How to Prime your EVA Foam Armor
Learn with our books: www.kamuicosplay.com/books
Support us making videos: / kamuicosplay
Finding and applying the right primer for EVA foam might be tricky, so I tried to show you six easy solutions! I used white glue, Mod Podge, latex, Flexi Paint, Flexbond and PlastiDip! What is your favorite???
-Svetlana
Armor pattern collection:
www.kamuicosplay.com/product/...
Crafting Products:
EVA Foam: amzn.to/47KqE5K
KwikSeal: amzn.to/38hKXJk
Contact Glue: amzn.to/3aBOML0
Squeeze-Bottles: amzn.to/2NKLfPC
Primers:
PlastiDip: amzn.to/3ckvDyC
Mod Podge: amzn.to/2pLjniS
Flexbond: amzn.to/3aoAME5
White glue: amzn.to/2qJSgUO
Flexi Paint: www.flexipaint.co.uk
Paint:
Airbrush Set US/CA: amzn.to/2H8qiMK
Airbrush Set EU: amzn.to/33BxevG
Water Filter: amzn.to/2xijYAv
Cleaning Station: amzn.to/3cEUVHR
Vallejo Model Air Paint: amzn.to/2KOT3iB
Vallejo Game Air Paint: amzn.to/3S47O3T
Airbrush Cleaner: amzn.to/2THqYhH
Our KZhead filming equipment:
Canon R5 DSLR: amzn.to/3S5Kumq
Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM: amzn.to/3vNcofy
Camera screen: amzn.to/47DUtVK
Sound: Rode Smartlav+: amzn.to/2VtYTfU
Rode Wireless Go: amzn.to/2KvAD6Z
Rode NT-USB: amzn.to/2XW7klX
Smartlav+ to transmitter adapter: amzn.to/2yD59ct
Artlist: artlist.io/artlist-70446/?art...
Lights: Studio Lights: amzn.to/2VR0lYS
All Amazon links are affiliate links that we get paid for if you buy a product. You can support us by using these links. Thank you!
My favorite cosplay material shops (links not sponsored):
Europe: cosplayshop.be/
USA: www.cosplaysupplies.com/
Australia: www.luminsworkshop.com/
A list of worldwide cosplay shops: www.kamuicosplay.com/links
___
Our website: www.kamuicosplay.com/
Facebook: / kamuicos
Instagram / kamuicosplay
Our corgis / kamuiscorgis
Photo: / studio.zahora.eu
Music: We Are One by Vexento / vexento
I love it when big name cosplayers like mangosirene, punished props, evil ted, and kamui reference each other in their videos. It makes the community more inclusive like a family.
Why wouldn't we? :) We all learn from each other! Well except Bill. He's way too smart so we all just learn from him.
Let it cool while it is in the shape you want and it stays that way
You have to know that Evil Ted would be giving you a hard time about not making registration lines. :) I have really enjoyed your videos.
i agree!!
Odin make: slowly back into a vorner
Long story short plasti-dip and flexi-Bond are elite and the best primers for EVA foam crafting and cosplay builds:)
There is also new Flexipaint now that wasn't out when I made the video!
I learned quickly with plasti-dip, multiple light coats is better than fewer heavy coats. Its hard to get an even coating and it can pool up so def hang it to dry and don't lay it flat.
@@Raeinok would you mind explaining what type of paints you use on the flex seal spray stuff... I don't know much about paint types, and am trying to figure out how people get stuff to stay on rubber? Like when ya see a mask in a Halloween store that paint is ON THERE super strong..But when I paint rubber stuff, it comes off🤷♂️ Especially if it is a flexible surface..I have seen some people mix liquid latex with acrylic. But I don't want to screw up my airbrush before I learn to use it😄
@@KamuiCosplay Hey! I got a question for the plasti-dip. How long did you leave it in hot water for?
@@jessesanabria2462 I’ve seen other videos where automotive folks recommend 15-20 minutes in the water :)
I feel so reassured hearing Kamui Cosplay say that you can just straight-up paint foam directly in a pinch AND that they realistically let you know how that affects paint application. That was such a great inclusion, they really understand that cosplayer life. Y’all the real mvp, great work as always 👍
Also, as a side note, if you're located in the States and don't like the spray option, Lowe's carries Plasti-dip in small containers, similar to gallon paint cans.
ChiiRayne This!
Good point! Sadly it's pretty hard to find the paint cans in Europe though! :-/
how do you apply it though? is it the same with the others and just use a brush? or is dipping the better option to coat the whole thing quickly?
@@TehAuroraWolf You can apply the paint can PlastiDip using the same usual suspects : brush, dip and spraygun. You'll find many videos on the Internet showing you how people spray their car with it using an airgun. For such massive projects, the can version is much more affordable.
You are the *only* KZhead channel that I will never get tired of hearing about buying your books - I would be sad if you left that part out. I wish you all the success and fortune in the world :) Thank you for another great video! This one is especially interesting and helpful, and I appreciate the detail you put into every aspect of it.
That's great to hear because I will definitely spam more BUY MY BOOKS in the next video. :)
David L would be cool if someone would make a remix out of it!
I was so happy to find your books... prop making with foam and worbla is my favourite. I'm getting the prop gun book too.
+Niklas W Thanks for the idea...
must... buy... books...
Wow, great comparison, thanks for taking the time to compare these all in depth, I absolutely love your work! I've been designing costumes from EVA foam full time for the last 5 years, and have tried a few of these but I have landed at just using artists acrylic paints as my primer and paint. Three coats are all I need and the foam is primed and painted. Of course, my projects are mostly made to have an antique metal look (lots of steampunk:) , so brush strokes are welcome because of the added texture. I'm also pretty cheap and a $5 tube of acrylics goes a long way. I have never tried PlastiDip, but after watching this I think I will give it a try and use it when I need nice smooth surfaces. Thanks again, have a super amazing day! .
Hi Chris!
The 'Buy my book' jokes will never get old. There also making me want to buy a book.
For a second, I thought you used ALL 6 primers on one piece xDD
ULTRA PROTECTION!
Me too omg
CandleKern I thought the exact same thing.
ugh, me too T_T
Shoot, I didn't realize that until I scrolled down and saw your comment. I thought she was doing that to get the entire finish on it.
That shoulder pad was more well-constructed than anything I could make, and you built it for the purpose of being destroyed and eaten by dogs lol great video!
I thought the same thing but I decided to make a full costume from Halo, and it is tricky but man it looks a TON more difficult then it really is, you just gotta try it :)!
I'm binge-watching your tutorials to get ready for my first foam build. It isn't for cosplay but your stuff is still super helpful, thank you so much!
This kind of job requires not only creativity, but certain technical skills and lots of problem solving using the right tools. Plus loads of patience and perseverance. I wonder how much commissions they get for this job.
omg you have just changed my world! 💕 I didn't know you could warm up pieces with plastidip as primer to get rid of wrinkles I just tried it and my armor is good as new. Thank you so much!! 😄
+blazingfire6 It's like magic right??? ❤️
Yea, it seriously blew my mind away, I was so excited I told my friends about your video and the awesome wrikle free with heat tip 😄. I really appreciate you taking the time to spread knowledge in the cosplay community, you're awesome💕
Another tip is to use Rub n' Buff to give your pieces a metal paint treatment (it comes in many metallic colors), it's a wax based pigment. If your paint job creases just hit it with a heat gun and the RnB wax melts a bit and boom! No more creases or wrinkles in your paint. Couple that with Plastidip as your primer and you'll never have to worry about creases in your paint job again!
I have a question as a beginner in cosplay, plasti dip helps harden the foam? I made a helmet and would like to make it harder
@@KamuiCosplay what do you think is better? Plasti Dip or Gummi Dip ? Greetings from a fellow german
Svetlana, you and Benni are truly doing God's work for us cosplayers. Whenever people ask me how I work with foam, how I paint, prime, cut, finish, etc. I send them to your channel. You guys are amazing! I love your books!
I'm a beginner in this cosplay world and your videos are helping me so much! Thank you for them!
Yeah Kwik seal! Great video as always.
+Evil Ted Smith Thanks for the tip! ;)
I just went to your website and looked around and I have to say that I’ve been wanting to try foam cosplay for a really long time and after I read your story and how you started it inspired me to finally invest and get the tools to get started.. knowing that I have your easy to follow guides and these kinds of videos for any questions I might have is truly priceless.. and I have to add, you are by far one of my favorite cosplayers. I love your bubbly personality, everything you’ve contributed to the cosplay community and when you say “buy my books” I break down and laugh to myself every time..
Thanks for your kind words! :)
Please do a "How to Prime your Worbla" video next. This EVA foam was so helpful.
Thank you so much !! Saves so much time !! And helps a ton ! Recently got into building some, this video is what I needed!
This was absolutely EXACTLY what I needed! I'm building my first set of EVA armor - Moria Dwarven armor for my 10 year old boy.
This video was extremely helpful! Thank you so much! It also gave me the idea to brush a layer of white glue over my paintjob to emulate the slightly shiny and tacky coating on the M70 helmet I'll be wearing with my armour.
Here's a cheap method I've figured out recently! Bear in mind I haven't had the chance to take this to any cons yet, but it seems pretty good for an affordable option!! The main base here is Outdoor Mod Podge, rather than the regular matte or glossy. It comes in a green container and says "outdoor" under the brand. You can just use this directly, but what I've been doing is globbing a bit of that into a container, then adding a bit of acrylic paint (i don't use much) and water. The video says you don't need to water down mod podge, but in my experience it helps a lot with the brush strokes! Just make sure to do extra layers to make up for it. The acrylic paint isn't strictly necessary I think, but for me it makes it much easier to know how well it's mixed as well as how evenly it's spread. I use cheapie paints so I'm not sure how more expensive stuff might react! I give the foam a pretty good heat seal first, then start applying the mixture. You can use the heat gun to speed up the drying if you work fast and are careful! If you don't move the heat gun enough it will cause air bubbles, but if you work quickly it doesn't. I've been adding a few layers of the mixture, but you really only need one, I think. It will dry a bit tacky. Once it's dry you can paint over it! It doesn't crack like regular mod podge, but it does crease. When I tried to scratch off paint, it didn't scratch overly easily, but when it did, it went all the way to the foam, so be a bit careful. You can seal with regular mod podge (I haven't tried with the outdoor since it is a bit tacky) and it will be even harder to get the paint off, although it will add shine.
Tip for those who would like to apply mod podge and have an air brush: You can use water to water down mod podge enough to run it through an air brush so you don't get brush strokes in your finish. I've used this before in a few different mediums but have yet to use it on foam. I assume it'll work just fine though. Worked on hardened leather.
Ich hab dir und deinen Büchern viel zu verdanken. Es brachte mich sehr viel weiter. Dankeschön für deine Videos
I’ve been following you on fb for almost a year and I did not realize you had an accent bc I never watch with sound on fb. Thanks for the comparisons. I’m starting to work with foam and I’m very inspired by your videos.
Another great video may have to chain up those corgis though they seem to like playing with that foam. Looking forward to getting more of your books soon.
i love your videos, ur attitude and love of what you do makes them great, but ur pups are the icing n the cake and make the videos amazing!
Building my 6 year old son a Predator costume for Halloween this year and this channel has been amazing for all of the armor tips and tricks. Thank you!
I love your videos! You're helping so many people by doing the experimenting so we don't have to.
Super useful video, thank you ! Just a word on latex, you can actually taint it with acrylic paint (not more than like 10-20% of paint in your latex) instead of painting on it, it works very well if you're looking for a more organic result (but not so great for shiny armor pieces, it tends to get yellowy over time) And an other method we use at my job in France is Slastic paint, it's an elastic kind of acrylic, you just prime your piece with diluted neoprene glue and paint it with Slastic and the result is super sturdy :)
Thanks for the tip!
Best EVA foam priming vid. The way you talk makes me enjoy it cause it reminds me of anime lol. But seriously tho, it was nice and simple. Easy to understand. Good job!
Anime was a mistake.
hhahahah smack down
Plasti-Dip is amazing stuff. I used to use white glue and slave over my armor pieces for hours to seal them for painting, but I haven't looked back since I found Plasti-Dip. A couple of sprayed-on coats and you're good to go. I love it so much.
Thank you for the tip- I've been looking for an alternative to flex-bond and plasti-dip looks like it'll do! This saves me so much money than trying out new things.
This video is also "how to weather your cosplay in a realistic way"destroy and let ur wild animals fight with it
HaanChiii If you know this channel well, youd knew it was coming
I actually choke on my drink while laughing.
I know this video is more than 4 years old at this point, but I LOVE all of your videos. I've been tearing through them all. you make EVA foam look so fun and approachable that I started working with it myself! My first project is going to be the Skyrim carved nordic armor. I'm starting with the shield. I've noticed that in some of your videos you use the flex bond as well as the plasti dip. is there a reason that you use both on some projects and not on others? And you have tried the plasti dip metallic paints or the various colors available? painting is definitely lowest on my list of skills needed for working with EVA foam and having a convenient metallic spray option would make life a bit easier for me. Thank you so much for all of your content!
Yup, white glue cracks like anything, especially over time and on thinner materials. I have a mask I made back in 2015 that's covered in tiny cracks that only my many layers of acrylic paint are hiding. Mod Podge does crease, but for my Ravager corset (the one in my pic), I sealed smaller craft foam sheets with it before cutting the scales and I've worn this thing for a bunch of cons and a self defense workshop and it still looks pretty great, so I'd say it's good for small, bendable pieces that won't show too much creasing but you want them to move. Otherwise, I'm sticking to PlastiDip for larger pieces
Great tutorial as always . Thanks for rigorous testing. This will help greatly with my current build !
This video was so helpful!!! Thank you so much for making so many helpful vids!!
I’m always here for the dogs and the German accent.
My dogs have a german accent?
Your instructions are wonderfully clear and detailed! Thanks so much!
This is so so helpful! You’re instructions are so clear and all of your videos are so good!
Wow, you made all of those for a simple tutorial? Kamui will forever amaze me.
All for you!
Thank you KamuiCosplay, very cool !
Enjoyed the video, it helped me choose between Plasti Dip and Mod Podge. I'll be doing my 1st Cosplay later this year, so excited
I just recently discovered this channel and it's so helpful! Your videos are so well structured, fun and easy to understand! Thanks so much for taking the time for all these tutorials!
Glad to hear you like them!
This video was AWESOME😍 Thank you for another great and helpful video! I've been wanting to get better results with my EVA foam builds and this has been fantastic seeing different priming results. I have been mod podging to seal my kwik seal (learned from Evil Ted😁), then plasti-dipping on top, but my pieces would get stiff causing the paint to look cracked when put under stress afterwards. Next time I will try skipping the mod podge and go straight to my plasti-dip for better flexability👍🏻👍🏻 I LOVE your videos and have bought some of your books and hope to be able to buy more in the future!!
Glas you like it! There's many different combination to use. You just need to find one that works for you personally! :)
"just because benny had nothing better to do" lololol
True story!
This video has saved my current foam armor project and many side projects. The weather turned cold, which makes my garage workshop chilly and (I now know) was making my Plasti-dip spatter. I thought I got a bad batch but after using your tip to put it in some warm water, it's going on perfectly again. Thank you! You've also saved me time and money, as I'll no longer be doing a mod podge base layer (or three) under my plasti-dip, as you solved the mystery of my cracking paint ;)
Glad I could help then! :)
This is by far the most helpful cosplay video I’ve ever seen. Having someone else with the time and materials compare different applications and techniques is super helpful for a beginner/broke cosplayer. Thank you so much!
Glad to help!
This video is pure gold ! thank you so much you saved me so much time /kiss
Plasti dip is my favorite! I use it on everything. Check out their chameleon colors, amazing.
This is so helpful and the Corgi testing is a welcome bonus!
OMG you, and your Corgi's are precious. Also very informative. Glad I found this channel.
I know you didn't try it here, but I can also really recommend using acrylic texture gel mixed with wood glue (Cyehra's priming technique) for the first layer and afterwards only one layer of PlastiDip if you like it extra smooth. The result will be just as good but you won't need tons of PlastiDip since it's really expensive (at least in Germany ^^).
nice work!! 🤗this is super helpful! thanking for making this. also, welcome back !
You're very welcome! :)
😁💚
She's such a ray of sunshine
The dog? Yup!
Was looking for something new and will definitely be ordering a bunch of flexi paint for my next set of armour
Thank you for another really helpful video!!!
+Pretzl Cosplay Thank you too for your videos! ❤️
😄😄
Great video! Very handy information.
Those pups are so happy looking. Cute.
Die einzige vernünftige Antwort die ich gefunden habe !! Danke Gott, dass es dich gibt
This was very very helpful! I've never tried using EVA foam (new in cosplaying) I'm glad I've been following you guys! 🤣 thank you for taking your time to show us how you do your amazing works!
Of course!
If you do decide to use latex as a primer, you can mix regular acrylic with latex and it will adhere much better - not great for spray painting though obvs!
Good tip, thanks!
Thank you! This was amazing. I'm making some armor for my kiddo, and some of the options seem way more time consuming or costly than I would want to invest for a child's costume that likely will be for a season, tchuss!
Светлана, спасибо огромное, ты как новый мир для меня открыла, попутно подняв навыки до приемлемого уровня. Умница.
omg I've been waiting for another Eva foam Im new to Eva foam so I this helps also also do you have a main Eva fine book
Ranjago Senpai bill doran has great book on eva foam
thanks Michael ulrich
Michael Ulrich you mean punished props?
Uh, plastidip costs $20 a can in the country i live in, and flexbond /flexi paint aren't even available here. I guess i'll have to look for an alternative. Thanks for making this video, it was very helpful to compare all the options.
I'm sure there are other local products you can try!
I was researching on canning when I saw this video lol it caught my eye right away as I love cosplay. thank you for the info. love it!
Best base coating vid I've seen, very easy to follow
Me: I have finals coming up maybe I should study today Also me after 20 minutes of staring at my textbooks: I have a cosplay project coming so I quess I can do a little research and go back to studying afterwards... *forgets studying altogether
0:25 Lone Wanderer and the cutest Dogmeat in existence. :)
Thank you for the tips. I just started my own foam costuming journey! I will def use these techniques
Glad to help!
As someone who only recently thought about trying cosplay, currently planning to do one or two small cosplay weapons like a dagger or sword to test and practice, your channel's been very helpful so far! Like even if I don't do more than these test pieces i'll at least go into it with some advice and know how!
it's corgi approved.
Every time I’ve used plastidip on EVA foam, I’ve gotten tons of tiny bubbles that don’t go away once dry! What am I doing wrong??
Try heating up the can in hot (tab hot) water before. Then spray close and thick enough to cover all but not so much that it's dripping. Then wait until dry and repeat two more times.
KamuiCosplay ill have to give it a try, thanks!
I love Corgis ❤️❤️❤️ I started watching your channel recently, because I'm planning to make a Blaze (Fire Renegade Raider) with the light effects and armor
You are amazing Svetlana, thank you so much for this review. It helps me out a lot 💖
War corgi sees into the abyss
I will show this to my nephews. I am teaching them how to code and control LEDS and making suits is a good way to motivate them. Thanks for all the work you guys do.
Spread the love!
Awww I love your intros they're so energetic and cute !!!
Thanks for the easy-to-understand instructions. Your costume making books are the best in the market.
Thanks! :) That's awesome to hear!
Super Video!!! =D Find's klasse, dass du gleich so viele verschiedene Alternativen vorstellst!
Thanks Kamui, we're going with Plasti Dip for our latest project. Appreciate the video :) This really helped.
Fantastic video!!! Showing the different products with the same tests is really really great! Have you thought about testing protective clear coat sprays AFTER painting?
I tried Plasti-Dip on a big eva foam sword and was dismayed by the texture it left on the foam! I had to quickly smooth it all down with a foam brush and do the same with each coat ... very disappointing even though I've seen many cosplayers sing the praises of Plasti-Dip ... you're tip about warming the can in a bath of hot water is a good idea, I'll have to try that before I relegate Plasti-Dip to the dustbin!! ... Great video!
Yeah it's a little tricky to apply so you should test it before applying it to your props. Warming up helps and you really have to heat seal your foam properly in advance.
This was really helpful! My friend sent me this video, without it I would have totally forgot about priming my foam.
Glad to help then!
You're the best. Thank you! Your books and tutorials have helped me a lot!
+Katherine Surgen Yay! ❤️
For ModPodge, there is also a spray kind that you can use to avoid brush strokes!
This is excellent! It really is helping with my current project! Thank you for sharing this with all of us!
Glad to help!
I'VE NEEDED THIS FOR SO LONG THANK YOU
Omg
why would anyone give a thumbs down? this was an awesome video.. I learned a lot from this person. Thank you so much!!!!
This is so helpful! I've been having trouble finding something reliable to prime with, or to seal my paint once it's actually on! Tips are really appreciated with this, so your video was perfect :)
Shannen Hewitt for selling your paint, a spray acrylic sealer works pretty well, or floor was. lyz brickly did a video on it not to long ago.
Yes, acrylic varnish works wonders to protect your paint even further. It also makes it waterproof. Don't really have any experiences with floor wax though.
vous êtes vraiment douée. très belles réalisations.je regarde toutes vos vidéos.
This was a great tutorial, thank you so much!
Thank you so much!! The paint on my last project did not stay put😭 you have saved my armor 🙏
Love it, I need to used that now! 💕🙌🏼 Thanks 🙏🏼
Hi! I don't do cosplay, but I do doll miniatures, and I found this tutorial quite interesting. For miniatures I think that both mod podge and glue would be enough. Great video, you are very talented
Finally a great tutorial for cracked paint 🤗
Just stumbled upon this channel to look for tips on hardening eva foam with Fibreglass... this is awesome and I like your delivery
Thanks! Glad you like my video. :)
KamuiCosplay It's awesome. Now need to find a way to coat the foam in Fibreglass so that it's solid.
I'm Newbie Cosplayer! Thanks for the great tips! so excited to try Plasti Dip!