# Mr. Chicken's Nervous ToT Zombie



## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

Been a while since I made a regular Halloween prop, since I haven't had a haunt of my own for a few years. I recently got an opportunity to make something, so I decided to go back to my roots with a goofy zombie. I used to do plenty of groundbreakers, but I never got to do a full figure zombie in my style, so that's this week's project.

I like to start with a sketch. I don't draw, but I can doodle!









The armature is in my traditional style-- 3/4" PVC, X coupler at the shoulders, T at the pelvis. All the other joints are posed simply with a heat gun. It makes for a cheaper structure that has fewer weak points. Perhaps most importantly, it allows for infinite flexibility in the pose, which I think is the most important part of a static character. This post by Pumpkinrot really sums it up for me.









I do the ribs, bone knobbly bits, and such with rolled or crumpled newspaper, as in my skeleton tutorial: http://www.instructables.com/id/Paper_Mache_Skeletons/

Cardboard sternum, pelvis, palms of the hands. Wire fingers.

And then I go for the skin. A few folks know how I do mummified corpse skin, but I don't think I've explained it publicly yet. It's basically just paper towels soaked in latex house paint. Lay it on, wrinkle it up. It dries super hard, depending on how much paint is on the towel, is basically waterproof, and gives you your base color

I do the majority while he's upright, so I can get all around


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

You'll notice the hands aren't attached when I begin corpsing. I find it's easier to do them when you can get all around, and since they're going to be all tangled up together, keeping them separate seemed the way to go.









Then I lay him on his back to do the stomach and neck. If I did these standing up, the paper towels wouldn't drape as nicely.









By the way, you probably noticed the head is already done. That was a little guy who peeped around the corner last year. I figured his expression was close enough that I could repurpose him to save some time. I actually rather liked doing it this way, though.

More to come...


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## jabberwocky (Apr 30, 2008)

This looks wonderful. Thanks for sharing your method.


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## The Halloween Lady (Aug 18, 2010)

Sooooooo kewl!!! Now I want one. But it will have to wait until next year. Lol
I love your corpsing method, that's one I hadn't heard of and it looks amazing.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

I really like the effect you get with everyday materials, thanks for posting.


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

Your creativity knows no limit! Niiiice!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I think I'm going to change how I do mache. Using latex paint instead of flour will solve the "can't go out in bad weather" issue.

And this guy is going to be totally adorable


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

Thanks folks!

Roxy, give it a try! I tore apart my flour-and-water mache props and redid them like this when I figured it out


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## BugFreak (Oct 30, 2011)

I love the skin! I was looking for a good way to do some hands real cheap and that will work great. What did you use for the eyeballs?


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

Updates!
Moving quickly on this guy to have him done before the weekend.

Once the mache (which DevilsChariot has been calling "Chicken Mache" haha) was dry enough, I started dry brushing. Drybrushing, washes, and rubouts are awesome for getting "free detail" in your paint jobs. I took a little of the base color, and mixed it with white and yellow to get the drybrush color. Actually, I did about three or four variants on that color to keep things from getting too much the same all over.



















Now I'm going to turn you onto another cool trick. You can get this stuff called Polycrylic at Home Depot. I think it's for sealing wood, but it gives a nice clear satin finish to just about anything. Just makes things pop a little better than if they were matte. It's pricey at about $50/gal, but you hardly use any. If you don't stir it, it comes out glossy, which is kinda neat, too.

BugFreak asked about the eyes. I think it's a trick I got from Born2Haunt: http://www.born2haunt.com/Ledeyes01.html
I believe these ones were a little plaster mold I made of a half ball of clay. Shoot in some hot glue (no need to fill it, just skin the surface. Bam. Eyeballs. I run the thing under cold water to speed up the glue cooling down.









I decided to paint the eyes. I had left them glue colored before because they have LEDs behind them, but they look kinda lame in the daylight like that. Turns out the light will still shine through a thin few layers of acrylic.









Then I glossed them. I did the teeth with an acrylic gloss, and it looked fine, but I really want the eyes to pop, so I used a couple coats of 5 minute epoxy. It doesn't show up so great in this picture, but I'll do a proper photoshoot later in the week.


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

So now we're at like 95% complete. *Here's where you come in. I'm toying with the idea of giving him a little bit of costuming to go with the ToT bucket. What do you think, creepy cloth or no creepy cloth?*


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

First off....he looks fantastic either way Mr. C. A signature piece if I must say so. For my vote I say with cheesecloth, just not as much. More tattered.

Top notch sir. And some wonderful how-to's and tips mixed in.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Creepy cloth, because it might be chilly on Halloween:jol: And I'd have some covering his head like a little hoodie, too.


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

A fine looking zombie you have there. I'd be honored to have him tot at my house come Halloween night. And I say without the cloth. It covers up your beautiful work. Leave him neeked I say.


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## kauldron (Oct 17, 2011)

No cloth. Of course, you could get one of those old, plastic 80's costumes and tatter it up and put him in that. Maybe He-Man or Darth Vader.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:Love this prop! You are right, the pose emotes his feelings....he speaks, without saying a word.


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## deadSusan (Jun 26, 2013)

This is wonderful Mr. Chicken! Thank you so much for sharing.


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

Love his expression! Great work as usual. I say no cloth


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

Thanks for all the input. I think I figured out a pretty good compromise between the two...waiting until I get good pictures to post


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## spokanejoe (Sep 16, 2006)

Great work! I agree with Scareme. Keep him naked to show off your work. Nice Job!


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## Sytnathotep (Oct 10, 2011)

This is absolutely awesome! I took, say use the creepy cloth, it adds just that little finishing touch, especially when blowing in the breeze!


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

Thanks!

Here he is! I decided what he really needed was a tattered cape as his costume. Sort of splits the difference between the two looks posted before.

"Benny" will be on display at the October Shadows group art show at Creature Features in Burbank, CA from October 11-November 2.


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## SuperCreep31 (Nov 22, 2009)

you never fail to do great work. so impressed.. wish I was that good..


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Maybe a small child's Halloween mask pulled up so that it's sitting on top of the "child's" head? (so that the mask is facing the ceiling).
It would help sell the Halloween TOT aspect and could be as cute, funny, scary, etc., as you wish. Maybe if the mask was made to look like the face of a normal little kid?
That would be pretty funny.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Wearing the creepy cloth as a cape is a perfect compromise between naked and not naked He looks wonderful!


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## deadSusan (Jun 26, 2013)

Perfect.


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