Thread: Where did I go wrong?

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Alright, so... I'm building my first prop ever, I'm making the body for a FCG that I'm going to put on my balcony... made it out of coat hangers and all... and then I move to putting on the cheesecloth, which I thought would be the easy part... I put it on and........... I just feel like a kid could've done a better job. Any suggestions/tips?

...also, I soaked the cloth in RIT whitener/brighter for over 8 hours instead of the like hour it suggests, is that going to affect it any? Also, yes, he is supposed to be looking down... I live on the 3rd story and so thought it would look cooler if he was "looking" at them as they walk up.

I'm not sure what look you're going for, so it's hard to say if anything is 'wrong', perse.

It's a good looking prop.

If you think it's too clean, tear at the edges of each hem and cut. I push the point of a scissors into the fabric and pull it down through the material, yanking and tearing. Start a cut, then yank it apart with your hands. Go at the edges with a steel brush. Really abuse it. Don't cut material away, just rip up and fray what you have.

Still, from a third story window, it's gonna look fantastic as it is. Anything more at this point is gravy.

thanks, spats, that worked out alot better! I think the lines were just too clean is all... and it might be the point that I'm obsessing about it since it's my first prop. ...that and I know it'll be under a blacklight and from the 3rd story it'll be hard to see, but the details just make it for me.

I think you did a great job. Distressing it some might help, but Spats is right from the third story you're not going to see the little stuff so don't stress out too bad about it

I think it looks fine - echoing all the others, it's a little clean looking (usually see more threads and distressed/frayed areas) but from so high up, it's not going to make that much difference.

I usually take small holes and pull on both sides and also just rip the cloth by hand to get it really distressed looking...

And soaking it longer in the whitener won't hurt anything.

GREAT job for a first prop!

Alright, well, after taking y'alls advice, here's what I've come up with and am alot happier with the results.... I put it in front of my curtains so that you could actually see it. ... I might decide to do some more with it later, but I'm decently happy with it for right now. ....now the next part is to try and get a motor and make it fly.

this is just a thought.... but since its gonna be under a blacklight, you could also put some glow in the dark paint on it in splotches to give it a weird effect under the blacklight lol... just throwing somethin out there =)

CR, there is no wrong on your first FCG-type ghostie ; > Getting through the darned framework is the hard part, and yours looks great! So no worries.

I'm a perfectionist/weirdo, and I had the same reaction when I made my 1st crank ghostie ("this just doesn't look right!!!"). I took some extra fabric--not necessarily more gauze, but other sheer white fabric like organza, tulle, even batting, and added it underneath the gauze. I sewed it onto the coathanger wire "shoulders" to add more body (no pun intended) to the ghostie. A needle, thread , a couple of yards of remnants or leftover gauze, and some TV time on the couch would be all you'd need if you wanted to put another layer under there to suggest the torso and legs. Oh, and more UV-reactive fabric = more glow!!!

Lemme see if I can find a picture...

It's not as closeup as I'd like, but you can see that there are different fabrics layered on each ghostie, at different lengths.


HTH!

Great Job for a first timer!!!

It is a good job for a first time prop.