Darth Talon

This sale is for a made-to-order Darth Talon style SILICONE lekku headpiece. Tattoo Pattern: The tattoo pattern is cast permanently into the silicone. It blends into the casting and does not look as if it has been painted on top of the lekku surface.  Price Breakdown: The long style lekku are $175, and the tattoo pattern is $65. (The tattoos take me over five hours to paint in two layers of black silicone. All those tiny little triangle points take a long time to paint neatly when you're painting with thick sticky silicone goo!) COLOR OPTIONS: Note: I've been asked if I can put this tattoo pattern on different colors of lekku for folks making custom costumes. Yes, no problem! I can make a blue Talon headpiece, or violet, or flesh tone, or any other color that you have in mind. Just select Custom Color in the drop-down menu, and then when you get to the checkout page you can click "Add a note to this order" and tell me what color you'd like me to use!  Reel Creations Red: Reel Creations Red is the most popular paint used for Sith costumes. It is the makeup that was used to paint Ray Park for his Darth Maul scenes, and it held up during those fight scenes in the desert, so you know it's good stuff! It is an alcohol-based ink, so it is very durable and lasts a long time. Apply with an airbrush for best results, and you will need a makeup remover to take it off. Soap and water won't work! I do sell Reel Creations ink and can combine shipping with the headpiece. SHIPPING NOTE: Because of postal regulations, alcohol-based paint can only be shipped via GROUND. I cannot ship it International or via Priority Express. Pro-Aiir Hybrid Lipstick Red: This is the second most popular paint for Darth Talon costumes. It is a hybrid, so it has a lower alcohol content, but it still has much of the durability of alcohol-based paints. While it can be removed with soap and water, using a makeup remover makes the cleanup process much faster and easier! Kryolan 079 and Mehron Beach Berry: Mehron Beach Berry and Kryolan 079 have been the most popular water-based paints for Talon. I do NOT recommend these paints if you are going to paint your torso and arms. Water based paints are okay if you're going to wear a body suit and will only paint your face... but if you are going to paint your body, then I highly recommend using an alcohol or hybrid paint. Water based paint will rub off on your clothes, and it will sweat off badly in those bare armpits! If you're going to put so much time into painting for this costume, it's worth it to use a paint that will last longer! Custom Color: If you would like me to match a paint brand/color that I didn't list, or a custom color that you have mixed yourself, I can custom color the silicone to match it for you. Just select Custom Color in the drop-down menu, and then when you get to the checkout page you can select "Add a note to this order" and tell me what paint brand/color you would like me to match.   FOREHEAD TRANSITION: To correctly position the tattoo patterns on the forehead, I first made a blank headpiece and I put it on. I then used a Sharpie to mark the placement of the tattoo patterns so that they would align properly with my eyes, and then I took it off again and transferred the lines to my lekku mold. It wasn't easy, but I did the best job I could! The Forehead Triangle: I sculpted the lekku to go far down on the forehead in case anyone wanted their headpiece to go down that far. I don't find that to be very comfortable, and I think I would personally prefer to cut off the bottom edge of the silicone, including that little triangle. I would cut along the black edges to help disguise the edge of the silicone (see photo), and then I would paint the black triangle on my forehead instead of leaving it on the silicone.  (I have no experience wearing a Darth Talon costume, so please take my advice as a best guess without personal experience!) ATTACHING THE LEKKU: The greatest challenge for Darth Talon costumers is the fact that she doesn't wear a forehead wrap, so it's difficult to hide the edge of the lekku.  There are some options: - Wear a black forehead wrap that matches the style of the costume. While this is not fully accurate, it's fast and comfortable and will let you take off the lekku if you need a break! This option is for personal costuming and would not be 501st approved. - Glue on the lekku with a silicone adhesive. I recommend Smooth-On's Skin Tite adhesive. It is skin safe and very durable. You can find tutorials on YouTube and on the Smooth-On website. You can also find some great tutorials to help disguise the edges of prosthetics. The Silicone Edge: I cannot make the edge of the silicone very thin to help hide the transition from silicone to skin. Sorry! While thin blending edges are popular for prosthetics, those are generally made for limited or one-time use. My silicone lekku are meant to be a long-term investment that can be worn for years, so the edges need to be durable. Very thin silicone is extremely prone to tearing, and once it begins to tear it is very difficult to make it stop! To protect the lekku, I will only offer them with a cleanly cut edge. Head Sizing Options: The Talon style headpieces are made in only one size. The mold is 21 inches in diameter and will stretch to accommodate larger head sizes.  Ear Cones: I will include one pair of matching ear cones with this headpiece, in case you want to use it for other costumes. Shipping Time: Every lekku headpiece is made to order, and will be cast, stuffed, and shipped as quickly as possible.  The final shipping time will depend on how many orders I have in my work queue, and how complicated the designs are. Please be patient and know that I'm always casting and shipping as fast as I can! My Order Spreadsheet: I have a Google spreadsheet where I keep a list of my current orders. It only shows each person's name and what style of headpiece they ordered, but it lets everyone know how many orders I have at any given time and they can watch their names move up to the top of the list as I ship out headpieces. I also post occasional notes and updates at the top of the spreadsheet. If you would like to see the spreadsheet, you can find it here:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12ugjiqRntBPM5Ue8DflZravJT7kmnhdqrkMJJbRcR44/edit?usp=sharing Length and Flexibility: These lekku are 36 inches in length when cast. They stretch a bit when they're stuffed and may get a little bit longer when worn since the silicone can stretch a bit under its own weight. These silicone lekku are much more flexible than latex lekku and will sway more as you move.  Durability: Unlike latex lekku, which can begin to crack after a while, silicone lasts quite a long time. My oldest silicone headpiece is nine years old, and it is still in perfect shape even after traveling back and forth across the country for quite a few conventions. Silicone is prone to tearing under some conditions, however. It won't tear without a starting point, so you must be careful not to create a weakened point where a rip might get started. This is primarily a concern around the edges of the head opening. When trimming away excess silicone, make sure to cut a straight line with your scissors. If you leave a jagged edge, that point can begin to tear. Cut a smooth, even line and it won't be a problem! Stuffing: The lekku are filled with pillow stuffing. I reinforce the top curves of the lekku with a layer of firmer silicone and then they are filled with a soft expanding foam which preserves the shape of the curve. Please note that because of the wonderful stretch of silicone, sometimes it is really difficult to remove every trace of 'sagging' in that area where the lekku curve out from the head. Even after years of making silicone lekku I've never been able to fully eliminate that issue! Weight: These lekku average between 1.8 and 2.3 pounds. The weight varies because I can't always use the exact same amount of silicone, stuffing, and expanding foam. I try to keep everything within the same range, however, based on the results I've found to work the best. The silicone itself averages one pound, and the rest of the weight comes from the stuffing. Static: Silicone is more prone to building up a static charge than anything else I've ever worked with. It's not a huge problem for costumers, just keep in mind that pillow stuffing fibers, loose bristles from paint brushes, and bits of hair will inevitably be found stuck to your headpiece. For the extra wiggle of silicone, though.... it's worth it. You can rub baby powder on the lekku to reduce the static and shine of the silicone. Glue: Nothing sticks to silicone! If you want to attach a decoration permanently to the lekku, typical glues like rubber cement won't work. Instead, you must use a silicone specific adhesive. I recommend Sil-Poxy, which is sold by Smooth-On. If the foam stuffing starts to come out of the lekku after a while, you can also use the Sil-Poxy to glue it back into place, and if the headpiece ever develops a tear, Sil-Poxy can be used to apply a patch. International Orders: If you're an international customer, please review your country's import policy before purchasing. Customs fees and import taxes are the sole responsibility of the buyer. As a business owner I cannot declare on the customs paperwork that the lekku are a gift, or that they have a very low value. Photographs: The photos shown in this sale are not the same lekku headpiece which is for sale. They are examples. The lekku I ship will be cast from the same mold and will look identical save for any natural variations in the silicone, colorant, and stuffing. Please keep in mind that colors appear different on different monitors. I would be happy to help with any Twi'lek costuming questions, so please feel free to ask. Twi'lek costumes are a lot of work, especially since you have to do the body paint every time you wear them if you want to be an exotic color... but it's definitely worth the effort. It's really fun! People often stop you for a picture, and I have a good laugh every time somebody asks, "Can I touch your tentacles?" Good times!