Lion, cub and giraffe head-dresses.

Oh my!

My friend Kevin is a member of the comedy group The Ginge The Geordie and The Geek.
Their website link here.
Over the past year I've been making props for their sketches.
So far I've made sheep costumes, sun and moon hats, a lollipop man's lollipop and variety of other weird and wacky requests.
Everything is a challenge - with budget and time always a consideration.

We had a meeting before Christmas, and he left me with a wee list :)
.

I was to make a lions head, a cubs head and a giraffe head. The only specifications were one was to be the father lions head and one his son, a 'teenage' cub.
Also could I make a lot of the mane... bushy and whatnot!


                                                   







 So I started out making 2 head frames.
I didn't have any measurements of their head sizes. If I had the tools and materials, I would have used a milner's block and steamed material into a cap. I didn't have any of those things so I used a wire hairband and built a frame around it.



The hairband would keep the headpiece tightly on the boys heads and the frame would hold a good shape in when the fur went on.

the frame for the lion

the cub frame

I attached two crossing wire elipse shapes. This allowed me a good area on the top of the head to attach any head fur. I reinforced the join of hairband and wire by gluing 2 tiny squares of cardboard on either side of the wires. I wanted it to be solid. the boys don't always have time to take care with handling their props during a show.
To make the ears I looked up a few images on google and got a shape for an older lion and a rounder shape for the cubs.
These were the first thing I attached to the frame. Once they were in place the hair could be decorated around them.
When we initially went to buy materials in the shop, fur choices were limited since Halloween, so we could only find short hair fur.

How to make short hair look big!?!

After playing about with the fur a bit, I realised I'd need to actually build hair if I was going to get any height from this material.
I found this image of a kids costume..

and it gave me an idea.
I'll put on individule clumps of hair. That way I can shape it into what style I need and apply some character to them.

On the lions frame, I attached 2 side panels, made from wire, reinforced with cardboard and covered in felt as a finish. I had now an area to attach the mane hair.

 With some latex, fur and a pair of scissors, I got' in aboot it' .

mmm.. latex ;P

 At first I put little pieces of cardboard inside each hair in an attempt to lift them up, but you could get the same effect if you glued the fur in the right place

hiding the ear joins

the extra paper helps to lift it up

Eventually it looks like this...

I tidied up the inside, and popped a little bit of felt in the inside.

just needs a little shading

The Lion

I made both the heads together, since it was the same process for both

The cub.

I tried both on and they sit very comfortably and snug on my head. The whole frame is made of wire and can be adjusted for comfort with a little careful tweaking.
I think all they need is a little shadow and highlight :D

The giraffe had less overall hair, so I made it a little simpler. This time I only used one wire elipse which I attached onto a plain silver hairband from side to side, reinforced it with a cardboard layer onto which I added the horns and ears.

I brushed on a couple of layers of latex onto the inside of the fur when I was making the ears and it gives the ear a rubbery bounce and floppy look.
The most challenging thing was to have the ears placed and looking symmetrical at the same time!
Och well, a wee bit of a jaunt may add to the humour :)

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The Giraffe