This is so unique!!

awesome. :)

I guess you could use rings too, instead of the wire. the same rings used for LARP chainmail armoury, respective what's used for car seat upholstery. thing is, these rings would add weight to the construction, and a good stainless binding wire works the same, and doesn't require a special pliers like the rings.

you could give the feather wire's loop an angle so the loop would "stand up" while the feathers lay flat. that would probably need a stop for the thread, too, so the feathers don't fall into the face, though.
important with the threads is that they can run freely, of course, especially around corners. think of it like a bicycle's brake wiring: every bending and turn-around is within a hull, or else the wire would just shorten the loop.
in case of a mask like Scarab I would add a few strap-on belts with loops on them for the thread, around shoulder section, elbow, and hand joint, so the thread wouldn't just press against the costume sleeve. even though it works fine in the video, so it won't need much. :)

I did try with my first attempt at making Radula having rings for the strings to go through, or tubes through the shirt, or straps to hold the strings but I found they actually made more problems then solutions. I think it increased the contact points for the strings which always makes more friction to deal with and it also pulls on whatever it's attached to. So like, you're pulling on your head, but also your shoulder or whatever it's bound too. I dunno it probably could be of benefit but I didn't really ever figure it out lol.

The standing loop for the feathers sounds interesting. If I'm imagining it right. Might try it out.

Thanks for the input and ideas!

I see what you mean. that is indeed a problem.

my pleasure. :) keep up experimenting and working out! :)

Yes this helps a lot! Thank you so much for making this video.

Only other question - how is it made to move? Does the whole zig zag section side or is it just a tug of the front feathers that pulls the rest?

You showed a tube with a coil inside in the beginning but I'm unclear on what that is for?

You say the tube with the coil makes it all happen. Is that what gets pulled by a cord? And the zig zag is attached to that?

Oh no no, the zigzag doesn't move, nor does the tube. Only the feathers move. And they move when you thread them together and then attach a string at the front of the crest. pulling down will open up the feathers kinda like how a fan or a fish fin works. The tubing with the coil in it is just for said string to go through to get to the back of your head without causing too much friction from pulling.

Ohhh okay! So the coil inside the tube is just for support?

Gosh thanks so much for answering all my questions!

The inside the tube actually helps with friction on the strings. Like instead of the string just rubbing the entire length of a plastic/rubber tube, it only comes in contact with the coils of the wire which cuts done on friction a TON. Makes everything possible really.

Oh that's so clever! Gosh thanks again for all your tips on this!! I can't wait so see what else you create.

nice assistant!

Thank you so much for these. I've been thinking about making a new head for a while, and these might give the the push that I needed.
Your work is really inspiring, and I've been drooling over the technique and style for the last few days. XD

awesome! I plan to make more. Time lapses and just...me trying to verbally explain and show what I'm doing lol. I'm so glad they've inspired you and would love to see what you come up with for your new head!

I'll share some WIPs, then.
Maybe we can even brainstorm. :3

Here's a video of my current one... So far, I've done mostly leatherwork.
https://twitter.com/ChromamancerArt.....01885775126528

I built some digital eyes, and I have a WIP of an argonian one with mechanical eyelids, but I never thought about articulating more...
I'm definitely interested in possibly commissioning one, as well. <3

Oh wow he's gorgeous! I've always wanted to work with leather and you're a MASTER lol. But seriously that is amazing and so so shiny

I've seen the digital eyes! Very cool. I'd love to see your blinking argonian though. It'd be really cool to somehow figure out how to use your leather work in a puppet mask. Leather is stiff but I wonder if say, a dragon face could be made in moveable segments. Like the scales aren't attached to each other but held onto a particular moving part so when say, the mouth snarls, the scales just slide over each other. Be cool for a robot type of creature too. Arg, ideas.

I've been wanting to make a dragon or, really whatever creature you're interested in getting. Gonna be closed for awhile with my current commissions which are what I'm really trying to learn off of and improve at the moment. But I'll keep you in mind for sure and would love to bounce ideas back and forth!

This is SO creative!! I've been drooling over the Scarab suit for a while now, and finally stumbled across your page x)

Do you have any thoughts on a way to put a system like this in on a foam head? I've been planning a cockatoo suit and wanted to give it a moving crest (nothing else articulated), but wouldn't be able to do a wire framing like you do.

Hmm, well, I think you'd have to build like, a wire "hat" sort of thing. Just keep it simple, like a crown on your head with an arch over your skull to hold the moving crest feathers. Then you could possibly build the foam face around it like a normal head. I've never built a traditional head before so you'd have to figure that out yourself rofl.