RESEARCH
Research is the key to a good costume. What does he/she/it wear? Carry? Shoot? The details make the costume. Even if you don't have months to plan, with a little money and resourcefulness you can have a fun costume. Otherwise, you're just another schmuck in a half-assed cardboard & nylon Boba Fett outfit. The Web and your local library are two great places to start your research. If you don't already own copies of the two DK Visual Dictionaries, beg, borrow, or steal them! Another required reference book is the Star Wars: The Magic of Myth, the companion book to the Smithsonian exhibit, which has detailed pictures and descriptions of many costumes. Not sure who you want to be? These books will give you some ideas. They will also help you achieve a high level of realism in your costume. The Internet has a few excellent sites as well, especially if you want step-by-step instructions.
If you don't know anything about sewing, don't despair! Read on. There are ready-made costumes as well as easy solutions to be found at your local Army surplus or thrift store...
Depending on how much time, effort, and money you have, there are several ways to go. You can go the masked route, the make-up route, or the unadorned improvised costume route (cheapest).
MASKS
This is great if you love the aliens of the series and don't want anyone to recognize you as yourself. It's also the fastest way to become a SW character. One caveat - masks can get VERY hot and clammy, so if you're going to be at a party all night you might be uncomfortable. However, there are a lot of choices in this area. There are hard plastic masks (Stormtrooper, Vader, Fett) but the most variety is found in the latex category. These are full coverage masks that slip over your entire head. You might need touch-up makeup for your eyes, as the eyeholes are one-size-fits-all. Have a friend help you apply this so that you don't detach your retina with an eyeliner pencil!
I found a couple of sites that have the full collection of the Don Post latex series still in production. The older Don Post masks may be available at your local costume shop or party store, so check around if you need something in particular. Example: Yoda is now a new sculpt with rooted hair, the old mask was much more like the original Yoda and had no hair. There are many other older Don Post masks, it just takes some digging to find them.
You can also save money by buying your mask online. Whereas the store version retails for about $40 - $100, most Don Post masks sell for $25 - $60 at the various Web outlets. Many of the Don Post masks are created using original ILM Creature Shop molds, so the realism level is high.
TRILOGY TIPS
Cantina Band Member, Greedo, Nien Numb, and Emperor Palpatine are easy to pull off as the masks are very realistic and the clothes are easy to find at a thrift store.
There's also the Expanded Universe character line - no masks yet except for the Imperial Sentinel but you could conceivably improvise a Dash Rendar or Admiral Thrawn (see also Make-Up Options).
WIGS & MAKE-UP
This requires a bit more effort. Wigs can be expensive, and there are hundreds of styles. A better option might be extensions, which cost 1/3 as much. For makeup, don't trust the kits hat come with costumes or the cheap "everything you need kits". Invest in just the elements you need. And don't forget to buy a tub of "cold cream". Otherwise you'll never get the makeup off, even if it says "water soluble" on the bottle. Make sure all makeup is hypoallergenic or you'll either break out or itch all night - this is especially important for children.. Make-up is an art form so don't bite off more than you can chew. It's easier if someone else helps you finish the job also - without experience it's easy to apply it unevenly or use too much (or too little).
ACCESSORIZE
Accessories are the final ingredients that can make your costume sink or swim.
HANDS AND FEET
Some of the Don Post masks have a matched set of hands that can be purchased separately. I've seen Greedo, Cantina Band Member, and Admiral Ackbar hands...but these may be backordered by now. Add a simple outfit and a blaster (or instrument) and you're ready.
For pilots, an easy way to cover your lowly humanoid hands: black ski gloves, work gloves, or driving gloves. Try to find a friend who is into (or used to be into) downhill racing - they have the best gloves, with a gauntlet over the wrist and extra padding.
If you're so inclined there are make-up kits for skin that give you instructions and materials for scars, burns, and other body modification. Dr. Evazan is a possibility in this department...
By the way, studiocreations.com has a link "How to Build a GNK Power Droid" - your very own Gonk, life-size, very inexpensive. The perfect final touch to make your Halloween party a success!
Good luck!
Written by Boaz Kirschenbaum, co-founder of the Portland Area Star Wars Collectors Alliance (PASCA), SW Trivial Pursuit Champion, and Jedi Wanna-be, is a major Star Wars geek, more a whiny Luke than a dashing Han Solo. When he's not geeking out he can be found building dioramas, reading, writing, and scale modeling.)
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Most of the items discussed here can be found at Sears, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc..
Sanding
Sanding is one of the most important steps in costuming (for hard pieces only) and prop building. You can have a beautifully crafted prop with a great paint job but if the plastic shows scratches from sanding, the effect is ruined.
When choosing sandpaper, you should use at least two different grits, if not three. The "grit" refers to how coarse or smooth the sandpaper is. The higher the number printed on the package, the smoother the paper will be. ie: 100 grit sandpaper is much coarser than 400 grit.
Depending on your sanding needs, you may need to begin sanding with the roughest sandpaper you have (usually 100 grit). Most jobs will only require a medium (usually 200) grit at first. When sanding, use medium pressure and after you achieve a smooth surface, use a fine or very fine grit (usually 400) with medium then light pressure.
Now you're ready for what is called "wet sanding". Wet sanding will remove almost all marks left by the medium and fine sandpapers. Keep a container of water nearby and dunk your fine/very fine sandpaper in it. Shake off the excess water and begin sanding, using light to very light pressure. As the water dissapates from the sandpaper, dunk it in the container again. This procedure will take some time but, be patient! The end result is fantastic!
Painting
There are two main types of paint that is readily available to the general public: enamel and acrylic. Most of the spray paint you find at the hardware store is enamel, so that's what I recommend using for most of your projects. Acrylic paints are usually found at specialty or hobby shops.
Before painting, you should use a medium grade piece of sandpaper to lightly "rough up" the surface of your project. This allows the primer to adhere to the surface better. Then, use a light coat of primer. The primer color is unimportant since you'll be painting on top of it anyway.
When applying spray paint, use quick, controlled bursts. If you press and hold the button on the can for several seconds at a time, you'll probably end up with runs in your paint. Allow it to dry completely (read the label) before applying a second or third coat.
Weathering
If you're making Star Wars prop replicas, you'll need to properly "weather" the props to make them look used. It takes alot more work to make something look old than it does to make something look new. This effect can be stunning if done properly.
Begin by sanding and priming the prop. Then, paint two to three layers of silver paint. After the silver dries, mask off the areas you want to be weathered with either masking tape or "Liquid Mask".
Liquid Mask is a liquid that gets brushed on the prop. After it dries, you can paint your regular color on top of it. Liquid Mask can be found at hobby shops. The brand I use is called "Microscale Micro Mask". The bottle says it is medium thickness, which leads me to believe a denser formula is available, even though I couldn't find it in the store.
When the top layers of paint dries, peel off the masking material reveal the silver underneath. Instant weathering!
Warning!! If you use Liquid Mask with enamel paints, you MUST let the mask and the paint cure completely. If you get in a hurry and paint on top of the mask before either one is totally dry, you will have problems removing the mask.
Dry Brushing
Another great way of achieving a realistic "damage" look is to dry brush. Begin with an artist paint brush and model paint (normally silver). Dip your brush in the paint and then, with a paper towel, remove most of the paint from the brush. Take the brush and dab it on the prop until you get a little color. Be sure to apply the silver to areas that would normally show wear, like screws, corners and any place where someone's hands would grip the object.
Tools
Aside from your standard hammer, screwdrivers, etc, you'll need some sort of a rotary tool. These tools These tools normally come with several attachments including: sanding wheels, cutting disks, polish wheels, etc.. I have found these tools to be invaluable during the costume making process.
Be sure to get one that is NOT cordless. The batteries don't hold a very large charge, so you'll probably end up with the tool dying when you need it the most. If you do get one that is cordless, try the Black & Decker Versa-Pak series. The charger holds two batteries, so one can be charging while the other is in use.
Adhesives
The best multi-purpose adhesive I've found is called "Hot Melt Caulk". So far, I've only been able to find the stuff at Sears. You'll need to buy their Craftsman E-Z Fix Home Repair Kit. Basically, it's a hot glue gun, but since the caulk sticks are oval and glue gun holes are round, the sticks won't fit into a regular glue gun.
The kit comes with the glue gun, 4 different formulas of glue sticks (the caulk sticks are Formula 400), several different nozzles to get the proper flow of adhesive and an attractive carrying case! This product is definately worth the $30 price tag. I have found one problem with this adhesive: it has weight! If you use alot of this adhesive, there will be a noticable addition of weight to your prop.
Another great adhesive is ABS glue. This can be found in the plumbing department of your local hardware store. The glue was intended for use on PVC plumbing pipes, so the dauber that is included under the cap is rather large and clumsy. The glue is available in two colors: black and white.
Probably the best all purpose adhesive is cynoacrylite, commonly known as Super Glue. This adhesive will bond almost anything and it has practically no weight. Here's the downside: it stinks! If you use Super Glue in a mask, the fumes will probably irritate your eyes and make breathing difficult.
