Demodogs

Le goal

One of the main projects for this year's Halloween is several demodogs from Stranger Things.  I've started on one of these already with a 2 liter bottle body and some prominent ribs.  A long windy tail is present, and at this point the only thing missing is a head.  But I've got some styrofoam balls that I'm intending to shape some petal pieces around to simulate the petal head thing in various levels of open.











**UPDATE**
The first two demodogs have been paper mached after getting some 'meat' on them with aluminum foil.  The petal heads have also been completed.  I used just some wire frames to form a petal, then used masking tape to create a frame.  These were stuck onto a foam ball tightly, which was then affixed to the body.  I'm planning on using probably instamorph for the claws just because it's a little easier.

**UPDATE**
Made two more wire forms.  My family offered to help paper mache and I wanted to take full advantage of the help by having more forms ready to go.  They didn't take all that long, an afternoon really.  These I used closed petal heads, just for variety and to make them a little easier.  I'm thinking maybe I should make one more with the petals completely open.  I'm trying to pick slightly different poses.  The basic idea is to have a hazmat suited guy with several demodogs guarding their territory.  So I want a couple in different moves, acting as though they've just emerged from the tunnel underneath (another prop I plan on making)

**UPDATE**

Small time lapse getting the first layer on a few of these guys. 

**UPDATE**

Terrible shot of me finishing up.

The after shot as they bask in the sun.

Got some major help from the fam as they showed up to help me do some paper mache.  We managed to get two full layers on each of the four demodogs.  I'm now debating on whether to stop there.  Obviously, I could do more layers.  But it's mostly so that they're fairly rigid.  Idk, maybe one more layer on each?  I've been wanting to get movement on them, so it's GREAT to finally have them past the most time consuming step.  I'd almost rather spend the time painting and adding layers of floor wax to give them a glistening look.  And water sealing them.  And really, they're only meant to last for a month.  There's no need to have them pristine.  But we'll see.  Fam did offer to come back again to do another round on them.  And it makes sense to take advantage of the help.

The before shot on our workspace.

**UPDATE**

Mom came back for another round of paper mache.  So they ended up with four layers each.  Which is definitely more than I would have gotten to on my own.  This evening, once they had dried completely, I put down a first primary coat of white.  It covers a lot of the writing on the newspaper and make the colors brighter than if I tried to go on darker ink newspaper.  And bonus, I got to see a little closer to their final form. 

**UPDATE**

So many updates!  So I got the demodogs all painted.  I first gave them a basic brown to work with, mostly on the bottom/underbelly.  A dark green went on their top.  I started to blend the two together on the sides.  But the main thing I started to worry about was that they wouldn't really stand out against the grass/rock thing--all dk green and brown.  

So I had read about this technique that involved adding more realistic organic features, like veins.  This was for subtle zombie makeup, but I liked the idea enough to try something a little more over the top.  I took a very bright blue/aqua and started to make patterns that were vein/vine esque.  The technique I read about then had you do a few very thin makeup layers on top.  As this wasn't makeup, I ended up adding a bunch of water to a green and yellow mix to get a camoflauge-y wash.  I liked the end result, as it toned down the veins just a bit without getting rid of the detail work.  And I ended up really liking how they definitely don't blend in as much as they would have.  

After adding several coats of polyeurathane/sealant coat, I ended up moving onto the teeth on the two open faced ones.  This was a pretty easy step as the teeth were already done, just had to be installed.  Protip--cold setting on the glue gun is important.  And starting at the back of the 'mouth' so that you don't poke yourself with teeth is fairly important.  Loved how they turned out!

On the setup day, they went out into the yard.  Originally I was going to add claws to these guys, but I reconsidered when I realized that the claws would disappear into the grass as they were (mostly) going to be on the ground--as well as being useful to as being shaped into loops for yard stakes so that the wind didn't blow them away.  

The 'reviews' by the kids walking by has been very positive--anyone who has seen Stranger Things knows what they are, which is the best compliment I can have.