Insecticon Bob questions

[Neko-chan700]

I am currently designing a Insecticon Bob (IDW) quadsuit with my dad that we hope to start working on by the start of 2013. I have only seen one other Transformers quadsuit, so I am really flying by the seat of my pants.

Some questions I have are
1) Good way to compare a human body to the Transformer?
2) Good way to 'bulk up' the back without making everything prone to shifting?
3) Some references of Bob the Insecticon (aka Sunstreaker's kitty)?

This project has been on my mind since even before I tried doing TFP Soundwave. Seeing as Transformers has a good amount of awesome four-legged/digitigrade characters that are overlooked, I want to try to make costumes of them.

[sergeant duck]

I had considered making a Bob costume myself but I need to finish the ones I am currently working on first. ANYWAYS, it is because I had considered it that a few ideas on how to do this were already in my head. Bulk for the Bob "butt" and his forearms were going to be furniture foam; like sofa cushion stuff. That way it would be light weight, flexible, and squshy! Would also make life easier for sitting down Here are the few reference pics I have, hope it helps.... http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/gg315/h...ob%20Reference/

[Neko-chan700]

Thank you for the pics. They'll help a lot.

Seeing as I'm going to be walking around with arm stilts, do you think the furniture foam would hold up? The arm stilts will be made of large PVC pipe with a hand bar on the inside with straps going up my arms to help keep them in place and carved wooden 'hands' on the bottom (and rubber going on the bottom of the 'hands' to keep me from sliding around).

The main thing is the body. A friend had done a furry quadsuit before and had this armor thing on the back. Every time she tried to walk, it would shift. I'm worried that I will have the same problem to a larger scale with trying to do Bob's body. I will have a lot of bulk on the back and I'm not sure of a good way to keep it in place for when I'm walking on either all fours or two legs.

Sitting down? In a giant robo-bug quadsuit? I think that is out of the picture... I think the thorax (is that the right word?) would still get in the way. I'll probably just lay down on the floor when I need a break...

[NatsumeRyu]

To help prevent shifting I think the main greatest help will be ensuring you have a great fitting backpack type rig, where it will be taught enough around the arms so it cannot shift aside from when you move your shoulders. If you have a camelback (not the backpack/storage ones, but JUST the bladder in the case that straps onto your back), that will work great if you can strap Bob tightly to it because the camelbacks have the front chest clips to keep it on.

[Neko-chan700]

While designing Bob, I realized I may have to include a spine. I will be bulking myself up to be Bob, and I realized that I may not be able to wear the helm. By what I have checked, my head while in the costume would be about the collar. My main problem is being able to see. Almost all Bob's face would have to be see-though so I could see through it. I am not sure how I make it so both the black of his face and the yellow are see-through. I really don't want to make it out of cloth due to the fact that I can't sew, but I may have to if that is the only solution found... Any ideas on something I could do?

[NatsumeRyu]

Don't be afraid of cloth. you don't have to sew...I used hot glue for reaper conduit....velocity uses hotglue on her fabric-covered rigs. Mirai too for breakdown.