Ng is not a cosplayer herself, but she has done some amazing work for cosplayers, including a stunning set of armor designed for Felicia Day. She has made other sets of armor as well, plus gorgeous masks and a lot more. She has worked with Marvel before, 3D printing Ironheart’s armor for another episode of Marvel Becoming, although usually she makes only original work.
“If I take on any kind of commission that is based on pre-existing IP, it’s because I’ve been given permission to offer my own spin on it while still honoring as much of the original design as possible,” she says. “And while the thought of sharing my own take on Hela was exciting, I was also feeling a bit nervous…There’s still pressure when coming up with original designs that both viewers and I will enjoy, but when it’s based off of a pre-existing IP, there seems to be a lot less room for you to make mistakes or alterations that fans will be happy with.”
The headdress needed to be custom fit to cosplayer Jessica Dru Johnson. It had to be lightweight and well-balanced with detachable antlers, and had to fit easily in a carry-on suitcase. It would be at a slightly smaller scale, and needed to be semi-rigid and impact-resistant. Ng also wanted to make the antlers glow, as she’s done with other pieces, but unfortunately couldn’t stray that far from the original design.
First Ng used photogrammetry to scan a bust of Johnson’s head. Then she began modeling her design, using Hela’s suit from the film trailer as inspiration to create some new details.
“Ironhead Studio’s original Hela headdress design had antlers that had a smooth surface, but I wanted the antlers to have patterns that matched the ones detailed on her suit,” Ng says. “I wanted the patterns to be visible without being overwhelming.”
Then it was time for post-processing. Ng cleaned up the details of the antlers using a Dremel with a diamond coated rotary burr to cut through the tough material. She then filled in problem spots with flexible filler, sanded, and primed the entire headdress with a high build flexible primer – then sanded some more, and finally assembled the whole headdress. She attached the antlers to the cap (which fit perfectly on the bust of Johnson’s head) and airbrushed it in pearlescent green. She then sealed the entire piece.
“I honestly had a lot of fun sharing my own spin on Hela’s headdress,” Ng says. “It was also a great challenge to see how I could re-imagine an already gorgeous piece. Overall, I hope viewers enjoy this as much as I enjoyed creating it.”
She adds, however, that she still wants to make the antlers glow.
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[Source/Images: Lumecluster]