Yet another TK lid

So nxt up on the lid front is a T*E HDPE bumpy back n' cap in the style of a sandtrooper.T*E is the Helmet maker, HDPE is the material it's pulled in & it's a Background lid but with only three teeth cut out, in representation of a sandtrooper, as seen in ANH.

The lightness is something quite surprising, as it is with most lid's which are by material very light in weight, this one is like a feather. Although out of all the helmet's this one would be my preference in "trooping in" wearing! despite it's feel it actually appears very robust & would take quite a few drop's in it's stride.Thats how it was originally painted but seeing as I'm poor at painting I had a second go but this time in the style of a TK in ESB "empirestrikesback" basically the grey bit's are Ill fitting Decals & the frown is painted black.

The "patch is an original 1980's crew patch from ESB, that I bought with a COA from a UK propstore. It was added to the helmet for fun, plus there's very few ppl with Original crew patches & I like to be a lil different on occasion.

Keeping with a TK theme for now, here's another lid

it's known as a CRProps or G Ver:1

this is without a doubt the closest reprentation of a TK out there & whatever the maker did to these lid's?, he got it spot on & this is just like looking at the film's & lifting a piece off the celuloid itself, this Helmet Delivers all the way.Side by side with other fan made helmet's, this stand head & shoulder's above the rest.

Stormtrooper Helmets Background

here's the second in the lot of TK goodies from SDS/ AA please see other post for abbreviations.

This is commonly know as a background & or that miss-noma "Stunt" helmet, essentially the helmets worn in the background by the extras in starwars. The back & top of the helmet are quite possibly not from real screen used molds so too the same as the face plate. originally 50 or so of these helmets were made, then the molds were "re-worked" to make the 6 principle actors helmets "hero lids" the differences between the background & principle actors helmets are the backgrounds have longer grey painted frowns, more teeth holes are cut, the black rubber brow is lower, they have flat green film gel strips instead of bubbled lenses & there is only one screw fixed to the round body of the ear caps.

The assembly is fractionally better placed than the other SDS/AA lid but not by much, the back & cap portion of the helmet is also much larger.

stormtrooper helmets

Ooopps nearly forgot todays update :(

Today I'll be showing two differnt stormtrooper helmet's aka "TK lid's & or Buckets" first up will be the offerings from SDS "sheperton design studios" & that infomous character AA "Andrew Ainsworth".

I initially bought these whilst living in NZ & the exchange rate was phenominally bad but It saved me from skulking round on forums & having to kiss butt just to buy something that ressembled whats seen on the big screen. Plus I did'nt feel the need to go through the "neewbie initiation" of starting with an FX kit " = a poor imitation of a TK thats readily available on ebay.

So here's the Hero lid, know as hero as there were six helmet's made for the principle actors of Han & Luke in starwars & differ from the other 50 or so helmet made for the background extras.

as can be seen, this lid was thrown together by a team of flying monkeys, who failed any form of co-ordination test. but I still like it :)

Music fingerpicking guitar

another brief respite from makeing things so I descided to move sideways "only briefly" to the topic of music & specifically that of great guitar. I appreciate it's all POV but my second love has always been a six string nylon acoustic.
Here are a couple of tracks I like to listen to for no better reason than I like em.

i've added youtube to help you search, thats just untill I figure how to add the vid direct into the post.

So if you've never herd any of these tracks listed pls check them out:"i added liks just 4 U :)"

Merriman wier any track but start with "loving you" then"welcome song"classic comic folk.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=T-CkvEcdubU

Jose Gonzalez heartbeats a classic
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=s4_4abCWw-w

Something espanic it features that cool flick "once upon a time in mexico".
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ExabkrdO0LI

Neil Diamond blue jeans "there's a montage of women wearing jeans???, still works 4 me :).
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iBxjVgogq0w

Dave Mathews Band "the space between" great band all round.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YvkX3t5LgVI

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SsK90GWBVLY

hopefully when I get back to OZ in a couple of months I'll be picking up a rare limited eddition steel string Acoustic, so i canget back to makeing my own music again, fingers crossed the deal goes through...

Devil paint up pt2, pt3

nxt up is the 2nd stage of the devil appliance, same deal agin with the pax paint mix. So I stipled the face with a base of mixed red due to the probs with the horns I still wanted to continue but away from the detail work.

I was fairly pleased with the slight sheene to the paint but it did'nt last long...The areas around all edged are left unpainted as when it's applied to a blad cap & skin there needs to be an overlap area to blend in the seams.

I ltr add a second stipled coat to the face with a deeper off red for texture & added several washes over the horns, to remove any excese & gain depth, occasionally remove any overspill with a light brush dipped in water or a sponge.

& last pic's of the finished horn detail for now.

Paint Up of the Sexy Devil

So I'm jumping over topics, Hey ho wat dy'a no!

here's a start on the sexy devil foam latex appliance.
I started on the horns which in hind sight was a miss-take :( but you live n' learn:)

Mixing a little pros-aide with acrylic paint 50/50 in a foil container, I started with a base coat of off white, then biult up with a layer of milky yellow , then sadly it went belly up with the detailing but I eventually managed to back pedal.


This the first coat applyed with a sponge, "stipled" you need to bin the sponge afterward as glue & sponges are no freinds.

it looks a lot better with the re-paint Honest!!!, I'll post more pic's ltr, as I tend to jump from the horns to the base colour for the face then returned to the Horns again.

Making a Prosthetic Pull Over Mask, Ape

So to go back to the Gorilla appliance untill I figure how to make threads on topics.

Nxt up is as the title suggests:

You will need:

(1) a Foam latex appliance

(2) some four way stretch Spandex, black preferably & thread to sew.

(3) a styrofoam head

(4) Spray type Glue "carpet glue will do"

(5) a wig

(6) a beard

(7) Pros-Aide

(8) acrylic paints

(9) stipling sponges

(10) super sculpy

(11) some time, patience & a flare for EFX make-up

I pinned the spandex to the foam head, removed then sewed the hood, cut out material where I anticipated that I would need the clean appliance to be ltr on to glue it to my skin.

Here's a pic of the roughly finished spandex hood

Screen Used BTPOTA Background Gorilla Suit

Another update quickie:


Nxt in the collection is a screen used Background Gorilla uniform from Beneath the Planet of The Apes. The piece was purchased from a well known Memorabilia retailer, Stateside & is complete with COA. Unfortunalty however it is minus it's boot's & ammo sash, which is not un-common with these thing's. The original boots were made from Vinyl, as with the gloves & vest AFIK & very few boots have survived through the years, the ammo sash is something that can be easily replaced with similar materials & same design from the film.

FYI Original Gorilla out fits from the the first film "Planet of the Apes" retail for any where upto $10,000. My little piece was considerably less but I like it non the less, as It's always there if I feel the need to go Ape. Also latest info from Apemania is they will be retailing the 1 to 1 backgroung Gorilla masks as see in the films with this outfit. So that's something else in the near future that I will be buying to compliment this little goodie... Yeah !!

Screen Used Ninja wardrobe

Brief update:


Well as every youngstery knows the desire to be a ninja is compelling beyond belief & from as far back as I can recall, after seeing Enter the Ninja for the seventh time, thats back in the day 80's style. I wanted to get me a ninja suit.


So recently after a little while online I found this on ebay, it's a screen used piece with COA from Premier Props & was featured in the 2008 Film Superheros, or so I'm told. I've thankfully only partially seen the film but for £25 plus shipping, I got to add another jigsaw piece from one of my early ambitions.Now cue Carl Douglas with a funkydelic 70's underbeat, Whhoo- Oh-oh-ooohh...
Oh! another added benifit is that I no longer need to ask a Ninja anything, like Caine in the series Kung-FU! I just look to myself for the answers, whilst skillfully "kicking Ass."

Buffy, Sweet Zoot Suit

So to go along with the Sexy devil Appliance I actually want to add to it with a whole ensemble, in time for the New Years Party. The character I'm going to try to proximate is Sweet from the sixth season of Buffy TVS he's in the Musical Episode "Once more with feeling"

The Sexy devil Appliance is maybe a distant relation of Sweet but with the whole shebang it hopefully won't be too far off.

So this is on the Burners for now, the patterns in hand & I will be sourcing the right colour & style a of material this week, so this will be new tayloring teritory for me to gain some extra skills. Great...

pic borrowed from the web thankyou, & if you dont want to share it "dont post it"

Sexy Devil "foam Latex Appliance"

Quick update!

nxt up is a foam latex appliance, courtesy of Andy Wright from http://www.morphstore.com/ To learn a bit more about SFX make-up/blending & Generally getting into the goo a little more I opted to get this as another learner project & hopefully as a costume Character in time for the new years party.

here's how it arrives in it's raw form & placed on a five dollar polystyrene head.

There is also an excellent Tutorial on the morphstore website of applying a foam application & adding the make-up, it's in a pdf format & worth saving. However If you still need more info Andy is excellent with post purchase follow up. Occasionally the morphstore run bargin offers on various appliances via ebay, so if youve a little post Halloween cash you may want to check them out.

Gorilla "foam Latex Appliance" & cheap hair!

So I like thing's Ape.


One example of this is here:

This is one of my apemania gorilla appliance's on a spandex hood, with a cheap Do! it's still needs to be finished but it's getting there.

The great thing with Apemania is the mask's are from screen molds, it's a licenced product so there's no need for any skull-duggery in getting a hold of one but in the world of appliances they aint cheap, you will need to go Ape with the wallet but Brian & the gang are a professional Hollywood SFX company so you get what you pay for.

Check out http://www.apemania.com/ for other cool Monkey stuff. btw Brian & the Troupe there are top guy's & they have a layaway offer on the merchendise which comes in handy.

Buffy! Hush! "Gentelmen"

Ok! So whilst getting the hang of this I'm going to start with the most recent stuff first.

So first up, here's the newest little piece of my screen memorabillia in the odd's & end's collection.

It's a foam latex Appliance from the TV series Buffy TVS, the Character is one of the Gentlemen from the Fourth Series: Episode Hush, the Piece is numbered 1 & was not used on screen but was in the production, hense the lack of make-up/paint.

IMHO! I think It's one of the best Scary monsters ever, with vitually no dialogue through the whole episode it's a creepy entity that goes back to horror basics.

Here's a shot of what it looked like on the small screen with make up & ensemble. I'll post up some better pic's when I've the time.
The mask itself arrived quickly, well packaged & with an authentic COA, so I'm a happy Bunny.

I hope to add a few more items to this collection as I'm a big Buffy Fan, "Hush" & "once more with Feeling" are two of my all time favourite things to watch. Another plus is this gives me another great example of how to sculpt something sinisterly cool for when I break out the clay ltr on.

Monkeypaws Epmorium is now open

Hello & welcome to me monkeypaw & this, my small space of the internet, my Monkeypaw Emporium.

Here you will find things I either make, buy, like & or have a general interest in.

First up!

Here's pictorially what's most like me & encapsulates my attitude to the world of cyberspace & life.

I'm on the endangered list!!! well not really, I'm just a little Shy but still like to see whats going on & add my 2 cents of course!.

more monkey High jinx to follow...

Prequel to the Emporium opening

Hello & welcome to me Monkeypaw & my soon to open' little bit of internet space.

Here you will find an ecltectic mix of thing's I like, make buy or am just generally interested in ranging from screen used props, replica prop's, leater craft, Costumes, Sculpting, SFX make-up, Foam latex Appliances, music, flilms, books any everything else... including a sales & a WTB page.

here's an action shot of an SDS TK by AA with partial MR E-11

I'll get onto TK's ltr with the good, the bad & the other's, plus share one or two hard to find items & as a parting shot untill the Emporioum opens, the world of TK is very much like the realm of the X-files, in so much as you "trust no one".