Cool! Yeah I'd say start with a L-200 foam or EVA foam build. You can get a lot accomplished in not a lot of time. That way you can make sumthin', feel accomplished & then move to the next thing. And it's cleaner than pepakura. Start small... say, try making a gauntlet or shoulder armor. Don't worry about the 3D stuff just yet, as that can get very expensive very quick (esp if you're having someone else do it for you) In fact I plan on fab-ing belt pouches & smaller stuff with foam for this build. And remember there are excellent foam tutorials on youtubes, the 405th, the RPF, etc.