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RoxyBlue's $20 Prop Contest Entry - The Death Drone & Tombstone

14K views 46 replies 39 participants last post by  Dark Angel 27 
#1 · (Edited)
The Death Drone - Little is known of this shy creature that haunts the grave sites of those who were neglected, abandoned, or accursed in life. Her face so nearly human coupled with a body like that of an insect suggests that her maternal ancestor was also the sad victim of some long-forgotten curse. Swift to take flight when approached, she is more often heard than seen, playing a simple yet haunting melody on her instrument.

086 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152228041@N02/

079 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152228041@N02/

DSCF1438 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152228041@N02/

075 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152228041@N02/

PROP MATERIAL COSTS

16 gauge rebar tie wire ($0.02/ft x 4.5 ft) = $0.09
Cotton ball ($0.01 ea x 1) = $0.01
Duct tape ($0.05/ft x 2.5) = $0.13
Hot glue ($0.06/mini stick x 0.25) = $0.02
Mache sealant ($6.00/bottle x 0.125) = $0.75
Newspaper (free)
Paper towels (2 ply) ($0.02/sheet x 2) =$0.04
Picture hanger wire ($0.05/ft x 2.33 ft) = $0.12
White flour n($1.59/2lb bag x 0.125) =$0.20
Wooden beads ($3.99/150)($0.03 ea x 2) =$0.06
Masking tape ($0.07/yd x 0.08 yd) = $0.01
Mulch chips (violin body, bridge) (free)
Willow tree twig (bow, neck) (free)
Thread, white sewing (3 ft) approx $0.05
Acrylic paint (white, yellow, green, bronze, copper, brown, black - small amounts) - approx $0.50

Death Drone Total Cost $1.96

Styrofoam insulated box liner (free)
Liquid Nails ($4.94/10 oz tube x 0.01) = $0.05
Spackle ($3.28/8 oz x 0.025) = $0.08
Paint:
- grey "oops" paint ($1.00/qt x 0.3 qt) = $0.30
- diluted acrylic (black, moss green - small amounts) - approx. $0.25
Name template (paper/laser black ink) - approx. $0.05
Paper for cross template (from recycle bin)(free)

Tombstone Total Cost $0.73

GRAND TOTAL $2.69

Here is a video of the construction:



And here is the "how it was done" write-up:

CONSTRUCTION

Death Drone

Body framework is 16 gauge rebar tie wire (18" for the body, 3 x 12" for the legs/arms). Feet and hands were shaped from heavy duty picture hanging wire (4 x 4" for legs, 2 x 5.5" for hands). Body was fleshed out with newspaper secured with small pieces of duct tape (approx 2.5 ft of tape, including what was needed to attach the legs and arms to the body)

Hands and feet were covered with masking tape (approx. 3" x 3" piece of tape used). One cotton ball was used to fill in any areas that were uneven. Eyes are ½" diameter wooden beads attached with hot glue (2 beads used). Wings were made from scrap cardboard

Entire piece was covered with newspaper strips using a flour & water mache mix, followed by a second layer using paper towels (½ cup flour used, 2 full sheets of 2-ply paper toweling). The piece was sealed with an all-purpose sealer for porous surfaces prior to painting (1/8 of an 8 oz bottle used).

Piece was painted using acrylic paints - white, black, yellow, green, bronze, brown, copper. Violin was carved from a small piece of hardwood mulch, as was the bridge. The bow and neck were carved from willow twigs. Strings are short pieces of white sewing thread. The neck and bridge were attached to the body of the instrument with hot glue.

Tombstone

The tombstone was made from the Styrofoam lining taken from an insulated shipping box (Spooky1 gets these all the time at work and just rescued one from the trash pile). Base is 18" wide, 14" deep, and 5" high. Cross is approx. 21" high by 15" wide. The main portion of the cross is 2" thick; the circular recessed portion is 1.5" thick.

Design for the cross was drawn on paper, then cut out and taped to a piece of Styrofoam liner. Cutting was done with a hot wire. A 6" x 2" section of scrap Styrofoam was glued to the bottom of the cross using Liquid Nails. Spackle was used to smooth the seam.

Lettering for the base was done by printing the name on a sheet of paper, which was then taped to the base. A scalpel was used to cut through the paper, forming an outline of the letters in the Styrofoam. The paper was removed and excess Styrofoam inside the letter outlines cut out. A dremel tool was used to smooth out any rough edges in the letters.

The entire piece was given a base coat of gray latex "oops" paint. Back acrylic paint diluted with water was used to highlight the lettering and add streak marks and texturing to the cross and base. Diluted green paint was daubed onto part of the tombstone to simulate moss growth.

If I've forgotten anything, I'll edit this when it's not quite so late at night.
 
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#18 ·
Oh Roxy, I just love it! The video was FABULOUS, better than any worded how to, because you took so many pictures, it was amazing to watch it come together step by step. The mache work is very detailed and well done, absolutely artful paint work, and so creepy on the tombstone - one of those things that make you do a double take and think, "what thaaaaaa?" . Awesome. Thanks so much for posting!
 
#22 ·
You guys are sweet:)


A comment about the use of a story - The inspiration for developing a back story for a prop came from a previous contest entry made by Gothic Candle for the 2008 MacGuyver $20 Prop Contest. Her cat lady Mrs Fitz had a story and it was a nice touch. Other people here have done the same thing (Dave the Dead and Ghoul Friday come to mind) and I think it really can help when developing a character prop such as the Death Drone. The choice of name used on the tombstone also fits the story (bonus bragging rights to the first person to figure out the connection:D).
 
#31 ·
You guys are sweet:)

A comment about the use of a story - The inspiration for developing a back story for a prop came from a previous contest entry made by Gothic Candle for the 2008 MacGuyver $20 Prop Contest. Her cat lady Mrs Fitz had a story and it was a nice touch. Other people here have done the same thing (Dave the Dead and Ghoul Friday come to mind) and I think it really can help when developing a character prop such as the Death Drone. The choice of name used on the tombstone also fits the story (bonus bragging rights to the first person to figure out the connection:D).
ooo I got mentioned in a thread i had nothing to do with! yay! Glad I could inspire you. Your prop is really awesome too. I love the story too. My mom called it "cute" which it is, in a super creepy way.
 
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