The Helmet: Foam Base

I used a basic foam wig mannequin for the base from which to build the skull helmet for my updated Angel of Death costume. Fortunately my head is almost the same circumference as the foam mannequin so I didn’t need to build it out very much. When making hats or helmets it is always important to measure the size and shape of the wearer’s head. This can be done quite simply by cutting a hole in a piece of cardboard and adjusting it until it fits comfortably around the wearer’s head.

Foam Mannequin with Horns

I started sculpting the helmet in foam beginning with the horns. Symmetry is very important in a lot of my designs so I wanted to make sure that the placement of the horns was symmetrical from the very beginning. I started with two identically curved pieces of wire. Then I covered the wire with scored pipe insulation foam. Foam is a great choice for sculpting the core form in if you especially if you intend on leaving the core from inside the finished product as I did.

Spray Insulation Foam Base

The rest of the form was roughed out in spray insulation foam (GreatStuff) and a chicken-wire armature for the beak. Again, the idea here is to keep the materials light and easy to carve down later. Note: spray foam expands a lot! So don’t fill in gaps too heavily and expect to carve the form down later.