Help me turn into a glowing troll
August 5, 2008 11:02 AM Subscribe
Looking for tips on creating a crazy black light troll costume.
I'm going to Harvest Fest in Geneva, MN this year, which features a 3D black light show by Wookiefoot (here's some sample footage from last year).
I figure that since there's going to be lots of black lights and other craziness going on, I want to make a completely ridiculous, glowing costume. There are going to be lots of freaky people in various states of tangential reality there, so I thought making a black light/glowing costume would be fitting and enormously fun. Ideally, nothing I'm wearing won't be glowing.
My plan is to have my wife help me sew up a suit-looking costume with a troll-ish feel. "Bad acid troll" is sort of my theme, but I'm trying to go cartoony rather than gruesome. To that end, I'm going to get some of the following for accents:
Black light face paint
Black light lipstick
Black light paint
Lots of glow sticks for necklaces, bracelets, etc.
I'm also planning on getting a prosthetic nose and hands, which I can paint with the black light paint.
My question specifically regards the suit- what kind of fabrics will really look crazy under black light? We've got access to plenty of fabric/crafts stores in the area and would also buy supplies online. Ideally we'd have at least 4 colors to work with. When we shop for fabric, what should we look for to get really bright, glowing colors in black light? Alternately, if we go with some tie dye/other gaudy or bright fabric, what can we do to make it really stand out in heavy black light exposure? Lastly, if you have any suggestions about how to go about putting this together or ideas for how to really pull it off, share away!
bonus points for tips about where to get this stuff in the Twin Cities. Yeah, I know this whole idea is ridiculously gaudy and tacky- that's the idea.
I'm going to Harvest Fest in Geneva, MN this year, which features a 3D black light show by Wookiefoot (here's some sample footage from last year).
I figure that since there's going to be lots of black lights and other craziness going on, I want to make a completely ridiculous, glowing costume. There are going to be lots of freaky people in various states of tangential reality there, so I thought making a black light/glowing costume would be fitting and enormously fun. Ideally, nothing I'm wearing won't be glowing.
My plan is to have my wife help me sew up a suit-looking costume with a troll-ish feel. "Bad acid troll" is sort of my theme, but I'm trying to go cartoony rather than gruesome. To that end, I'm going to get some of the following for accents:
Black light face paint
Black light lipstick
Black light paint
Lots of glow sticks for necklaces, bracelets, etc.
I'm also planning on getting a prosthetic nose and hands, which I can paint with the black light paint.
My question specifically regards the suit- what kind of fabrics will really look crazy under black light? We've got access to plenty of fabric/crafts stores in the area and would also buy supplies online. Ideally we'd have at least 4 colors to work with. When we shop for fabric, what should we look for to get really bright, glowing colors in black light? Alternately, if we go with some tie dye/other gaudy or bright fabric, what can we do to make it really stand out in heavy black light exposure? Lastly, if you have any suggestions about how to go about putting this together or ideas for how to really pull it off, share away!
bonus points for tips about where to get this stuff in the Twin Cities. Yeah, I know this whole idea is ridiculously gaudy and tacky- that's the idea.
If you haven't already, you could order some of this online - UV spraycan paints. They're versatile and so can be used for both your fabrics and your skin, and they're clear/invisible, so the tie-dye (or whatever you choose) will appear as-is until the UV hits it.
posted by -harlequin- at 11:18 AM on August 5, 2008
posted by -harlequin- at 11:18 AM on August 5, 2008
Get a bottle of bluing (for whites) or a fluorescing optical brightener and wash the fabrics you choose in them. Even if you choose already brightly colored fabrics, the chemicals in these things will really make them pop under a black light.
posted by phunniemee at 11:37 AM on August 5, 2008
posted by phunniemee at 11:37 AM on August 5, 2008
Don't make everything glow. Use the glow strategically for effect.
posted by theora55 at 11:42 AM on August 5, 2008
posted by theora55 at 11:42 AM on August 5, 2008
Wear UV blocking glasses. If they are really blasting the blacklight, then your eyes will become irritated, and feel like they have sandy grit in them.
posted by StickyCarpet at 12:17 PM on August 5, 2008
posted by StickyCarpet at 12:17 PM on August 5, 2008
check out the long pile fur over at distinctive fabric. email them and ask what glows under black light, then buy 4 yards worth for a full body furry troll suit.
posted by infinityjinx at 7:51 PM on August 5, 2008
posted by infinityjinx at 7:51 PM on August 5, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
You can always buy a cheap UV flashlight (I have this one) to try things out beforehand.
posted by reptile at 11:17 AM on August 5, 2008