Modesty's Costume Closet

I was revisiting some of my sketches for Goro's fox form that I made awhile ago.  The first image is the ideal look I want for the puppet except the front paws aren't quite right.  The correct vibe and anatomy. Wrong face, but correct front paws. The character concept for Goro is a dragon-blooded kitsune. This is why he has scales down his back and more dragon-like front paws. However, I must consider how to make this in puppet form! There are few things these front paws need to do:  Support the puppet by hooking into my clothes with claws Have a bit of weight to hold it in place Keep a round, finger paw shape Support the wire frame and remain posable Method 1: Sewing The easiest method would be to simply sew and stuff the paws more like a lizard or frog. This would give them the correct shape. The downside is that squishy front paws won't "hook" onto my clothes as easily because stuffing deforms. Even if the claw portions are a hardened material, it won't dis

 My brain has ping-ponged into all aspects of this costume and for now I'm looking into how to make the Shrine Maiden Costume. I am utilizing all my experience with making kimono and kimono-like costumes to make this. Not really futzing much with the original look.    Design Considerations Accuracy with some flare Making room for puppet arm vs regular arm Simplifying the design so it's not a hassle to wear and keep on (I hate having to worry if my pants will slide off or something.) Pieces/Layers Juban/Undershirt For style points, I'm making this red. The "Puppet" arm may need extra consideration such as an opening in the Juban sleeve at the front or under the arm. I could also do this for both sleeves so I can switch primary puppet arm if I wished.  Kimono This will be a plain color or small patterned top with semi-detached sleeves. The left sleeve will be the primary "puppet sleeve".  The length of the kimono will only come just above the knees...to sa

Progress Report Time! The beginnings of the puppet are taking shape. The focus has been on getting the head infrastructure in place.  3D model by Tioh So this was kind of the "easy" part. I resized the models to fit the sketch size and then just let it print. I mean nothing too fancy. I've temporarily attached the lower jaw with zip ties but I'm not mad at how it's been working so far so I may just keep the zip ties on. 🤷  I did the same thing for the eye mechanics Original by Tioh The mouth was also resized and printed. These were so tiny but proportional so glad I didn't have to sculpt them.  A beautiful fit! Now the models still need some work. The eyes and teeth need to be the proper colors. The inside of the head needs a few things to prepare for internal mechanics. But before getting into all that, I will have to create a pattern for the fabric covering the head. I'll be taping down masking tape or painter's tape over saran wrap. The tricky part

 When I originally started thinking about a puppet-related costume, I came up with three ideas: Rod/Cable Puppet Kasugai Crow Hand Puppet Goro the Kitsune Walk-along/marionette Kirin/Unicorn The reality is I can't do it all. As you may surmise from the title of this post, my focus for now is on the Goro puppet. Like I said, I had been plotting out all three and have some pretty interesting research results from my time spent figuring out how to make a crow, but I'd be much happier making yet another kitsune. I have the things that I like! And right now, it's Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, and Kitsune. I'm simple like that.  I'm rambling, aren't I? The Inspiration and Initial Research The character I have in mind is from my visual novel project (6 years so far in the making). He is highly anthropomorphized, expressive, and mischievous. However, I have never made a puppet of this nature so I need to ensure I do not over-complicate the design.  His beast form At t