Customizing your costume is a great way to stand out from the crowd (like you don't already!). Most people have seen someone in a Royal Guard outfit, but how many times have you seen someone in a Crimson Empire suit?
Customized costumes can be a double edged sword. Nothing but your imagination can be used for reference. On the downside, many people may not recognize your costume.
Depending on the type of customization, time may be a hinderance. Building a Desert Trooper backpack or getting the paint on a Boba Fett suit "just right" may take months or even a year! Remember: There's always time to do it right , never time to do it twice.
You can customize the lightsaber and blaster toys available at TRU to look more realistic. All you need is a free evening, acrylic model paint or enamel, and a couple of brushes. . I use acrylic rather than spray paint or enamel because it dries much faster and is basically non-toxic. The more experienced modeler might use an airbrush for "battle damage", but a nice fat bristle brush works just as well. First, apply a base coat of silver or gray (this is the "metal" underneath the black in the finished product). You will need 2-3 coats if you have the red blaster. Next, apply 2 coats of flat black paint. Once these coats have dried, use a medium-grit sandpaper and rough-sand the edges of the weapon, exposing the silver "metal" underneath...an Emory board also works for this.
Finally, to simulate wear, use a technique called "dry-brushing". Dip your large bristle brush into the gray paint (you can substitute tan if the weapon has seen desert action). Blot the brush thoroughly on a wad of paper towels or an old rag. You don't want the brush "loaded" - just a little bit of paint. Test it out on a scrap of paper. There should barely be any paint on the paper when you brush the paint on. Next, carefully brush the weapon, as if you're dusting it with a feather duster. The edges and details will "pop" out and look much more authentic. When done properly the model or prop will look worn and slightly dirty.
Contributors: Brendon Luxford, Doug Barrett, Jason Thompson, Jeff Allen, Stephane Desrosiers, Tim Davids (THE WEBMASTER, MAN!)
