I was looking at some props on HauntProject.com, and I ran across a paper mache gargoyle done by Vic.  You can see it here on his website:  Halloween Zombie.  I decided that I wanted mine to look like Goliath, the leader of the Gargoyle clan in Disney's animated series, Gargoyles.

 

I cooked my own glue to start off with.  5 cups water, 1/2 cup flour and a teaspoon of salt.  Boil the water, mix the flour into a cup with just enough COLD water to make a nice runny mix and then pour it into the boiling water.  Turn it to low heat and simmer it til it gets nice and thick, like... well.. glue.  Of course, that got old really quick and I just bought a gallon of Elmer's Glue at Home Depot for about 12 bucks.

Since I don't get the daily newspaper, I used craft paper, which I happen to have a LOT of.  I just tore it into strips, varying lengths and usually 1-2 inches wide.

I started with a cardboard box for the base.  I glued some styrofoam blocks in there to keep the box from caving in.  Then I closed it up, taped it off and paper mached 3 layers of paper on it.

This is the basic frame.  I made it so that he will be crouching.

I'm using the duct tape double method of making sure he has a somewhat human-like form.  I'm doing this in stages... feet first, then legs and lower torso.

Here, you can see where I made sure he has supports for his wings.

And I made a tail out of PVC... I will probably use chicken wire to make the tail form.

Then I duct taped my husband's arms and used them over the frame.  I decided that the pool noodles that I bought for 25 cents each in clearance a few weeks ago would be useful here.  Thanks to Wil AKA DeathLord for that lil idea!  I just cut them into the lengths I needed then sliced them lengthwise like a hot dog bun and wrapped them over the PVC.

I made a duct tape double of my husband's chest and abdomen and put it on the frame.

I made sure to cut holes in the duct tape double's back for the wing supports to come through.

I gave him a pool noodle over the tail too.

After I got the arms on and all taped up, I filled the whole thing with pieces of foam leftover from BirdGirl.  Then I cut some hand-sized pieces of foam for the base for the hands.  I taped that to the end of the arm, then secured it to the leg that it's leaning on.

More usage of pool noodle.

 

I beefed up the tail by adding some rolled up cardboard to the top of the tail, then tapering it about halfway down the tail.  Then I took the WonderCutter and shaved off the pool noodle until it was tapered to the end of the tail.   I secured it all with more duct tape.

I cut another piece of styrofoam for the other hand and taped it to the end of that arm and then taped it to the box.

This is the head so far.  It's a styrofoam wig head with Great Stuff all over it.  I'll be carving it when it's fully dried.

I got the tail all wrapped with paper mache now.

I used some scrap pieces of pool noodle for fingers and toes.  I cut then into lengthwise pieces a little longer than my own fingers, then notched them in 3 places like a knuckle so they can bend.

Then I glued them on and paper mached them.

The left one in the picture is the foot with the toes curling over the base.  The toes and fingers on these two didn't look right when I finished, but I am not concerned with perfection today.  :)

The rear foot.

For the head, I carved off some of the Great Stuff to make it shaped more like a head and face.  I stuck a piece of PVC into it and secured it to the frame.

More to come as I progress...

Last updated Friday, 9-2