Endor Base member Shrey walks us through how she created the underlying structure for her Wicket costume. These techniques can also be applied to other Ewoks and other large creature builds. Some of the techniques included in this walkthrough are creating mockups and patterns. The full original build thread can also be found on Shrey’s Ewok (Wicket) Build Thread on the Rebel Legion Forum.
Additional parts to this series:
- Ewok Build Part 1: Creating the Ewok Head
- Ewok Build Part 2: Creating the Ewok Hands and Feet
- Ewok Build Part 3: Creating the Ewok Body Structure
- Ewok Build Part 4: Creating the Ewok Fur Suit
- Ewok Build Part 5: Creating the Ewok Prop Weapon
The Body Structure: Hoop Vest for Shape
While this is specifically for my Ewok build, it possibly would work for any large creature build. I wanted to get as much airflow and have this be as light as possible.
For the Ewok body shape, I mocked up a vest in muslin, and tacked plumbing tubing on the inside.
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- Mockup of Ewok Body Structure with hoops
From the mock-up, I created a pattern.
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- Ewok Hoop Vest pattern created from taking apart mockup
I cut the pattern out in porthole mesh and sewed it together, then reassessed and cut down the tubing to the proportion I wanted, using plumbing connectors to complete each hoop. As you can see, the middle hoop, for the belly/butt, is the largest, with the other two being smaller; this method has the bonus of keeping the fur from touching much of your body, so it doesn’t get as hot as when using foam or a fat suit. This photo is when I was testing it; I later decided against the shoulder pads, created and sewed in mesh casings for the plumbing tubing to sit in, and trimmed off the excess on the bottom.
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- Completed hoop vest for Ewok Body Structure
This concludes the building of the Ewok Body Structure. Want more? Continue on to Ewok Build Part 4: Creating the Ewok Fur Suit.