D o v a h k i i n
Fus-ro-dah
Techniques used: EVA foam fabrication, Thermoplastic fabrication, pattern making, machine sewing, acrylic painting, leather crafting
Best in Journeyman Category at Castle Point Anime Convention 2023
Judges award at Katsucon 2023
Taking what I learned from my first armor build, I approached my second with a few different goals. I chose this particular set as it is the one that appears in all promotional material for the game, thus making it rather iconic. I also chose the male version of this set. While the female version is similar, it lacks the crossed pieces over the chest; an aspect which I feel is one of the more recognizable parts of the armor. I chose to go ahead with the male version and make adjustments as needed along the way.
This build also had to be as comfortable as possible. My first build severely restricted movement to the point where I could not sit down, and overheating was a present issue. This motivated me to expirement with features in order to maximize comfort. While not pictured, this build includes a hidden pocket, and vents in the gauntlets to allow myself to cool down without removing part of the costume.
This build was my first time drafting sewing patterns from scratch. I began with taping tracing paper to a dress form in the desired shape. I then cut it off, and added darts to allow the pattern to lay flat. I found the faux fur pieces were more easily handled by wrapping the fabric around myself and marking where it should be cut. I opted for corset-style lacing on the shirt portion as it fit with the "Medieval Viking" style of Skyrim. Since the skirt pieces have no visible fasteners, I opted for convenience and added a channel in the waistline to run a belt through. In order to cover the area where the belt exits the skirt, I added a flap of faux fur that was fastened over the belt with velcro.
One of the few parts of this build I had a complete pattern for was the gloves. Sizing took a few tries as I learned my hands are proportioned more to a man's than woman's glove. In the end, I made two pairs; one full fingered pair for judging, and a fingerless pair for convenience when walking around a convention.
After learning the winner of another cosplay contest won because they'd made their own shoes, I knew my next build had to have handmade shoes - or boots. I began this aspect of the build by creating a mock-up of the boots from muslin using a historic pattern. Once this was finished, I transferred the pattern onto leather. I opted to line the boots with suede and add a premade insole to maximize comfort. The outer soles are also stamped with a pebbly texture to reduce slipping. The buttons were made from sculpey and painted with acrylic paint.
This build wound up being full of firsts. I used Worbla(thermoplastic) for the first time to create the gauntlets and shinguards. I cut the Worbla to shape, and heated it to adhere the small details. Once this was finished, I molded the heated pieces around a poster tube to make them cylindrical.
For the other armor pieces and weapons, I measured each piece against an in-game character, and approximated those measurements onto myself. In order to create the armor's carved details, I traced over screenshots of the pieces in-game, and transferred them onto foam. Each piece was then cut from thin layers of foam and glued in a stack.
I made the iconic iron helmet out of EVA foam and used Kamuicosplay's viking helmet pattern as a starting point. The horns are made from tinfoil wrapped in yarn. Instead of being directly attached to the helmet, the horns stay in place with magnets; making them removable for easy transport
One of my favorite aspects of this build is that it is machine washable! Every foam and Worbla piece is attached to the outfit with Velcro for easy removal. To prep them for paint, I taped over the velcro, sanded with a Dremel and sealed with spray-on Plastidip. I added a dusting of copper spray paint before drybrushing layers of silver acrylic. Once each piece was dry, I added a mix of copper and brown paint to simulate rust.
I couldn't consider this build finished until I created a Dwarven Armored Mudcrab to go with it. Added in Skyrim's most recent update, it captiated my heart the second I laid eyes on it. I began by altering a pattern by "Whileshenaps". I also included wire in the crab's eyestalks, and glass beads in its belly and claws to assist in sitting upright. The armor was created by retracing parts of the original pattern and adding embellishments and Velcro straps.
