How to Prime your EVA Foam Armor
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
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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
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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
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 👍
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 :)
You are the *only* TH-cam 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!
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
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!
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 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! :)
I'm curious how it's gone for you after 5 years?
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.
The 'Buy my book' jokes will never get old. There also making me want to buy a book.
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! :)
Yeah Kwik seal! Great video as always.
+Evil Ted Smith Thanks for the tip! ;)
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!
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’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.
I'm a beginner in this cosplay world and your videos are helping me so much! Thank you for them!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
why would anyone give a thumbs down? this was an awesome video.. I learned a lot from this person. Thank you so much!!!!
Wow, you made all of those for a simple tutorial?
Kamui will forever amaze me.
All for you!
Ich hab dir und deinen Büchern viel zu verdanken. Es brachte mich sehr viel weiter. Dankeschön für deine Videos
Please do a "How to Prime your Worbla" video next. This EVA foam was so helpful.
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 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!
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!
I’m always here for the dogs and the German accent.
My dogs have a german accent?
Thank you for making these videos. My daughter is 10 and heavily getting into cosplay, so these videos help me make the costumes she wants made. If you have anymore tips, we would greatly appreciate hearing them or seeing more videos!
6
Thank you so much !! Saves so much time !! And helps a ton !
Recently got into building some, this video is what I needed!
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.
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 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.
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.
Thank you so much!! The paint on my last project did not stay put😭 you have saved my armor 🙏
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!
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
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 ^^).
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!
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!
She's such a ray of sunshine
The dog? Yup!
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!
This is incredibly useful, and informative.
I found some fun in a video that can very easily be boring information.
Plasti dip is my favorite! I use it on everything. Check out their chameleon colors, amazing.
Thanks for the easy-to-understand instructions. Your costume making books are the best in the market.
Thanks! :) That's awesome to hear!
"just because benny had nothing better to do" lololol
True story!
Best base coating vid I've seen, very easy to follow
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 have been wondering of how to make my armor flexible. After watching you doing experiments on each different pieces, I now know that Plasti Dip is the choice. I was introduce to it from a tutorial of making a helmet and it definitely works plus it makes it stands out as it is real.
Glad to help! :)
This video is pure gold ! thank you so much you saved me so much time /kiss
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!
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.
Last weekend I went to a convention in Poland and one of the shops had your books and I didn't know if they were just reselling your stuff or they were your people because there wasn't much in the shop besides your books and some props... either way I decided to buy one since I wanted to support you for the longest time now but the shipping costs were discouraging. I hope I suported you personally not some company that resells stuff... Big hugs from Poland!
I have distributors all over the world for my books so the money still ends up in our pockets (well at least parts of it, haha) so thanks you so much!
KamuiCosplay phew! ;) glad to hear it!
This video was so helpful!!! Thank you so much for making so many helpful vids!!
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.
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.
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
0:25 Lone Wanderer and the cutest Dogmeat in existence. :)
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.
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?
Those pups are so happy looking. Cute.
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
oh kamui, what would us armorbuilding noobs do without your wise guidance? 8,D seriously, building all those pauldrons must've been a ton of work, and this vid is super helpful...thank you for making tutorials on not only one material, but foam too!
Of course! Building the pieces was probably faster than you think. ;) Glad the video helps though!
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
it's corgi approved.
I love your videos! You're helping so many people by doing the experimenting so we don't have to.
Great video! Very handy information.
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!
Thank you for another really helpful video!!!
+Pretzl Cosplay Thank you too for your videos! ❤️
😄😄
being a new modeler we find means and methods hard to find, so we just stumble upon them, like this..
AND you can use minwax wipe on poly and rust-oleum oil base enamel directly on FOAM, we discovered this while painting an Arrow foam Corsair.
I happened to get some oil base paints on the foam packing and realized that not only does it not dissolve the foam, it bonds very well to the foam.
The cheap paint that came on the plane peeled off with some Blue tape after I had painted over with some latex water base paints;
We even poured some paint thinner on the foam and it pooled on the foam but Did Not Dissolve the foam.
Yes, you can coat your Foam plane with oil base poly, paint etc, resulting in a Hard structural skin.
nice work!! 🤗this is super helpful! thanking for making this. also, welcome back !
You're very welcome! :)
😁💚
Thank you so much, I'll have to save quite a while for Plasti-Dip! But it's much better than dealing with the hassle of using white glue and it peeling and not lasting very long on the foam! Love from Australia
+Lady Hellscythe Glue is still fine for a quick project but not tecommended if you need it durable for a longer period of time :)
0:48 really hurt me there
I have learned so much from your channel and I can't wait to get started practicing the craft with my Eva foam
War corgi sees into the abyss
Die einzige vernünftige Antwort die ich gefunden habe !!
Danke Gott, dass es dich gibt
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!
WELL i AM FEELING LIKE YOUR STUDENT i GOT ALL THE MATERIALS YOUR BOOK AND i WATCH THE TUTORIALS MY COSTUME IS GOING TO BE PRETTY AWESOME AND ORIGINAL!
YOU CAN DO IT!
well since I have been an artist all my life yep! always had a hard time with sculpting but this looks like the answer ! everyone finds their own way and you helped me find mine THANK YOU! i KNOW THEIR ARE THOSE PEOPLE WHO LOOK AT THOSE WHO DO COSPLAY LIKE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEM I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE I AM ONE OF YOU A CREATIVE SOUL SO I RESPECT AND ADMIRE THE TIME AND WORK YOU ALL PUT INTO YOUR COSTUMES AS WE ARTISTS ALL KNOW NOTHING IN LIFE IS EASY EVEN WHEN YOUR DOING A LEONARDO DA VINCI REPRODUCTION!
New into cosplay making (but been cosplaying for a year) and your videos are truly helpful!! Keep up the great job!!
Thanks! Hope it helps!
Thank you for posting this!! I am in the middle of a Boba Fett helmet build and I didn't know I had to prime my foam so my paint looks horrid! I will be redoing a few pieces on it and using a primer this time!
Glad to help. Good luck!
I just ordered some plasti dip on discount from Amazon...so happy but gotta stop spending hahaha.... This is so fun. Glad I watched your video. 🎥😎🤑
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!
I am considering using your techniques to make my kids dress up costumes, so I really appreciated the dog part of the test. Lol.
Hello there😊
Thank you for your amazing Videos. As a beginner, they helped me a lot.
You both are super cool and your dogs are so cute😊.
Greetings from Brüggen NRW
For ModPodge, there is also a spray kind that you can use to avoid brush strokes!
just a quick tip. latex can be applaied with a compressor with a simple paint head or airbrush to avoid those brush strokes ;)
OMG you, and your Corgi's are precious. Also very informative. Glad I found this channel.
thank you so much for this tutorial!! i’m a first time crafter and i don’t have access to all of these supplies, would i be able to paint the foam with acrylics?
I'm Newbie Cosplayer! Thanks for the great tips! so excited to try Plasti Dip!
My mom bought me one of your books for mother's day
Hope you like it!
Instant like for the corgis in the beginning
lol I really don't leave comments often but you and your dogs are adorable 😍
Corgis are great!
This is so so helpful! You’re instructions are so clear and all of your videos are so good!
Danke! Ich starte am wochenende mit meiner ersten EVA rüstung und habe mich schon gefragt was ich nehmen soll.
Dann hoffe ich das Video hilft! :)
Very nice Craftsmanship and tips both your dogs are Adorable and very tolerant BTW you also have pretty hands fo camera work