Ask: The Box Trolls: Making Egg
Is there a way for me to make the box, and wear it too? (Hope this makes sense)
Reference:http://jasmarie1900.tumblr.com/post/91609600220/eggs-box-reference Thanks, jasmarie1900
So, to start, I just want to say I am super excited for 'Box Trolls'. Laika studios puts out some of my absolute all-time favorite animated films, and I hope they stay around for a long long time.
The box itself on little Egg is, well, a box. You could literally go down and get a box, fit it with arm holes and an opening for your head, and then just cut out the bottom completely for the structure. Its literally a box, may as well stay authentic! Unmarked boxes can be a little tough to find, but by no means impossible- I know my local postal service carries plain brown ones.
Adding detail shouldn't be too hard either, maybe time consuming though. The bottom edge has a peeled off 'edge', which you could quite literally do with your box. Sketch the shape with a pencil, then just gently scrape and peel (slowly) until you have the desired look. Pretty simple, ya?
When 'wearing' the edges- the dark and light spots- I would use chalk pastel, and secure the color with a spray glue (like photo adhesive, or just elmers glued watered down and spritzed on from a spray bottle- but don't use a brush, or you'll knock the color off). Just rub the chalk lightly over the surface, smear with your finger to ground it in (start small)
A dry acrylic 'rub', that's blended very well. Acrylic dries and becomes really shiny unless it's watered down and babied. I would have several brushes set up, a mixed black and brown, and white with brown; both have the brown to soften the edges of the black and white, NOT to overly tint them. Light, frequent layers are the key. Cardboard is a big baby, treat it as such. Go slow.
I'm a pretty good artist- I'm meticulous and slow going- and find free hand copying easy. If you do, great! Do that for the design. I would color with chalk, or a thin acrylic to make it look like it was stamped on. If I used chalk, I would be sure to not run my hand over it while I worked, and to spray glue it in place at the end, so it sticks.
But freehanding probably isn't easy for most people, so for Egg's printed picture on his front I would try:
Print The Design: Try to find a nice clean picture of it, and blow it up to print on an 8x10, printer paper is just fine. With your steadiest hand, trace onto a clean paper with a black pen; I advise no felt tips, try ballpoint, and go slow. There's no rush. Study the design, the border isn't totally solid- Laika has a habit of making edges look like they're sketched and imperfect. I myself would color in the blue with water color, as it blends better with the next step. You can find plenty of how-tos on watercolors through google.
Color the Paper: Brew some black tea, or half a cup of dark coffee: if you're using coffee grab a paper towel, a paint brush, whatever you prefer to dab the color onto the paper, lightly. If you're using tea, enjoy your cup while you utilize the tea bag (after squeezing it out) to dab the color. You don't want to drown your paper, so build your colors up in light layers, dabbing puddles dry with a spare napkin. While the edges are wet rip them so they fray. Let it dry (I'm impatient, so I throw it in the oven at about 200 for five minutes or less...) and repeat the process until you feel it will blend with the overall aesthetic (Box Trolls is set in a sewer, its dirty and grimey!)
Adhering to the Box: When its all dry, grab a disposable brush and some watered down glue (I use craft or elmers), and coat the box (only where the paper will be) or back of the paper lightly, in circles, starting from the center of the paper. This first part is to just get the paper to adhere. If you glob it'll welt, and get shiny, and look icky. Go easy. Its about precision. I like to run my fingers over the clean top, squishing it as much as possible as I glue it outwards like a ripple: it won't be totally flat, you warped the paper when you put the coffee/tea on it. Don't worry, but don't let it dry before the next part:
Blending the Edges: With your glue layer now adhering the paper to the box, brush over the edges of the paper to 'blend' it into the box, again- lightly. Its a piece of paper, it's not going anywhere. You sort of want to make it seem like its printed on, that's the look you're going for.
Details: When its all set and glued, use a thinned acrylic to blend the totality together, bringing it all together in one look.
I've never made this prop, but I hope this at least gives you an idea of what to go on. Keep looking around, see if other's have done this in other ways. Test ideas for yourself- cosplay is a mix of science and art, so be patient.
Remember, cardboard is HELLA absorbent, so be kind and tender to it, or you'll have issues where it'll want to peel on you. Also, when you cut out the bottom keep that cardboard, you can test techniques and colors on it without messing up your box. Proceed when you're comfortable.
(You've peaked my interest, so I may just go test these techniques myself- NO PROMISES, but it could be fun. I'll keep you posted.)
