God of War Foam Cosplay Blades of Chaos - SKS Props

Hey everyone Steve here at SKS Props back again with another cosplay build! Not long ago I was chatting with my buddy Ethan Brandt (aka Thousand Faces Cospay) and he was going to be cosplaying Kratos from the hit game God of War. I asked him if he would want me to make a set of Chaos Blades out of foam for his photo shoot, of course he said yes! I thought not only were the Chaos Blades iconic and awesome looking weapons but it would be a challenge to build them completely out of foam from TNT Cosplay Supply.

Before we begin let me say some of the products that are use in prop building can be bad for you :(

So be safe!!! Always wear eye protection, wear gloves, and use a respirator when needed.

Lets get started!!!!

Step 1: I'm Now on YouTube!!!

Now this is one of my first build that not only did I take a bunch of pics for the build thread, but I filmed everything for my YouTube channel. I would recommend to not only watch the video but read through the steps it took to bring these blades to life.

Also be sure to Subscribe to my YouTube channel for future builds! https://www.youtube.com/SKSProps

Step 2: Reference and Materials

As with all of my prop builds reference pictures are key. When you start to think about making a prop or costume from a video game, movie, etc. Always try and find as many reference images as you can.

Once I had a bunch of Chaos Blade images I drew out my own template in Photoshop so I could get the approx scale of how big I wanted to make the blades. Follow the link HERE to my Patreon page and download the FREE template so that you can build your own Blades of Chaos!

**Free PDF Chaos Blade Template can be found on my Patreon page**

https://www.patreon.com/SKSProps

Products I used in this build to bring the Blades of Chaos to life!

Foam - https://tntcosplaysupply.com/?ref=yvknq84

Dremel - https://amzn.to/2r7tdxy

Disc/Belt Sander - https://amzn.to/2r9DDvK

Barge Cement http://amzn.to/2nn2ycQ

Bob Smith Super Glue 2oz - https://amzn.to/2r3LbzW

Bob Smith Super Glue 8oz - https://amzn.to/2Jg84YJ

Bob Smith Glue Accelerator 2oz - https://amzn.to/2Khcsb3

Bob Smith Glue Accelerator 8oz - https://amzn.to/2LpuzeJ

Extra Tips for Glue Bottles - https://amzn.to/2JwuTuP

Rust-Oleum Antique Nickel - https://amzn.to/2IrHHSI

Mars Black - https://amzn.to/2I8kvIM

Iridescent Rich Silver - https://amzn.to/2KrQHoS

Raw Sienna - https://amzn.to/2Llbqeu

Cad Red Medium Hue - https://amzn.to/2KJYhe3

Iridescent Bright Silver - https://amzn.to/2LKywvq

1" Mop Brush - https://amzn.to/2HPta2X

Filbert Brush - https://amzn.to/2HPta2X

Liner Brush - https://amzn.to/2r4phN9

Step 3: Template to Foam

There are several toy and replicas companies that have made a Chaos blade or two but I thought they were always a bit to small (19-20"), I drew mine out to be around 24" from tip to tip. Once I had my templates on Bristol board I transferred that to my 1" thick foam from TNT Cosplay Supply. The detail section was cut out of 5mm foam and glued on top with Barge Cement.

Step 4: Sand, Sand...sand Some More

Using a spindle sander, belt sander, and Dremel I shaped the curves of the blade and beveled the cutting edges. I applied super glue to the outer most tips of the blades to give them some durability, that way the foam won't distort or crush over time.

Step 5: Starting to Build Up the Demon Skull

Using the same process as before I took hand drawn templates of the demon skull are transferred to 5mm foam, which wrapped around the entire back side of the blade and glued together at the bottom. Cardboard tubes are glued into place using Bob Smith super glue to act as a base structure for the handles.

Step 6: Adding Teeth

TNT Cosplay Supply sells foam dowels that worked great for the skulls teeth. These dowels were cut to length and then shaped on the belt sander. Once complete they were glued into place with Bob Smith Super Glue.

Step 7: Skull Details - Gums

The gums of the skull were created by heating up some 2mm foam and stretching it over the dowels that were already glued into place. Layer two was glued on in the same way.

Important note is that the 2mm foam, once heated, can tear quite easily so don't press it into place with anything sharp. I like to use a tongue depressor that had been sanded smooth.

Step 8: Skull Details - Face

The Face of the skull is made by again skinning the under structure of the form with 2mm foam. This technique gives you a very fluid look that is consistent with the game footage. Veins and additional details are cut out of 2mm and 4mm foam and glued into place.

Step 9: Skull Details - Top of the Skull

The top of the skull was templated on Bristol but this time transferred to 8mm foam and glued into place. Once the glue dried it was sanded flush with the Dremel to transition into the lower jaw.

Step 10: Skull Details - Top of the Skull

The second and third top details were attached in the same way. Once the glue dried it was again sanded flush to transition into the previous layers.

Step 11: Handle Wrap

The cardboard tube on the handle was first wrapped with 6mm foam to bulk it out. From there 2mm foam details were individually cut and glued into place. A small section of the cardboard tube was left exposed so that the pommel could be attached to the end.

Step 12: Pommel and Battle Damage

The pommel was cut out of a 2 inch thick foam block and then sanded into shape using the belt sander and Dremel. Battle damage was first achieved by heating up tin foil with a heat gun and pressing / embossing the foam with some pretty cool organic shapes. The cuts and scars were made using the Dremel before everything was heat sealed for Plasti Dip.

Step 13: Plasti Dip Coat 1

So that you do not obscure your details Plasti Dip should be applied in several thin coats and allowed to dry thoroughly.

Step 14: Plasti Dip Coat 2

After the second coat is applied the blades are left to completely dry is a warm but ventilated area.

Step 15: Painting Base Colors

Base colors are applied using rattle cans over the Pasti Dip. In this case I have used a basic silver, copper, and red to give me the general idea of the final look

Step 16: Hand Painting Part 1

I hand paint almost all of the props and costumes, it just gives them a more detailed and believable look. Here I have used a wash of Liquitex Mars Black over the entire surface. This knocks the base colors back some but more importantly give me a layer of acrylic to build upon.

The blade is hand painted using Liquitex Iridescent Rich Silver. I make sure to accent the bevels and edges with a decent amount of paint to give the prop a pronounced 3D appearance.

Step 17: Hand Painting Part 2

Iridescent Rich Gold is used to accent the skull and pommel. This metallic paint is very strong and a little bit goes a long way so apply a small ammount at a time and don't over do it. I am missing the pic where I paint the handle but that process can be seen on the YouTube video. Raw Sienna and Cad Med Red Hue are used to weather the foam on the handle to look like worn leather.

Step 18: Glamour Shots

Here is the final version of Krato's Blades of Chaos. These are made completely out of foam so they are both extremely light (7.4oz each) and convention safe. I hope you guys enjoyed this walk through and I hope that it inspires you to try to build a set yourself. If you do be sure to tag me on Facebook and Twitter and let me see your progress!

Kratos Cosplayer - Ethan Brandthttps://www.facebook.com/thousandfacecosplay/

Kratos Cosplay Pic taken by - Michael Hoover https://www.facebook.com/MichaelPHooverPhotograph...

Blades of Chaos by SKS Props www.facebook.com/SKSProps

The construction video is now on YouTube www.youtube.com/sksprops

You can now support my work by becoming a Patreon! www.patreon.com/SKSProps

You can also follow my work at:

www.sksprops.com

Facebook www.facebook.com/StevenKSmithProps

Instagram @SKSProps and Twitter @SKSProps

I will not be selling the foam blades but I did hand sculpt and cast resin versions that are available in my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/sksprops