I'm gonna go ahead and say it.
You are NOT going to be an instant pro at cosplaying. Not unless you have some magical powers.
Though, don't take that statement the wrong way. I am in NO way a pro at cosplaying either.
Some people say that I have awesome cosplays, but I was never always "awesome". You gotta start out somewhere.
You are NOT going to be an instant pro at cosplaying. Not unless you have some magical powers.
Though, don't take that statement the wrong way. I am in NO way a pro at cosplaying either.
Some people say that I have awesome cosplays, but I was never always "awesome". You gotta start out somewhere.
My Vaati cosplay is a great example of starting out somewhere. Like I said, you are not instantly amazing. Cosplay is full of trial and error. My original Vaati, made back in 2005, was comprised of a dark blue sweater, a black skirt, a pair of red sandals, and a hat and cape I had hand sewn. I bought plastic gems and colored them with sharpies to get the colors I wanted on the hat and cape. By the time Animazement 2009 rolled around, I had a sewing machine, and had previously attempted to make a proper tunic and overall outfit for Vaati. The base shoes for my Vaati cosplay in 2009 were actually the sandals I had worn back in 2005. I also learned about body paint, higher quality wigs, and colored contacts by this attempt as well. And finally, I remade Vaati yet again in 2011, realizing that I had a number of colors on his outfit wrong, and that I had his belt, cape, and hat wrong as well. I unfortunately do not have a full body picture of my most recent version of my Vaati cosplay, but it's probably the best way to show how I've grown in my skills over time.
Also, wigs and accessories make a big difference. Even though in my 2009 picture I don't have a sword or a shield, I still have the correct hair color, and elf ears. In my 2008 picture, I used my natural hair, and had no elf ears, but I had a sword and shield. Now which picture looks better?
Another thing, if you are a girl crossplaying a male character, binding helps too. It's a bit odd seeing a guy character with boobs... that is, unless you are going the female route... like doing a "Female Link".
Another thing, if you are a girl crossplaying a male character, binding helps too. It's a bit odd seeing a guy character with boobs... that is, unless you are going the female route... like doing a "Female Link".
Now, speaking of Wigs. There are many different kinds of wigs. When I was younger, I would use wigs from Halloween Stores because my mom wouldn't buy stuff for me online. However, now I buy my wigs online. I know there are people out there who believe wigs purchased online are SUPER expensive... Just to let you know, that is not always the case. My wig from the Halloween Store shown above was $22, and my wig from the Internet was $27. Only $5 more, but so much more real looking. <3
As a challenge, try to get yourself to remake your cosplays. There is a lot that you will realize you know how to do better now. A crown made out of clay instead of felt, hairclips made out of foam instead of felt, make-up, accessories, et cetera. The chest piece and belt I remade for Zelda were made out of layered 5cm craft foam, paper mache, velcro, hot glue, button covers, a cheap belt I got at Goodwill for $1, and spray paint. A cheap method, but still makes a huge difference compared to my original chest piece and belt that were made out of gold fabric. Furthermore, My dress (not counting the purple piece), my shirt, my necklace, and my pink shoulder piece in my 2013 version were all modified versions from my 2003 outfit.
Now, if you are planning on going out and taking Cosplay photoshoots, and you are just AIMING for that perfect picture... be careful. Sometimes Nature will do something you are not expecting, and ruin your Cosplay. After all the work you put into it, that is really depressing. The Cosplay pictured above just REEKED of a horrible smell that I didn't even want to touch it after this happened. I'm just glad that I decided to take my boots off before getting off the rocks where pictures had been taken beforehand.
Also, yet again, if you are going for that PERFECT picture... BE CAREFUL. You can injury yourself very easily. As one of my close friends put it "Cosplay is Serious Business!"
Aside from Injurying yourself, you can possibly break Props and Accessories that you or someone else has made.
When the above picture happened, I was trying to step across river rocks to get to this big rock so I could get a cool picture. HOWEVER, River rocks are very slippery (think about it, they are constantly having rushing water going over them. They are VERY smooth.). Even with myself being as careful as I could, I still managed to slip and fall. The shield I was carrying broke against one rock, and my side slammed into another rock. I walked away from this with a very nasty looking bruise on my upper leg, a sore back, an extremely sore arm, a broken shield, and not to mention, and about 30%+ of my Cosplay soaked.
Aside from Injurying yourself, you can possibly break Props and Accessories that you or someone else has made.
When the above picture happened, I was trying to step across river rocks to get to this big rock so I could get a cool picture. HOWEVER, River rocks are very slippery (think about it, they are constantly having rushing water going over them. They are VERY smooth.). Even with myself being as careful as I could, I still managed to slip and fall. The shield I was carrying broke against one rock, and my side slammed into another rock. I walked away from this with a very nasty looking bruise on my upper leg, a sore back, an extremely sore arm, a broken shield, and not to mention, and about 30%+ of my Cosplay soaked.
And finally, when it comes to make up (both body paint and regular make up), Final Seal is your friend... Except it's supposed to be light blue, not florescent green, and I just apparently had this bottle for way too long. Oops.
Your make up isn't supposed to last for hours and hours and hours that you'll be at the convention. Body Paint will eventually crack a little (or a lot depending on what you're using), and normal make up will eventually look really messy depending on what you're using. I've learned that Final Seal helps prolong these things, AND will help your make up not run off on other people or things.
However, above all else, COSPLAY IS ABOUT HAVING FUN.
Your make up isn't supposed to last for hours and hours and hours that you'll be at the convention. Body Paint will eventually crack a little (or a lot depending on what you're using), and normal make up will eventually look really messy depending on what you're using. I've learned that Final Seal helps prolong these things, AND will help your make up not run off on other people or things.
However, above all else, COSPLAY IS ABOUT HAVING FUN.