DIY Living Statue Costume

This week's Revamped DIY came about after an interesting request from a client. This talented chap is a successful street busker and he has his sights set on competing at the World Statue Festival in the Netherlands.

My client dresses up as Abel Tasman. He has a costume already, and he decided it was time for a make-over. "I want to take it to the next level."

I was super excited by this request as I've always wanted to play around with latex and create something like this!

What you'll need:
- Latex
- Matt spray paint
- Metallic spray paint
- Drop sheet
- Paint brush
- Brush cleaning liquid
- Disposable rubber gloves
- Face mask

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Safety first! I double up on rubber gloves.

Step 1 - Base Coat
It was very convenient that the costume had already been painted grey, as this was an excellent base for me to work with. It's important for each component of the costume to be the same shade of grey, so before I started with the latex, I sprayed the pants with the matt grey spray paint to help gain continuity between the shading.

*When working with spray paint I always wear a face mask (to prevent me breathing in nasty particles and fumes), and I double up with the disposable rubber gloves. Safety first!

Step 2 - Latex
WARNING!!! This is a very sticky job!
Load your brush up and hope for the best! You need to be patient. Be prepared for the fabric to stick onto itself. Try to keep your strokes long, smooth and even. 

You will gain a smoother finish if you have time to paint each garment one section (or side) at a time. Let it dry, then turn it over and paint another part. Let the garments dry over night before spray painting.

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Step 3 - Spray Paint
I love using spray paint. A year ago when I was travelling around the desert on 'I Will Survive' I spent many hours spray painting shoes. It's such a cool medium to work with.

First I sprayed the metallic grey paint all over each part of the costume. This paint is dark and gives each item the colour continuity I'm looking for.

Next is the matt grey paint. Without this coat the whole costume  would look like a big glitter ball! The matt paint subtly creates more dimension. As I've lightly sprayed it on I can see more light and shade within the creases of the costume and it creates the realistic finish my client was after.

So there you have it! If you ever wanted to know how to make a living statue costume, here are some simple instructions on how to go about it.

And if you happen to see an Abel Tasman living statue in your city, give him a wink and throw some gold coins his way (and compliment him on his excellent costume)!

How can you use this technique for Revamping your wardrobe? I'd love to hear your ideas!