I will need them to be for mounting. I broke out the Aves Apoxie Sculpt and rolled out super-thin worms of it, which I laid on the trouble spots. I then taped a piece of wax paper to my drafting table, dribbled some Aves solvent on that (to prevent the applied putty from sticking/pulling off when I lifted the pieces), and placed the banks onto the prepared surface, pressing down lightly get fully-flat edges. Using my sculpting tools, I pulled away the excess that had squeezed out, and then used a small brush dipped in solvent to smooth and texture-match. End result was beautifully flush edges all the way around!

Woulda taken pics, but the wife & baby are away in FL with our one camera, so I’ll just update with pics of the outcomes of these steps (and whatever else I get done betwixt now and then) after they return.

Pyg-shopping tonight: more upholstery foam, Super77, a new electric knife (to replace the one worn out cutting the headpiece spikes last year), and some PEX tubing…