Here's a sneak peek at a project that has been brewing for more than 2 years! I've always wanted a skunk costume, and last November I started making Violette DeFleurette, aka 'Cupcake'. She's a plus-sized girl skunk and I've been working hard the last few months to try and bring her to completion. My original goal of having her done for Morphicon will most likely have to be slid to MFF instead. The link I'm posting will take you through the construction gallery and allow you to follow along as the project progresses. I've posted the major build points right up through today's work, except for some experimental video viewing system. In order to make her pupils move in every direction, I sacrificed the easy vision route and ended up buying video glasses to see if I could navigate around with that system instead. The advantages are purity of artistic vision, as you aren't saddled with compromises to get good vision, especially in a head this large. Another is the possibility of night vision, which this first camera does not have. Preliminary tests walking around the apartment tells me the process works pretty well, with some small caveats: handling objects and motion sickness. I was able to grasp objects after I moved the camera from the top of her head to her nose, closer to my eye line. After wearing the head for 10 minutes and successfully operating doorknobs and light switches, I found that later, after I'd taken the head off that I had a slight case of motion sickness. Not bad, mind you, but disconcerting enough to try more tests tomorrow. For 4 minute acts on stage it wouldn't be a problem, but a 2 hour hall walk might be. I'll keep you posted. Here's the link to the photo bucket gallery:
http://s287.photobucket.com/albums/ll134/kittfoxx/Cupcake/
excited