Don't like ads? Help support the Mercs by becoming a Supporter or Auxiliary Member today! (You will need to be logged into the store)
Official Members also get to use the forum ad-free - so kit up and join us!


 Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]

  • 12 Replies
  • 5319 Views

Draceline


    *
  • 334
  • Angel of War
  • Awards Award for 25 official invasions. Celebration Chicago Award for 10 official invasions. 11+ Invasion Report Appearances Special Weapons
Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« on: May 20, 2018, 02:26 AM »
After reading Son of Dathomir, Rook Kast and her gorgeous character design just wouldn't leave me alone. I know she is a comic character rather than from one of the animated series, but from what I understand she is still considered canon, so this was the best place to put her build thread. Sadly, I haven't found any evidence of anyone else taking on this madness... maybe I'll be the first to finish it?  :laugh:

So it still needs a bit of work and a few tweaks here and there, but my concept sketch for Rook Kast is almost done. I've never tried to use a comic as a base reference for a character design... it isn't easy.



Updated with Color to help myself keep different parts separate. Grey is black or dark grey depending on specific part. All reds (armor and soft parts) are as similar a color as possible.


Translating this armor into a cohesive idea is a nightmare. No two panels in Son of Dathomir seem to agree with each other as to what Rook's armor actually looks like, so I'm doing my best to find a middle ground. The backplate (unfinished on the sketch) is going to be mainly an educated guess. Under the jetpack (which will likely have a shortened version of a standard backplate onto which I can mount the jetpack), her backplate seems to be segmented like her front ab plates, so I will be giving that a shot. I will also be modeling her helmet myself, to build using Pepakura.

I had a very hard time finding any images of her lower legs, but after I finished working on my concept sketch I looked again and found some shots from the front showing her knees and shins. When her legs are bent, they appear to either separate or overlap slightly, depending on which knee is on the ground. When straight, the plates seem like they may butt right up to one another, MAYBE with a tiny space between them, similar to Sabine's elbow plates.

Strangely enough, the soft parts of her kit, not including her kama, are confusing me the most. I do know she has a body glove style flight suit  and I THINK everything is black other than the odd  zigzags on her arms and legs, but I can't tell if they are simply decorative detailing on her flight suit, if the ones on her arms are part of a double sleeve, or if they're modified sleeves from a nite owl style of flak vest. For that matter, I can't tell for sure if she even HAS a vest (I assume she does, however I would have no definitive way to prove it to anybody).

The straps around her upper thighs don't appear to do anything, however it's possible that they are part of a pair of hidden holsters for her blaster pistols. This seems a little odd, however, because the kama wouldn't lay as smoothly as it does if there were holsters there.

It also appears as though she is either wearing thigh high boots, or she has yet another purposeless strap around her lower thighs.

These are some of the images I will be working from. I'll post what I can here, so that more eyes can take a gander and give me any opinions they may have.


















« Last Edit: May 24, 2018, 06:24 PM by Draceline » Logged
"As Mandalorians, we don't need the Force.
But should you ever want it on your side, don't give it a choice:
Make the Force be with you."

Armor - Soft Parts - Buy'ce - Armory
MARS #47 | NOS #02 | LOB #18 | Draluram #8 | MAJIC #161

Slade Kel


    *
  • 5798
  • Feet First Into Hell
  • Awards Award for 10 official invasions. Order of the Ori'Ramikad
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2018, 08:41 AM »
Ambitious, but will definitely be worth it when you're done! It really does seem like there are several completely unnecessary straps; that's the problem with comics or cartoons, they put stuff like that in just for the sake of the appearance. Seems to me you have a handle on the most of the questionable stuff.

Logged
QMU 72| M.A.B.E.L. 77| Cabur Akaata 144

Ashen Kelborn


    *
  • *
  • 7491
  • Returning from hiatus
  • Awards Family events 267th Rapid Assault Special Weapons TCW and Rebels Canon Mandalorians Special Operations Brigade Member
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2018, 03:25 AM »
Very cool character, looking forward to seeing you make her come to life  ;D

Mi'ix


    *
  • *
  • 4611
  • Ideals are peaceful. History is violent.
  • Awards Award for 75 official invasions. Brigades Order of the Ori'Ramikad Celebration Chicago Boba and Jango
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2018, 08:59 AM »
I love this look.

You have a ton of reference images to work from.  Make sure you clue in the app team as well so they can see and provide feedback on where you're going.

Very much looking forward to seeing how this comes together!

Logged
Legends - Protector 
Canon - ESB Boba Fett

Mandalorian Mercs Brigade Application Form

BH/TI/TS/MW 65041

Tra'cor Clan || M.V.S. #41|| M.A.B.E.L. #60 || 72 Official Invasions

Draceline


    *
  • 334
  • Angel of War
  • Awards Award for 25 official invasions. Celebration Chicago Award for 10 official invasions. 11+ Invasion Report Appearances Special Weapons
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2018, 05:59 PM »
I love this look.

You have a ton of reference images to work from.  Make sure you clue in the app team as well so they can see and provide feedback on where you're going.

Very much looking forward to seeing how this comes together!
I'm sending a few of them a message, simply because I don't have the slightest idea as to whom I would go to directly. :laugh:

Anyway, I updated my first post with a "finished" concept sketch, colored with the backplates are fixed up a bit. I have also come up with a decal for her left shoulder. I didn't QUITE stick to the canon source, as once again, every panel is different, but I made a decal that was not only very close, but actually made sense from a design standpoint. I can, however, make it better match the source material if necessary. It is very difficult to tell what is the actual sigil and what is artifact from the scene's environment or simply stray ink.

Original


My version


Hopefully this will be acceptable, but if not, it certainly isn't the end of the world.

Logged
"As Mandalorians, we don't need the Force.
But should you ever want it on your side, don't give it a choice:
Make the Force be with you."

Armor - Soft Parts - Buy'ce - Armory
MARS #47 | NOS #02 | LOB #18 | Draluram #8 | MAJIC #161

GoldenCat


    *
  • 106
  • Honorable Fighter
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2018, 09:56 AM »
Wow  :like:
Following this with great interest

Logged

Ashen Kelborn


    *
  • *
  • 7491
  • Returning from hiatus
  • Awards Family events 267th Rapid Assault Special Weapons TCW and Rebels Canon Mandalorians Special Operations Brigade Member
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2018, 10:37 AM »
Original


My version


Hopefully this will be acceptable, but if not, it certainly isn't the end of the world.

Kinda a Canon call, but personally if I was unsure about something like this in a canon kit I'd revisit until I was sure its the closest it could be with the references I have available  ;)

Mi'ix


    *
  • *
  • 4611
  • Ideals are peaceful. History is violent.
  • Awards Award for 75 official invasions. Brigades Order of the Ori'Ramikad Celebration Chicago Boba and Jango
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2018, 12:15 PM »
I think you've got it very close, actually.

The area between the feet looks to need a bit of tweaking. I'm seeing more open space and a little bit different shape in the provided reference.

Logged
Legends - Protector 
Canon - ESB Boba Fett

Mandalorian Mercs Brigade Application Form

BH/TI/TS/MW 65041

Tra'cor Clan || M.V.S. #41|| M.A.B.E.L. #60 || 72 Official Invasions

Redness


    *
  • *
  • 801
  • Surrender. Or don't. That would be more fun.
  • Awards 40% increase or more
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2018, 01:36 PM »
Watching with interest. You look like you know what you're doing ;)

Logged
MMCC #1529
M.A.B.E.L. #065
#1 Armor WIP
#2 Verpine WIP
#3 Jodo Kast WIP

Draceline


    *
  • 334
  • Angel of War
  • Awards Award for 25 official invasions. Celebration Chicago Award for 10 official invasions. 11+ Invasion Report Appearances Special Weapons
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2018, 01:07 AM »
I think you've got it very close, actually.

The area between the feet looks to need a bit of tweaking. I'm seeing more open space and a little bit different shape in the provided reference.

Yeah, that was my thought too, sadly. But I erred toward sensical imagery. The straight leg makes no sense to me, so I was waffling between that, or assuming it was an environmental artifact or scar on the plate, or making a bird that looked like a bird. But its an easy enough fix, even once its on the armor.

As for the shoulder plates themselves, I'm thinking about altering a Clone shoulder a little. The curve looks right, so it's just the outer edge that needs altering.


I think I'm going to need to get some help making a tape body form (again). The torso armor is too complex for me to pattern flat... I need something that I can draw on and cut apart. It'll help with patterning the chest plate for my Ahsoka build too. Haha.

Logged
"As Mandalorians, we don't need the Force.
But should you ever want it on your side, don't give it a choice:
Make the Force be with you."

Armor - Soft Parts - Buy'ce - Armory
MARS #47 | NOS #02 | LOB #18 | Draluram #8 | MAJIC #161

Draceline


    *
  • 334
  • Angel of War
  • Awards Award for 25 official invasions. Celebration Chicago Award for 10 official invasions. 11+ Invasion Report Appearances Special Weapons
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #10 on: Jul 02, 2018, 04:51 PM »
So I've found fabric and some paint. Rustoleum "Claret Wine" I believe was the name. I've also gotten some leggings to make into the flight suit.

I managed to get some good fabric for the flak vest. I'm going to need to do a princess seamed vest, as the standard male style is not only uncomfortable, but wouldn't look right. So I will have a few extra seams, but they will be minimally noticeable with the plates on.

I've also been working on the 3D model for the jetpack, and looking through my pepakura files for other pieces that I can easily modify to suit my needs (shoulders, gauntlets, etc.).

No pictures at the moment, but I'm making progress.

Logged
"As Mandalorians, we don't need the Force.
But should you ever want it on your side, don't give it a choice:
Make the Force be with you."

Armor - Soft Parts - Buy'ce - Armory
MARS #47 | NOS #02 | LOB #18 | Draluram #8 | MAJIC #161

Havelock


    *
  • 11989
  • I probably have a link for that.
  • Awards Celebration Anaheim 2022 6 or more Education Points in a single year. Award for 10 official invasions. Order of the Ori'Ramikad Celebration Orlando 2017
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #11 on: Jul 02, 2018, 04:58 PM »
First, I'm glad to hear you're making progress.  Second, I absolutely think you're on the right track with this.  You've done an amazing job of trying make a realistic design from a comic book.  Great job so far.

I'm also very glad to hear that you're working on a flak vest, since you'll have to have one.   :P  The artwork certainly isn't clear whether or not she has one, but until there are CRLs for Rook (which honestly will almost certainly not be any time soon), then you'll have to use the custom CRLs to build this.  So great thinking.

As for the sleeves....*sigh*  Bloody comic book artists.   :laugh:  As best I can tell, it looks like she's got a tight double-sleeve setup with different fabrics making up the sleeves, kind of like Sabine's top.  And with the wildly varying detail in the artwork, that's the best guess I can make.

I'll definitely be watching this, since it's a cool build, and I'm eager to see you bring it life.

Logged
"Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness."  - Terry Pratchett
Have you explored all that the Royal War College of Mandalore has to offer?

Draceline


    *
  • 334
  • Angel of War
  • Awards Award for 25 official invasions. Celebration Chicago Award for 10 official invasions. 11+ Invasion Report Appearances Special Weapons
Re: Rook Kast [WIP: Currently in Planning]
« Reply #12 on: Jul 02, 2018, 05:12 PM »
I actually think that second sleeve is part of the vest, more like the nite owls. And that's how I was planning on making it. Mounting the shoulders ought to be easier that way.

The boots are my biggest design annoyance at the moment. It's impossible to tell if they are thigh high or ankle high. I'm thinking about going with ankle for now (I have boots that will work in that case), and if I get told otherwise, I'll change them.

The collar/neckseal and the top edge if the chest plate are also giving me a headache.

I'm finding that making a "legion first" costume is actually quite daunting. No build references anywhere that can help...

Logged
"As Mandalorians, we don't need the Force.
But should you ever want it on your side, don't give it a choice:
Make the Force be with you."

Armor - Soft Parts - Buy'ce - Armory
MARS #47 | NOS #02 | LOB #18 | Draluram #8 | MAJIC #161
 


Don't like ads? Help support the Mercs by becoming a Supporter or Auxiliary Member today! (You will need to be logged into the store)
Official Members also get to use the forum ad-free - so kit up and join us!



Powered by EzPortal
SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk