|
McPantserton posted:Forget burning the candle at both ends, throw that poo poo into the fire! It's actually shocking how long people can go on 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Continuing the Yoshimitsu bathroom pic tradition I see. THAT LOOKS SICK AS poo poo!!!! Can't wait to see the rest. I'm so sad y'all live so far away from any con I could manage to attend 
|
#
¿
Aug 13, 2012 04:56
|
|
Fortunately Nightmare there is super good at costume engineering and walked me through my fit of despair.
|
|
| # ¿ May 15, 2024 16:42 |
|
|
Hongkongaton posted:
I made a rusty pipe for my SH3 Nurse cosplay out of PVC, so I can help you make it look rusted and grody. Is that the look you're going for or just PVC painted to look like metal?
|
|
#
¿
Aug 14, 2012 03:40
|
|
|
Hongkongaton posted:I want it to look like metal more or less. Maybe add some blood, too It's probably the same method I used for the rust but a different patina. I used the brand Sophisticated Finishes, and the result was amazing. They have a ton of metallic finishes that adhere to PVC. Not sure about the other finishes, but the rust one is real rust and will flake off if you mess with it, so I would recommend sealing it when you're finished.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 15, 2012 04:12
|
|
|
Hongkongaton posted:
I thiiiiink they make a sealant for use on their products, but otherwise you can use almost anything. Mod Podge, spray topcoat, etc. If you use spray top coat I would be careful about the 'matte' and 'satin' finish ones, they clouded on me the last time I used them (I was using them on a different finish though), the 'lacquer' finish was fine though 
|
|
#
¿
Aug 17, 2012 05:00
|
|
|
McPantserton posted:
This picture is the greatest thing I've ever seen. YOUR COSTUMES CAME OUT AMAZING! The claw on Nightmare oh my jesus, and your armor, and the little faces on the sides of Yoshi's mask... it is all amazing. Amazing amazing job. I'm 99% sure that costume contests are cons are basically fixed for the judges' friends, so don't be down on yourself that you didn't place. Your costumes are amazing. Like, flawless. You did Soul Calibur proud. Anyone else get hit by the giant FB cosplay page purge today? I am reconstructing the shattered pieces of my friends list and will probably spend the entire night tagging myself again
|
|
#
¿
Aug 22, 2012 01:06
|
|
|
Reformed Tomboy posted:Is that what it was!? I guess I was too, then. =( Everyone with "cosplay", "cosplayer", "productions", "steampunk" etc. got deleted instantly. A sad day for weebs on facebook 
|
|
#
¿
Aug 22, 2012 02:30
|
|
|
I had my first ever photoshoot that didn't take place at a convention today  The costume is Cammy from Street Fighter, in case anyone didn't know.  I'm working on Harley Quinn from Arkham Asylum for the Baltimore Comic Con coming up in a few weeks, and it's starting to hit crunch time, and of course I have a million things left to do Welp, it was nice having a social life for a few weeks...
|
|
#
¿
Aug 27, 2012 03:32
|
|
|
I tend to go for what will look good on camera and has the right color/weight to it. Shiny stuff doesn't tend to look good unless it's a muted shine. Lately I've been having to order my fabrics online because Joann's selection is so lovely Do you have a reference picture of the skirt and I could maybe try to give you advice on what kind of fabric I would get?
|
|
#
¿
Aug 27, 2012 12:48
|
|
|
CantDecideOnAName posted:Ah. Does it need a lot of coats of glue? If you are willing to spend more money, I bought a big jug of this stuff called Rosco Flexbond. It comes in a gallon size for about $30-40 but it will last you forever because you only need 1-2 coats of it to seal foam! This is compared to the 8-12 coats of regular Elmer's glue/water, and you don't need to thin it with water. Also unlike Elmer's glue, it is flexible when dry, so it won't flake off or crack, and makes your armor extremely tough, so it won't dent or rip like regular foam without a concerted effort. I used it for the enormous Samurai armor build I did earlier this year for Yoshimitsu, and we still have about half the gallon left. Reformed Tomboy posted:Why weren't you impressed? It looks like a pain to work with, but I'm thinking about getting some for my next project as I don't think EVA foam would be supportive enough for what I need. I used Wonderflex recently too, it is unbelieeevably easy to work with. You can hit it with a hairdryer set on high to get it to form. You can draw right on it and cut it with scissors. However, it's not super strong all by itself, plus if you leave it in the back of a hot car or in your garage (as I discovered  ) it will start to soften and deform. You can reheat and reshape it endlessly, at least. I think the next time I use it I'm going to glue some foam to the underside for a little structural stability.
THIZZFACE KILLA fucked around with this message at 14:21 on Sep 9, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Sep 9, 2012 14:17
|
|
|
Hey McPantserton, what kind of fabric is your Ashlotte's leather bodice/skirt part made out of? It looks really nice and expensive in pictures. Is it upholstery fabric? Where did you buy it? I really want that fabric
|
|
#
¿
Sep 19, 2012 03:59
|
|
|
I need to start working on the poo poo for my next con in November, by this weekend if not sooner. Hilariously, I have no idea what I'm wearing for Halloween.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2012 04:03
|
|
|
I need a new Dremel, mine is a serious POS. Anyone have a brand they can recommend? I trust you guys to find me something cheap and reliable! I also just ordered Pros-Aide and am going to try using it instead of spirit gum for the first time. Leveling up in my cosplay game, here! edit: VVV Thanks!! THIZZFACE KILLA fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Oct 21, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Oct 20, 2012 06:28
|
|
|
I did this over the weekend at AUSA. Final Fantasy IX Represent!
|
|
#
¿
Nov 15, 2012 04:55
|
|
|
Thanks guys :3 Beatrix is my favorite, too, so it was a no brainer. I was actually lucky enough to be part of an AMAZING FFIX group, but those photos haven't been posted yet. Everyone looked so authentic to their characters, it was scary. Do people have any more con plans this year or is everyone's costuming pretty much done for a while? My next convention isn't until February, so I am naturally way overexerting myself and committing to like 6 new costumes!!
|
|
#
¿
Nov 19, 2012 17:45
|
|
|
WELP, it turns out Soul Calibur cosplay is like Pringles, you can't stop at just one. I'll be making Viola for Katsucon in February, and (most likely) Pyrrha for my roommate, who has never cosplayed or been to a con before (or even watches anime) but really wants to come dress up with me after hearing me talk about it all the time and seeing my pictures. Yes, yes, let the nerd flow through you...
|
|
#
¿
Dec 3, 2012 07:06
|
|
|
RE: sealing craft foam, the only things I use anymore are Rosco Flexbond and Plasti-Dip. I couldn't deal with 10-12 coats of elmer's glue, which would still crack if you bent it, or mod podge, which still required about 6-8 coats and wasn't a smooth finish. Here is a crash course on these two materials, since it seems no one but me has used them here Flexbond: a white fabric glue that is designed for sealing theatrical backdrops but works on everything. It's like a super strong, super flexible Elmer's glue, and seals foam in one coat. It's about $36 a gallon, but the bottle lasts forever. Seriously, I bought it for my 2 Yoshimitsu armor builds this summer, which were almost entirely made of foam, and I still have more than half a bottle left. The method I followed was: layer of flexbond, paint, 2nd layer of flexbond, final lacquer spray coat (to cut down on residual stickiness). Following this method will give you foam that is essentially indestructible and impossible to scratch. However, on Beatrix, I got lazy and just did one layer to seal the foam, then painted it, and it's still extremely strong and durable. Did I mention this poo poo retains 100% flexibility? It's miraculous. I am obsessed with it. You can also use it as glue, I guess. You know, if you're into that kind of thing. Pros: flexible, strong, durable, no streaky finish, needs only 1-2 coats max Cons: expensive, only found online, only comes in gallon size, slightly sticky when dry Plasti-Dip: an aerosol rubberizer that is used for creating grips on metal tools and making your hubcaps look like rubber, which I guess is a thing. Comes in two forms, a spray bottle and a big can for dipping things into. I haven't used the can version, so I can only speak to the spray. You can find this stuff in hardware stores and it's about $5 a can. The great thing about Plasti-Dip is how easy it is to use, being a spray exactly like a spray paint, but probably worse for you to inhale. It dries very quickly, which is good, because it still requires a lot of coats to actually seal anything. I am extremely impatient, so I usually top out at 3-5 coats. 3 doesn't do much for you, but 5 should be sufficient to make your foam not feel or look like foam anymore. If you do enough coats of Plasti-dip, you can get a smooth, even finish, suitable for armor. This probably takes more coats than you would expect, though. A couple of coats does give the foam an interesting, leather-like finish, which can be useful in some respects. Plasti-Dip keeps your pieces flexible, and makes them somewhat stronger, but they still scratch relatively easily. There might also be some creases that form if the pieces bend a lot, so it's better to form your poo poo first before you seal it. Pros: cheap, easily available, easy to use, dries fast, flexible + durable Cons: must be done outside, requires many coats for a smooth finish, still susceptible to creasing/scratching I hope this helps someone!
|
|
#
¿
Dec 3, 2012 23:29
|
|
|
Pantserton that looks amazing! I had to use a scissors for wonderflex so I can't imagine how annoying it must be to cut out those tiny shapes with (I assume) an Xacto.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 7, 2012 22:13
|
|
|
The bead form is the only kind I've ever seen, what is the alternative form you can buy it in? I also just learned about another method of sealing foam using primer + 4 coats of SmoothCast, but that seems like the absolutely most expensive possible method  The guy uses it for prop weapons though and says it's a less toxic version of covering a prop in fiberglass resin, so it can be done inside. Part of me wants to try it, and part of me is horrified at the cost of a gallon of Smoothcast.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 9, 2012 00:53
|
|
|
OK Prop experts, I need some materials advice. I'm making this beaut (and the costume of the naked lady behind that, but I've got that taken care of):  I have a hula hoop, and what I'm stuck on is what to make the glass panels out of. I want them to at least be translucent, to get a stained glass feel out of them. For time purposes, I want to make it out of one large sheet of something, but I'm blanking on translucent/transparent materials that are cuttable with, like, a scissor or xacto knife. Does anyone have any idea what I could use? Edit: fixed img THIZZFACE KILLA fucked around with this message at 06:49 on Jan 20, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Jan 20, 2013 06:47
|
|
|
How easy is plexiglass to cut/obtain? I was pretty much planning to do exactly what you described to get the stained glass effect, but I'm stuck on finding something I hopefully don't have to use fancy shop materials to cut... Also, YES. I KNOW. Why are you amazing Soul Calibur cosplayers so far away!! Do you guys ever go to Dragoncon? That will be the farthest con from the East Coast I'll have ever gone to when I hopefully make it there this year. Edit: To clarify, I currently own a soldering iron and a dremel, and I have seen both of these things thrown around as possibilities to cut acrylic. I have no workbench or wood saw, and nowhere to put either of them So I'm really looking for alternatives to that set-up.
THIZZFACE KILLA fucked around with this message at 07:38 on Jan 20, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Jan 20, 2013 07:08
|
|
|
So this weekend was Katsucon, and I finished my Tira cosplay in time for it! Here is the first good picture I've gotten of it and my beloved Bifrost   Edit: Found a full length image! 
THIZZFACE KILLA fucked around with this message at 07:59 on Feb 18, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Feb 18, 2013 04:00
|
|
|
TheTofuShop posted:Looks like the Ring Blade turned out AWESOME! What did you end up doing for the stained-glass-ish portion? Thanks! I ended up making it out of a couple of layers of thick clear vinyl sandwiched together, and painted it with stained glass effect paint. People were asking me what it was made out of all weekend! McPantserton posted:Let's run away together, you and I. We'll dress like Soul Calibur characters together under a silvery tropical moon. You don't know how happy it makes me that there is someone else here that understands the addiction that is Soul Calibur cosplay <3
|
|
#
¿
Feb 19, 2013 08:46
|
|
|
LadyRavenWaves posted:THIZZFACE KILLA - Just want you to know that your Tira costume keeps showing up in my FB page feed. There are some amazing pics of that beauty of a costume. OMG Awesome None of the photoshoots I did have been processed yet so I'm waiting on what people find of me and tag me in. Bag of Hamsters: DO IT. This thread should always have at least 1 person working on a Soul Calibur costume. Also regarding wigs, I almost never shop anywhere but Arda anymore. And I have a tiny-rear end head. The extra space is really useful for doing a lot of styling to a wig, because braiding/putting in wefts/adding clips tends to make wigs tighter. I'm already starting to put shopping lists together for my next costumes... I really have a problem, I think.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 21, 2013 23:25
|
|
|
McPantserton posted:Whatcha starting up next, Thizz? Make a Siegfried costume maybe, we can eventually plan a mid-country meetup for a week-long Soul Calibur photoshoot. I'll make Olcadan next. I think I want to try Elysium next. I really like her helmet thing and I want to make a pair of wings Other than that, Faye Valentine, Cutey Honey, and this catgirl Rei figurine thing I fell in love with. And I'm making my brother a Kaneda costume because holy poo poo that Pill jacket. I need to make it.SOMEDAY WE WILL ACTUALLY FIND A CON WE CAN ALL GO TO AND DO A PHOTOSHOOT. That needs to happen. Bag of Hamsters: Welcome to Soul Calibur Cosplayers Anonymous ;-) LadyRavenWaves: You can PM me, or add me on my cosplay FB (which is the only one I use anymore, haha): Sistercacao Ramune
|
|
#
¿
Feb 22, 2013 05:21
|
|
|
McPantserton posted:You are the coolest person I barely know. ADD ME. DO IT. I'm going to scour the internet for good wing tutorials, and I will pass on anything I find. I'll try to take progress shots too, which I am normally really, really bad at. Also since my last post I joined a Dead or Alive group for DragonCon and can now add Tina Armstrong to the cosplay list. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 22, 2013 07:38
|
|
|
I'm so sorry to spam this thread with pictures of myself, but I just had to post this one O___O I promise no more Tira pictures after this!! Anyone ever heard of Jomar Stores in the Philly area? I'm going there on Saturday to see if I can find any fabrics for my summer cosplays, but I'm wondering what the selection is like...
|
|
#
¿
Feb 27, 2013 07:42
|
|
|
Bag of Hamsters posted:Thizz, are you also in Philly or just visiting? I'm from the DC area, so it's just a visit. I can't wait to go! I'm hoping to get all my fabric for all my planned costumes taken care of, but that probably won't happen since they are all spandexy.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 27, 2013 21:07
|
|
|
pukey posted:Thumbs up! I love the stained glass window effect and would use the weapon as a house decoration. Also what did you use as shoe covers (primarily the armor looking part)? Wonderflex! I used it for the gauntlets and the shoe armor.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 1, 2013 16:41
|
|
|
At this point, I use 2-sided wig tape to tape myself into everything. I tape myself into my bra, I tape my bra to my top, I tape everything to everything else. McPants, how does the headdress attach? Elysium's mask naturally doesn't attach to her face/hair in any way so I'm wondering if I'll just have to slide a clear strap under the wig or if there is actually a way to achieve that illusion another way.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 3, 2013 05:52
|
|
|
McPantserton posted:Aaaaaaaa in costume news, in addition to getting a ton of painting done this weekend, the welding shop is finished with our vac former frame! OH MY GOD JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I COULD NOT LOVE YOU ANY MORE <3 I am playing through FF12 for like the 19999th time right now and I am once again seriously considering cosplaying Ashe, even though her clothes make no sense. But I would never attempt a judge because holy poo poo the armor. I cannot wait to see this and the finished Nightmare. SO EXCITE.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 11, 2013 07:39
|
|
I have been having fantasies about all the things I'm going to vacuum form after I'm done with my Masters. 7 more weeks. 
As I mentioned, we're doing StarCraft marines for our big outfit this year but I'm planning on building Gabranth's armor from Final Fantasy XII after that.
This daydream is what's getting me through Advanced Topics in Information Organization.
|
Fatkraken posted:my next project Xaerael posted:So, fatkraken mentioned this thread, I'll post up my current project and my last one... Holy poo poo O___O Please post any progress shots you two take of your projects!! I am staring at the pictures in these two posts with my mouth hanging open. Amazing work. Holy balls.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 25, 2013 21:12
|
|
|
fallin1 posted:Anyone have a suggestion on how to cut down a wig to proper proportion with out destroying it? I tried today to get one done for my Leon costume and just completely wrecked the wig. Are you asking how to cut hair? I'm pretty good with wigs so I can try to help. If you're asking "how do I cut hair" the key is mostly the kind of scissors you use and the angle of the cut. You want small, very sharp scissors. I use the kind you get in a manicure case if I don't have actual salon-style scissors around. Then you want to take a small bit of hair and spread it so it's flat between your fingers. Like the lady in this handy stock image:  Then, you have to ANGLE YOUR SCISSORS so they point upwards at AT LEAST a 45 degree angle towards your wig. I tend to angle mine so much they are nearly pointed straight up. The biggest mistake lovely wig stylists make is cutting with the scissors straight across. It looks like rear end. I tried and failed to find a picture for you on the internet, but it looks extremely fake and awkward when cut straight across. You're trying to go for a feathery edge along the bottom, not a very blunt cut. I tend to try on my wig a ton while I'm cutting it because I am very paranoid I am going to cut too short and gently caress it up. Sometimes I will leave a clip on the wig where I want to cut the hair. If I am cutting a long wig short, I will cut the bulk off about an inch longer than where I need it to be and carefully trim it down. This is much easier if you are doing a wig for someone else and you can have them sit there with it on while you cut it. That being said, I always try to find a base wig as close to the length/style as I can. Saves you time and stress.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 20, 2013 07:41
|
|
|
McPantserton posted:I would look around for tutorials or logs for people who've done Deadmau5 heads. There's got to be some out there and it'd pretty much be the same thing. Oh yeah, that paintjob is niiiiice.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 30, 2013 05:09
|
|
|
McPants, congratulations on winning at ACen! Your SC costume deserve ALL THE AWARDS. I'm making very tentative plans to go to Acen or possibly Colossalcon next year. FATED SOUL CALIBUR COSPLAY MEETUP FINALLY?!?!?! Speaking of which, I've been super busy working on FOUR new costumes for Anime Next, which includes ventilating a lace-front wig to have a custom hairline. Ventilating involves pulling tiny individual wig hairs through the netting on the lace-front with a very small implement and tying them in, and it is so. unbelievably. tedious. I'm terrified I'm not going to finish in time, and it is over 2 weeks away. That being said, I'm already thinking ahead to Otakon, where I plan to do this beautiful lady/personified sword:  Now my problem is, I've never made wings before. The real challenge, though, is how to attach them to myself without having huge, visible straps going over my shoulders or around my waist. Does anyone have any advice or experience they can share? All I will be wearing is a strapless bra to support them with, can something be created that could be held up by a bra or will I have to use clear straps? Would it be possible to only use one clear strap and have it hidden by her one shoulder drape thing? I'm also wondering what kind of finishes I could spray on the plastic of the mask to get that 1-way mirror look, ie: where I can see out, but people can't see in.
|
|
#
¿
May 22, 2013 20:49
|
|
|
McPantserton posted:Thanks, dude!! I'll admit to peacocking around a bit (a lot), it felt drat good to win in that thing. I wasn't planning on bringing it to Acen next year but you bet your rear end I will if you're there, holy poo poo!! And I'll make Yoshimitsu bring his too. Nightmare threw half his suit away before we left this year though. Aaaaah I really hope I can go!! Your costumes are way, way more involved than mine. If I was doing armor builds for every con, yeah there is no way I'd manage to make more than 2-3 a year. My ANext costumes are: Madoka's school uniform, Faye Valentine, Cutey Honey, and Hurricane Honey (I really like Cutey Honey costumes I guess  )Speaking of which, I've been working on Faye's wig for the last two days, making a custom hairline, which is the most tedious horrible thing ever, and as you can see, I'm not even halfway finished:  Then I need to cut it, and go over the blue highlights with a purple sharpie, ugggggh. As for Elysiam's wings, thanks everyone for the suggestions, I will start posting progress of that in a few weeks when I'm finally done with ANext costumes.
|
|
#
¿
May 23, 2013 05:13
|
|
|
I'm going to Anime Next in New Jersey this weekend, and among other things, I'm in a Madoka Magika group as Madoka in her school uniform. I had so much time left over after finishing all my costumes, and feeling like procrastinating on Otakon costumes, I made a kyubey to go along with my Madoka group!   Bless his amoral little heart  ETA: I should add that I've never made a plush before, and I was really, really worried about loving it up. I'm really happy with how it came out, but I don't think I'll be making more plushes anytime soon, they are full of tiny little details that stress me out.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 5, 2013 03:29
|
|
|
LadyRavenWaves posted:
I have the patterns for galaxxxy panty sitting around and I want to make it so bad but I have all these goddamn summer costumes to do I have costume ADHD I swear.
THIZZFACE KILLA fucked around with this message at 16:22 on Jun 6, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Jun 6, 2013 16:16
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 15, 2024 16:42 |
|
|
Working on Otakon stuff. Made these monobear hair accessories for my Junko cosplay today!
|
|
#
¿
Jul 19, 2013 05:28
|
|