When you make armor from EVA foam or Worbla, you have to seal and prime it if you want to paint over it. Silver Ice Dragon has a different technique for “painting armor.” She covers the surface with spandex fabric.

She used the method on her Diablo monk costume, pictured above, a couple of years ago and put together a tutorial. Besides saving the step of sealing and preparing the surface for paint, she said the fabric leads to a uniform color with clean edges and offers more flexibility for consistent effects. The key to applying the fabric to the foam or Worbla is using contact cement. For the first step, she explained:

Cut out a piece of fabric slightly larger than your armor and secure it upside down to your work surface. I like to put tape around the edges, since the fabric tends to stick to the brush when I’m painting the cement on. Mix the cement very well before using.

Visit DeviantArt to see part one and part two of the tutorial.

Photo by David Ngo