Star Wars had a major impact on my childhood, and Darth Vader and his backstory and legendary armor design got me into my passion for creating. First constructed in a paper mock-up to evaluate design considerations and sizing, the helmet was then 3D printed and sanded, filled, painted, and finished to a high level of gloss. Anakin's face beneath the helmet was sculpted from Super Scuply and finished using acrylic paint. Using a glass marble, paint, and a neat red yarn trick, I was able to create a realistic eye with a translucent, glowing effect when his helmet is illuminated form the inside. I believe that subtle design choices like this can elevate any piece and add another dimension to the character and story.
Using zero templates and a few sheets of foam, in middle school, l I was tasked with creating a custom Tin Man costume for our school play. This was my first time creating something custom fitting to an actor and durable enough for multiple shows. One added difficulty I needed to overcome from this project was that it took place in 2020 during lock down, and I did not have the actor there to do any test fits and relied on the dimensions he gave me. Fortunately, the costume fit perfectly the first time, and no modifications were needed.
