I don't know if this will work - Tiefling Ears

[@aj3dprints]

I appreciate you showing failures along with successes. Helps the rest of us casuals feel better about our own failures along the way.

[@punishedprops]

You're welcome! We sure do fail a lot in our prototypes :D

[@PsykotikDragon]

It is through failure that we learn the most

[@hoymcrobinson2480]

Failure is frustrating, and it's hard not to be demoralized. Just try to learn from them and remember that you'll laugh about it later.

[@orrmus]

North of the Border? I think his name is Adam and he makes Tiny Nerdy Things.

[@punishedprops]

Adam isn’t just good, he’s good enough

[@JayG63]

I'm very surprised you didn't make a plaster cast of the clay ears and do latex slush mold or silicone for the ears. So much lighter and more lifelike.

[@punishedprops]

That may be the next attempt! I'm worried about solid silicone being too heavy and floppy, but I've gotten so many great suggestions to help figure it out

[@Dishyg]

You can also use latex and they will be light

[@markfergerson2145]

@@Dishygthat was my immediate thought- make a plaster or silicone mold of the clay ears and fill it with latex, then stick the latex ears on. I’ve read that latex isn’t very durable but that might only apply to older latex. Worst case, make several latex copies for backups.

[@adamalander7515]

@@markfergerson2145 Yeah you could do a thin slush of latex or silicone, and then fill the remainder with poly foam. It would have a skin like feel but be very light weight!. :)

[@squigbeast7217]

This is the method I used to use for making ear tips. Normally sculpt in wax so can do a burn out to clear the mold. Slush the mold with Latex which was pre dyed to come out pretty much the right finish. Only issue was the ears would degrade over time so had to make new ones each season.

[@coopervanbonn7525]

I really love seeing these progress videos instead of one big video at the end, it shows how much work you actually have to do instead of making it all seem easy. I just started a big project, and it feels so much more work than what people perceive.

[@DelcoRanz93]

I've never personally made ear extensions, but one tried and true method I'm well aware of is Foam latex prosthetics, The best example of those being used for ears is pretty much every Star Trek show between the Original series through to Star Trek: Enterprise. I think a different material is used today, but the basic process is more-or-less the same as it was. A Casting or 3D scan is made of the actors' ears, the extension is sculpted where needed either with clay or digitally, then a silicone mold is made with the extension on the ear leaving a cavity for the foam latex to be injected into the mold, then after the casting is done curing, it probably need a bit of post-processing and some paint to match with the actor's skin tone and makeup, it would be otherwise done.

[@punishedprops]

That's such a cool process!

[@DelcoRanz93]

@@punishedprops I should mention that's how I understand the process, Some of the details are my interpretation of how it was done.

[@DragonForgePottery]

What I have done is to use paper clips. You unbend the clip, for it into a sort of C shape. This C shape then wraps around the outside of your ear and will act as an anchor/attachment point. Get 2 spacers I would recommend between 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch dowels. Use a Rolling pin to flatten the clay to same thickness. Embed the wire into the 1/8 inch piece to act as the back of the ear. You can even use another part of the paper clip wire to add rigidity along the back, and when you put clay over that make it look like the helix of your ear. Another along the top, for the top part of the helix. Then use the clay to sculpt the anthihelix and other parts around your actual ear. You can make your own ear look like the concha.

[@punishedprops]

Thank you for the instructions! I love the idea of a wire support.

[@ForgottenAria]

I haven't made my own ears, but I think if I was making an attempt, I would use 2mm eva foam to make the back of the ear and then foam clay to sculpt the front with maybe a strip to give the edge some structure or something to prevent it from tearing when removing it from the adhesive. I just went and made a test structure (with out the sculpt) and I think it would work. I wasn't going to make my ears, but you've inspired me to try (when I get back to Karlach.)

[@punishedprops]

I really like the foam clay with 2mm support backing idea!

[@NehpetsNosliw]

I love watching North of the Border!

[@punishedprops]

He’s not just good, he’s good enough 😁

[@andrewlee6152]

Maybe already suggested, but maybe Cosclay, which remains flexible even after baking, would be a better choice, since you could make them thinner too

[@AustralianMurderTurtle]

It also has no requirement for baconbond to stick to itself.

[@jo_d]

I just bought 6 pairs of different elf ears for my next cosplay, and none are quite right. As I'm allergic to latex, I've been thinking about alternative ways of making them (including worbla attached to a headband under the wig), but now looking through the comments, I think I might try foam clay with a wire structure underneath - it would be super light! Thanks for sharing your failures and sparking a creative brainstorm session!

[@punishedprops]

Foam clay sounds like such a quick idea to try, too! These comments are making we want to try that next.

[@lightbringer6942]

If you plan on making ear castings, please make another video about this, because it would be realkly cool to watch. I would also sculpt the ears in monster clay, and would add a little more detail in the model, like deepen the helix area a little and adding some light texture. I'm sure North of the Border can help you there, as well as Ace of Clay. They are both really awesome sculpters

[@MamaMidnight98]

I would suggest potentially taking a rotary tool and carving in some ear anatomy to make them look less flat, but otherwise they're SO cool!

[@Saavik256]

I never would've thought of using aluminium foil, that's such a great idea! :)

[@mikepettengill2706]

thank you for sharing the experiments!!

[@capnskustomworks]

Cool experimentation!!! I’m sure that you’ll find some materials that work well! I have not used ProsAid, but I have used liquid latex to completely glue my ears down flat, and that’s some weird removal for sure! Haha!!!

[@punishedprops]

Hah! That's great to know that can work!

[@BisectedBrioche]

I tried latex and silicone ears a few years back. Silicone was complicated (basically sculpt the ears, make a silicone mould, then cast the silicone in that; basically what you did here but with more steps). The results were pretty good (the silicone is basically a 1-1 replica of the clay sculpted on the ear mould) and I used them for some streams, but long ears were heavy and just wouldn't stay put for anything involving a lot of walking around. Liquid latex ears were light enough for long ones, but don't look as good (you basically dip the sculpt and use what's around the outside, so it just doesn't look as good) and don't last more than a few uses.

[@MaryAnnBrungardt]

Love this experiment! It's really cool messing around with different mediums to figure out what you want to use for a cosplay! It may not be crafting, but imho I really recommend the latex ears from Aradani Costumes! They're based out of Tennessee and they have a nice variety of Fantasy Race ears! You can order them unpainted or custom-painted, and they have an article with their opinion on which of their ears might be a good fit for different Baldur's Gate characters! I've never used prosthetics in cosplay but the pair I got was pretty easy to take on and off with a few tries! They felt really light but stayed on all day!

[@punishedprops]

That’s great! Thank you for the recommendation

[@TheWarriorChickCosplay]

paperclay reminds me a lot of foam clay... either clay are really light... and i think you might be able to make your ears out of either... I have to do Banshee Queen ears out of EVA foam because of the sheer length of them... but plan to add the ear shell details with foam clay... might glue the ears to a headband under the wig for stability... ... maybe also rare earth magnets in the wig to keep the ears closer to my head... there is a hood involved as well to add fun complexity, but because of the long hair and hood i have a few more options than your Thieflings naked ears LOL

[@punishedprops]

That sounds like a great plan! You'll win at longest ears :D

[@TheWarriorChickCosplay]

@@punishedprops I hope you find a good option for your ears! I love your costume 😍

[@Andre_the_Lion]

Love the vid, nice use of polymer clay, but it is heavy. Solid silicone or latex are only about 2/3 as dense, so that may help. One thing to remember if you don't want them to flop around is that your ear itself is pretty floppy and acts like a fulcrum point for the extensions, so even adding a bunch of weight on the tip won't be as wobbly if you stabilize the ear around the attachment point or just extend them lower to add counterbalancing weight farther down.

[@punishedprops]

That’s such good information, thank you!

[@paulpardee]

I think you're headed the right direction with monster clay and silicone, but Sculpy makes a lightweight clay that might work better for you if you still want to go with polymer clay. The lure of sculpting the ear exactly how you want it, then casting it on the ear molds would be too much of a draw for me, though! I know your higher resolution ear molds work better for this project but those first molds in what looks like Silk PLA look amazing! :D

[@GoingApeCostume]

Back when I used to sculpt OOAK figures out of sculpy, I'd bake them on polyester batting. It let the heat and air circulate without the piece touching anything that could burn details.

[@punishedprops]

Oh man, that’s so smart!

[@GoingApeCostume]

@@punishedprops Yeah! So if you do decide to sculpt with polymer clay again, baking this way means you can use much thinner layers of the clay, making it lighter.

[@void-stare]

You can mold sculpey as well! but I'd definitely use foam or sculpt and cast the ears over using sculpey for that same reason.

[@bonnnk]

Monster clay is the way to go! then they would fit perfectly, if you cast them in your skin colour then you can paint them to match the facepaint you use, and then you'd have them for future cosplays!

[@punishedprops]

Yaaaaas, I think we already have silicone pigments, too

[@julianbrown2582]

Good tip might be to look up basic appliances by makeup artists Dick Smith. He pioneered such latex pieces and he published books/magazines on the craft.

[@Sunila_DragonladyCH]

I've never done it myself but some sculpey artists use a heat gun to "bake" the smaller additions. It probably takes a bit of experimenting but it's faster than the oven and once you get the hang of it there is less risk of burning.

[@punishedprops]

Nice, great info

[@dawnchesbro4189]

Valiant attempt at making ear tips. You're braver than me. I bought custom hobbit ear tips from an online cosplay supplier - geeklingcreations - and they work great! They're made from medical grade silicone tinted to close to my skintone. I'd take a look at her elf ears to get some ideas for your next iteration. Good luck! You have a new subscriber.

[@crazylegsmurphy]

Yes. I have made them when I worked as a make-up FX artist... and I'll tell you that while there are quick and dirty options, your best bet is to go with the tried and true methods. That said, you might have better success with 3D printed versions. You have your ears already in 3D, use Zbrush or Blender to sculpt what you want and print them super thin on and FDM or resin printer. They will still be lighter than polymer clay. Foam ears might also work if you were to get super thin foam. You could 3D print a negative mold and press the foam into it with heat to get the shape, then glue and fill the seams. If you're going to attempt something using a heavier material, my suggestion would have the ears be attached to a headband or something to take the weight. Your ears will thank you for it. :D

[@crazylegsmurphy]

You could... also 3D print a mold and then use an expanding foam that is super light and flexible. See if you can get one that "skins" as it cures which will allow you to paint it.

[@punishedprops]

Thank you for the ideas!

[@Waterfox190]

Another great remover for Prosaid is just plain ol Baby Oil! I just got out of my Astarion cosplay, ears and a lacefront so i used it all in my ears and hairline and it only took about 5 minutes to get it out with baby oil! I highly recommend !! Also, i've seen a ton of tutorials of taking a ear mold like you have then sculpting with clay ontop of that (doesn't have to be baked or air dried) and once youre happy with the shape you can add liquid latex ontop of that lots of thin layers coating the sections of the ear that you want till its built up enough to be wearable! Then coat in baby powder. After that to get the color red you want you can take prosaid and acrylic paint 50/50 ratio mix it together then coat the whole ear and put baby powder on it to seal it up! I've done this color method a few times and its super flexible and the color stays for a lifetime! A brand of ears that I love supporting for those without the means to 3D print your ears and sculpt is Aradani Costumes they have a ton of incredible options that wont cost you an arm and a leg! Super afforable and they offer to custom color them as well!!

[@punishedprops]

That's so great--thank you for the info!

[@seekertosecrets]

10:20 Hate it when that happens! I once created a 3d printed helmet and it was too big. I was in the middle of painting too when I discovered it.

[@punishedprops]

It's the wooooorst! I made a Skyrim helmet way too big before and noticed late in the build as well, ugh

[@billbucktube]

The development process is great for learning. Errors help us to understand your process. You could 3D print a mold for a slip mold/slush mold of the extension. A silicone ear can have makeup applied or the silicone can be tinted. Just a thought since I haven’t done one.

[@punishedprops]

I sure learned a lot :)

[@jmorv8866]

heck of a try, and you learned something in the process. Remember what Yoda said: "Failure is the greatest teacher". Perhaps silicone would be a more viable option?

[@punishedprops]

So true, I sure learned a lot :) I think we have some leftover silicone I could try next

[@astheseasonsgrey]

The original ears were making me hungry for pretzels while you were showing them to the camera.

[@punishedprops]

Hahaha mmmmmm ear pretzels

[@thenormanfair]

There is a semi-retired effects guy on KZbin that made Spocks ears for The Motion Picture, Steve Neills Garage. He made some videos around 9 years ago showing some of the process, from making alginate molds, hydrocal masters, and sculpting the ears in Chavant clay. The downside is I don't remember any videos of making the silicone molds for casting urethane rubber ears. But they might be on there somewhere as part of other videos.

[@punishedprops]

That’s so cool-thank you for the info!

[@victoriajewell2486]

Wire and cosclay could've worked as well! Cosclay stays flexible after it's baked and wire would've helped with the shape and could use less aluminum foil

[@punishedprops]

I should have added wire!

[@luvnotvideos]

Why not use your current sculpture to cast in silicon? Smooth-On has cosmetic grade silicone and it would be MUCH lighter.

[@imoddly1125]

ecoflex 00-50

[@punishedprops]

I thought skipping the mold would be faster, haha.

[@blizatrex]

This was an interesting experiment. I wonder if cosclay would work also. I know it is bendier from watching North's videos.

[@punishedprops]

I think Cosclay could work for smaller ear tips, since it weighs the same. We got to try out a sample years ago and Cosclay is very flexible. I was also surprised how flexible normal Sculpey is, when it's baked completely.

[@JayG63]

I'm in the Tacoma area, so if you want a free, how to on casting ears to final ear, let me know. It's kind of my makeup specialty. I would love to meet you guys

[@punishedprops]

Thank you, I appreciate the offer

[@heathercrumly1083]

You could apply latex on top of the ear tips you made to make hollow latex prosthetics

[@punishedprops]

Woah, that's a clever idea!

[@josephrogers7874]

You already have scans of your ears. You could use those to digitally sculpt the cosplay ears custom fit, then design molds that can be printed out and cast them with silicone. I assume the resin or plastic from the print would not impede the silicone cure.

[@punishedprops]

That may be what I do next! I think we have all the materials to try, at least

[@hanguhbur]

I'm wondering why you didn't try foam clay.

[@punishedprops]

That will probably be the next attempt!

[@geekculture00]

There are those earbuds (lol) that have the sports wrap around the back of the ear, and have the ear tips kind of sit around/behind the ear? if you find sports earbuds comfortable, those - or something like those - might be worth a test

[@punishedprops]

That’s a clever idea!

[@RamDragon32]

Ear tips? No. But I made a Gru nose. Used a plaster cast of the nose, polymer clay for the new shape, plaster cast. (in retrospect i should have used a plasticine clay or monster clay because the polymer clay was a bear to get out.) After sealing both plaster casts in beeswax, I poured latex into the new nose, used it to make a slush cast and filled the tip of the nose with cotton to give it a bit of structure, then i brushed on a few layers onto the original nose cast and sealed the two together. I imagine the same process can be used with silicone for that extra fleshy eartip look. If memory serves, LotR used a type of gelatin to cast their ears but they tended to melt on set.

[@punishedprops]

That's so rad!!!

[@ParasocksTV]

Similar to the idea of making a plaster cast, could we use the clay ears as a template or a positive, and make a negative from them to make the ears again using a lighter material?

[@AustralianMurderTurtle]

His name's Adam, and he makes tiny nerdy things. Also I probably would have used some armature wire for the main structure.

[@punishedprops]

Yeah, like wire behind the ear to support the shape!

[@AustralianMurderTurtle]

@@punishedprops we have all those weird ridges and stuff, seem like a good location for some reinforcement, then the clay can be extra thin for weight. With the right arrangement you could probably size and fit them without the clay in the first place. Then again, Adam never plans things, so why should you? they just have to be good enough.

[@adamalander7515]

Would have done them with silicone myself. Smooth-on dragon skin fx pro is awesome!. Also the sculpt was far from done. Send me your ear print and I could make pro ears for you. Done special effects a fair amount in my life. You could also make them with mattress foam and cut them with scissors and do a liquid latex rubber with acrylic paint to paint them and they would end up with a skin like feeling surface. The edge blending is the hardest part tho. Doing proper molds and edges and silicone ears would be the most realistic tho. :)

[@punishedprops]

Such a cool process! I think we have some trial size Dragonskin kicking around. I'm worried about the silicone being too heavy and floppy, though.

[@adamalander7515]

@@punishedprops Yeah quite possibly, foam latex or perhaps a poly foam would be much lighter. You could slush the mold with liquid latex, and then mix some poly foam and pour it in, it foams up so it would be very light weight. :) Smooth-on sells smaller bottles of the "Foam-it" stuff. Maybe that would work best?. Basically it's the same as mono foam you buy for construction but more flexible. But perhaps regular window and door Mono foam sealant would suffice?. Nice and light weight. They do sell foam it that is self skinning, but you'd have to use a mold release I think?. My brother did a face appliance once using poly foam but he just used liquid latex rubber first in the mold and it turned out awesome!. :) You could make the mold using mold star, and that way the latex or poly foam wouldn't stick to it. You could make a shell for the mold with plaster bandage to keep its shape. :) Def lots of different ways to do it for sure. :D

[@adamalander7515]

@@punishedprops This is a very in depth series showing how the pros do it. Might help maybe?. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e57NpH6Lm6iSqKc

[@crazylegsmurphy]

@@adamalander7515 Silicone can get heavy quickly when creating ears and such that long. Unless they're really thin and filled with an expanding foam. I suggested the same in my comment. A skinning expanding foam is a reasonable idea. The 3D mold could be printed sprayed with release and filled with the foam. If I were to do it, I would use the 3D model of the ear and sculpt on the elf ear. Then, I would make a digital mould that included the original ear. Then, I would resin print both parts, add release, put in some two part expanding foam and close it up (leaving a hole for venting through the original ear. If all went according to plan and there were no issues with cure inhibition, you would end up with an ear that fit perfectly around the original ear. Your suggestion of using latex rubber would work, but you need to use way less than you would think. I used to make body parts this way for dead bodies and limbs. The trick is to use just enough latex to get the skin. Rubber gets heavy quickly. The nice thing about that method is that you could extend the latex skin and feather the edge. That would basically act like a baldcap. Powder it with baby powder and apply it with the Prosaide they have. blend the edges into the ear and paint the edges (should prepaint the ear but leave the edges naked until it is applied.)

[@crazylegsmurphy]

@@adamalander7515 That would work, but what would likely happen is that it would pool up in places creating thick/heavy spots. The only way to control with would be to create a core mold that would keep the silicone in place and thin, then once cured pour a foam core.

[@dapperprops]

Shame that didn't work but if nothing else we all learned that Scultpy ears might not be the way to go. 30 some days to go!

[@punishedprops]

Yay for learning! :D

[@nerdyviews]

I did something similar when I dressed up as Spock for Halloween many years ago. I did not use any adhesive, and my ears ended up falling off at the party I went to. Hope you figure out a way to keep them attached.

[@punishedprops]

Oh the things we learn!

[@elliadams]

Have you tried foam clay? Is that not durable enough after you seal it?

[@willburke]

would it also make sense to make a version of your ear scan and mix it with the model for the Karlach ear to print out and make a mold of that? thin outer mold of it, and stuff it with something lightweight and go from there?

[@arcanaa8696]

I made some ears for Cazador Szarr out of silicone...it was also too heavy as a whole piece, I had to try jury rig a way to make them hollower. these longer ears are not easy when it comes to weight, I'll tell you that

[@punishedprops]

That’s so good to know!

[@travismcgee9333]

Maybe you could use the ear templets that Svetlana at Kamui Cosplay made.

[@capatainnemo]

Whycouldny you just 3d print the ears then make them from silicone

[@punishedprops]

I thought this would be faster :D

[@christopherdpayne5492]

You should watch ace of clays

[@punishedprops]

I should!

[@fionaandersson9729]

How would I do that if I dont have access to a 3d printer to print out my own ears?

[@deanhensley1317]

I would be interested in seeing foam clay, you could sculpt it right on the 3D print and let it dry on the same print.

[@punishedprops]

That's a good idea--would definitely be lighter.

[@promiscuous675]

Thank you.

[@andybobandy641]

Wait. You only paid 8 bucks for your toaster oven?? Nice.

[@punishedprops]

Awe yeah, thrift store purchase!

[@PaulXerxen]

Wouldn't it be just as east to take the smaller ears you made and mold them out of silicone?

[@punishedprops]

Silicone is pretty heavy (and floppy) so I’m worried I’d have the same problem

[@kylieroyce9265]

HI, I don’t know if you will see this or not, but I am a Theatre Director and I am doing a play that involves three claw foot tubs. Getting actual tubs are way out of our budget. I have went down the prop route and the closet thing is have found is getting a portable bath tub, but it doesn’t look very much like a claw foot tub. It kinda looks like a miniature pool but in tub form. Thank of the ones made with a liner and pipes. Do you have any suggestions for materials to put on the outside to make it more tub like? Anything will help. Thanks so much!

[@jameslamb4573]

Dumb question maybe ..... why not 3D print some ear extensions in flexible filament?

[@AdventureGearGoods]

since you have a 3d scan of your ear, why not try to 3d sculpt one?

[@punishedprops]

That may be what I do next

[@VariablePenguin]

Why not just take the Karlach ear models you have and put them on your real ear model in the computer and subtract your ears from it? Then just print a hi-res version of the Karlach ear and clean up with sanding, mold, and slush cast with latex or silcon.

[@JonMadsen70]

:)

[@punishedprops]

:)

[@bonnnk]

@@punishedprops :3

[@davelong6727]

331

[@punishedprops]

Ha, thanks for the compliment :)

[@davelong6727]

@@punishedprops Love your channel this is the position number viewed!

[@crosisofborg5524]

I’m just going to point out that 99.9% of us can’t 3D scan our ears, making this video pointless.

[@thanosnicolaou2263]

Maybe You can shape on your ears directly..

[@punishedprops]

Shaping directly on the ears totally works, I just had to clean my ears off afterwards :)