The Grafted Blade Greatsword
Elden Ring
Finished on October 31st, 2024, I can confidently say that the Grafted Blade Greatsword is the best Cosplay Prop I have made yet. This project was an experiment on my part, as it is made almost entirely out of materials I have never fully committed to using before.
From its structure, to its final paint job, this project proved a massive undertaking, one that I was not necessarily prepared for, yet proud to have done nonetheless.
Foreword
Knowing how big this project would be, I decide to start on the smallest part of the sword first, this being the pommel.
The first thing I did was create a paper template for the octagonal shape using Vectorworks
I then pasted it onto a block of foam, adhered together using Spray 78, then carved the rough shape out using sandpaper, ranging from an 80 to 360 grit.
The curved area that goes from the maximum width of the pommel down to meet the handle was made using sandpaper as well, using extreme care to make sure it had a slight slope to it.
Part One: A Beginning
4. The detailing on the pommel was achieved by using a dremel with a variety of bits. With it being my first time using a dremel, I did make a good few mistakes, and at one point I decided to restart with the dremel. To fix my mistakes and fill in any holes I made I used an air-dry foam clay.
5. After finishing the pommel I turned to the handle. The detail it had made it look as if it were made out of twisted metal. To achieve this I carved the wooden core of the blade to resemble this.
After completing the handle and the pommel my next goal was to complete the Guard and Lion Emblem of the sword.
The first thing I did was start to cut and shape the guard. Initially the guard I had cut was too big, which was easily fixed as I then sanded it down to size
Part Two: A Gilded lion
2. A secondary, much smaller guard is present underneath the main piece and was quickly carved and sanded in place.
4. A dimpled look was put across the entire face of the guard on both sides, and was created by using a dremel with a spherical bit to grind away small parts. This created an irregular pattern and overall contributed to a forged metal look.
3. After shaping the guard, I then began to start adding the detailing. Instead of carving the detail or using a dremel, I instead used the same air-dry foam clay I used on the pommel, which allowed much smoother wavy ridges.
4. After shaping and detailing the guard, I then drew and cut out a paper pattern, folded over so that both sides were symmetrical. The beveled edges of the emblems were created by grinding away the foam with sandpaper.
5. In the center of the emblem the same dimpled texture was added to make it blend in and match the guard.
6. The main focus of the guard is the Lion, centered on the emblem. This was made using the air-dry foam clay, modelling it stating with the body and ending with the lions mane.
Part three: A Game of… Blades?
The main focal point of the entire sword is, unsurprisingly, its blade. Created from dozens, if not hundreds, of broken blades, the Grafted Blade Greatsword is grafted together with the blades of fallen foes. Coming from a game with a story partially written by George R.R. Martin, the blade of this sword is particularly intricate, and was definitely the most time consuming part of this project.
The first part of the blade was to create one that would be in the center. A core blade that would cover the core of the sword itself, allowing the other, smaller blades to be securely attached to the sword.
This Blade was made by cutting out two halves that could be attached around the core later on. They were sanded to a relatively smooth finish.
In order to get the right texture for the blade, I used acetone to melt the foam. I splattered the acetone erratically with a paintbrush to get a random pattern.
4. After the core was done, the next step was to add all of the individual blades. They were the simplest part of the sword, cut into a simplistic shape and sanded down. They were attached with the air-dry foam clay and wooden dowel rods for added integrity.
5. After they were all added, the blades were weathered with acetone.
Part four: Sealed and Painted
The final step to make this weapon move past good and enter the realm of great. Sealing it and painting it posed its own problems, using materials I have never used before.
The blade was sealed using Flex Seal, acting as a barrier to make it waterproof and resistant to any spray paints I used later on, and as a black base coat for the sword
2. After adding the Flex Seal a base coat of charcoal spray paint was added, and then a mixture of Brown, Red, Orange and Black was dry brushed onto the entire sword to give it a rusted look.
3. After the rust was painted on, the gold on the pommel, guard, and the lion was painted on, using a semi-dry brush technique to make sure it wasn’t completely golden and had hints of rust peaking through
4. The final coat of paint was a dry-brushed black to darken the entire blade, and weather the gold.
Part five: The Final Piece
And so the project is finished. Please enjoy the images of the final product.
Final Thoughts
As I said in the foreword, this is the biggest, most detailed, elaborate project I have ever done. There were issues involving the Flex Seal and the painting it afterwords, and this was definitely a dive into the deep end as it was my first attempt at using foam to make something, alongside the air-dry foam clay. Regardless of issues I had, this is my favorite thing that I have ever made.