Tomb Raider Ice Picks - Eva Foam build
Eva Foam in different thicknesses. (I highly recommend High density Foam because it´s way more solid and more practical for Props) I used 5mm Foam for the base and 2mm Foam for details
White fabric and some leather straps for the details
A sharp box cutter, scissors and a dremel
Hot air Gun + Hot Glue Gun
Your Primer of choice ( I always prefer Flexbond, wood glue for props because it gives the whole thing extra stability and makes it less wobbly + you can cover all your mistakes hehehe.. ) but Plastidip is fine too :)
Your Paint of choice (I used dark red and silver-metallic spraypaint)
Okay got everything you need? Let´s start..
The First step is to find a good Blueprint. You can find plenty online or you can create your own (like I did) just make sure all the proportions are correct. I always work with alot of reference Pictures
Carefully cut out your Pattern and transfer it to your Eva Foam. My picks consists of 3 parts each (2mm Foam) + the two sepperate pieces for the handle (also 2mm Foam)
Next step is to glue everything together with contact cement. I added some small additional details with normal super glue.
Wear a mask and dremel the hecc out of it, until everything is smooth and pretty. I added some more details. Battle damage and the tiny hole at the bottom.
Now prime everything with your primer of choice. (Plastidip,Gummidip or normal Wood glue works just fine) I always use Wood Glue for props because it gives your prop the extra stability it needs and you can cover up all the mistakes you made. 4-5 coats until everything is smooth
If you´re happy with the result it´s time for Paint :D
I used Spray paint for the main areas and acrylic paints for the details, but of course you can use whatever is available to you :) I let everything dry over night before I move on.
For weathering I took some black acrylic paint and mixed it with a lot of water, (Oil paints work extremely well, so if you have that definitely use it!) brushed it all over the prop and took most of it off with a dry cloth. This step is super important. It gives your prop realism and depth. I added some additional brown for rusty look to reinforce the general metallic look of the prop :)
Set everything with a shiny setting spray to protect your fine work!
For the last step I took some leftover white fabric, weathered it with some red,brown and black acrylics and added a leather ribbon to the bottom hole we made earlier. You can use some additional details, depending on what your reference pictures show you.
And you´re done! The whole thing took me around 2 days and I only used very affordable materials.
I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Don`t hesitate to ask me if you have any more questions or need tips for your own cosplay projects.
Have fun crafting guys! :)
