Project: Mandalorian armor cosplay
Purpose: To combine my love for Star Wars and art. To learn how to sculpt, paint, weather, sodder and sew.
Concept and sculptor:
Jesús González
Fifteen years ago, I built my first Mandalorian armor using a bicycle helmet, plastic signs, and whatever else I could find.
It was rough. Very rough.
But it taught me something I still love about making things: you learn by building, breaking, repainting, and figuring out how to make the thing in your head actually exist.
So, fifteen years later, I decided to try again.
This time, I had access to 3D printing, better materials, and a much better understanding of craftsmanship. I kitbashed parts for the armor and weapons, experimented with painting and weathering techniques, and even dove into electronics to give the costume some extra life.
I gave myself three months and a limited budget to get it ready for Star Wars Celebration in London. Which, in hindsight, was probably not enough time.
I made plenty of mistakes along the way. The helmet alone was painted and repainted several times before I finally got the weathering where I wanted it. One of my favorite solutions ended up being a modular helmet system: magnets let me swap different props and change the entire profile of the helmet depending on the look I wanted.
And that became the bigger idea behind the project: I didn't just want to build armor. I wanted the armor to tell a story.
Cyberpunk Mode
For the cyberpunk version, I paired the armor with a jacket featuring a Teotihuacan-inspired symbol that I spray-painted myself. Faux-leather details, electronics, weathered slacks, and a hoodie underneath gave it a more futuristic, high-tech feel. I carried the white of the hoodie onto the helmet with a white brim to tie everything together.
Western Mode
The second version went in the opposite direction. I wanted a rugged, old-school bounty hunter who looked like he'd been traveling from planet to planet for years. I weathered a poncho, added Star Wars-style greebles, repurposed an old pair of boots, and layered canvas to give everything that rough-traveler feel. The helmet stayed much simpler, with just a few attachments.
The whole project became a crash course in making, problem-solving, and storytelling. Every scratch, repaint, piece of electronics, and questionable decision became part of the character.
And the convention?
Well, that's a story for another time.