# craft foam scales?



## dragon_mel (Jun 24, 2009)

So I've looked through the previous threads for information on making scales, and I really only saw that armor, which I know I do now want to use.  I was considering cutting craft foam to make scales, which would hopefully make my partial suit lighter and less expensive to make.  Does anyone have any experience with working with craft foam to make scales or something like that?  Or does anyone have a better idea to make realistic-looking scales?

Any tips from cutting to coloring the foam would be much appreciated! ^.^


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## Manic_Fish (Jun 24, 2009)

dragon_mel said:


> So I've looked through the previous threads for information on making scales, and I really only saw that armor, which I know I do now want to use.  I was considering cutting craft foam to make scales, which would hopefully make my partial suit lighter and less expensive to make.  Does anyone have any experience with working with craft foam to make scales or something like that?  Or does anyone have a better idea to make realistic-looking scales?
> 
> Any tips from cutting to coloring the foam would be much appreciated! ^.^



Well, I have cut foam before, the craft kind (never attempted scales before I leave that kind of stuff to my best friend)... and I recommend an X-acto or other craft type knife, and to have a pattern to trace. It sounds like it would be a bit tedious to do *but* it also sounds like it would be cool. You should give it a shot!

As for coloring it... I'd say pretty much anything. Airbrush, acrylics, inks, spraypaint... pretty much anything should work. Good luck!


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## Trpdwarf (Jun 24, 2009)

When I was doing when some scaling on my dragon costume, I used regular fun foam, and cut it out. I don't know if that helps.


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## midnit (Jun 24, 2009)

id go with fun foam too thats stuff is so easy to use and not heavy


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## dragon_mel (Jun 24, 2009)

Trpdwarf said:


> When I was doing when some scaling on my dragon costume, I used regular fun foam, and cut it out. I don't know if that helps.


 
do you have any pics of how it turned out on your costume?


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## Chex (Jun 25, 2009)

On a semi-related note, I used Foamies, craft foam, to make automail once upon a time.

It worked fantastically because it's really flexible, paintable, easy to cut, and comes in several thicknesses and colors to begin with. It's semi-squishable, too, which means you can get a great texture by pressing things into it or rolling it thinner. 

Glue sticks to it well, and it's fun to play with. All in all, a good thing to play around with for costuming.


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## dragon_mel (Jun 25, 2009)

Chex said:


> On a semi-related note, I used Foamies, craft foam, to make automail once upon a time.
> 
> It worked fantastically because it's really flexible, paintable, easy to cut, and comes in several thicknesses and colors to begin with. It's semi-squishable, too, which means you can get a great texture by pressing things into it or rolling it thinner.
> 
> Glue sticks to it well, and it's fun to play with. All in all, a good thing to play around with for costuming.


 
oo i hadnt thought about playing around with texture! thanks!


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## Trpdwarf (Jun 26, 2009)

dragon_mel said:


> do you have any pics of how it turned out on your costume?



Give me a bit and I can give you a note with a few pictures.


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## Trpdwarf (Jun 26, 2009)

dragon_mel said:


> oo i hadnt thought about playing around with texture! thanks!



You can also make faux texture by pleating things. Works well for fleece or faux leather like the stuff I have on my torso, and underneath of my tail.

You'll want a sowing machine though because sowing lines in by hand is a bitch. For my dragon v2 I am definitely going to place around with pleating the actual fleece to see what effect I can get.


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## Ozriel (Jun 26, 2009)

For a Western and Eastern Dragon, fun foam works well. If you are uber artistic, you can also try layering some paper mache on the cut fun foam pieces to give them a rough texture (If you are going for rough) and paint it. But fun foam works well.


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## Zrcalo (Jun 29, 2009)

take the craft foam and cut strips with scales, then glue the strips together... to create a scale surface.... and.. after you're done, get some metallic spraypaint and lightly go over the surface hitting mostly the tips.

 we did that for a fish craft when I was babysitting and man did it look good!


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