So what have I been up to tonight???
After making a couple of feathers - and by a couple, I mean like six or seven - I started trying to systematically attach them to the basic shoulder piece that I created. It took me a couple of tries to get it correct, but I think that it's starting to look alright? Again, I've never done anything like this before and I'm afraid it will come off looking cheap or 'hokey'. Below are pictures of my first attempt at attaching the feathers. After posting these shots online and getting some feedback - namely, that the feathers then drooped over the edge looked out-of-place and odd - I decided to pull those edges up a bit. I think that really helped to create the feathered illusion. So this is where I am right now. This is where my heat gun died. I'm thinking this shoulder piece will belong to Moltres because the feathers are a bit more flowy - like fire. I figure Zapdos' feathers would be more jagged (if I can figure out how to do that) and I haven't even really thought about the possibilities for Articuno.
Sigh. Anyway, just a quick update for you! Stay tuned for more!!
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I've been asked this question a lot... and I've asked this question a lot. I'm actually really curious what everyone else's cosplay pet peeves are. I decided to toss out a short list of things that get under my skin in regards to cosplay below. 1. Beautiful cosplay, no makeup. - It seriously irks me when I see someone with an awesome cosplay and then they turn around and they've done NOTHING with their face. It's my number one pet peeve for a reason. Why would you go through the effort of creating a cosplay and then on the day where you are to finally wear it and show it off, you don't do everything you can to make your character look it's very best? I'm not a makeup guru by any means, but there are youtube tutorials for a reason! 2. Unstyled wigs. - I had to learn how to style wigs and I'm still not that great, but I try my best. I spend many an hour searching youtube for tutorials on how to style them. Unstyled wigs give me the heebie-jeebies. Buying a wig that looks like your character's hair/style/color is only half the battle. You can't expect to take the wig right out of the bag, plop it on your head, and think that it's going to look the best that it can. Invest in some hairspray and a blowdryer; spend some time shaping it and making it look it's best. 3. 100% in-character cosplayers. - I am all for embodying your character as you cosplay.. in video or pictures. When you go to a con and you are in-character the entire time you are at the convention, it gets intrusive. For example, you cannot cosplay Deadpool just because you feel like walking around a convention acting like an asshole the entire day and expect it to be brushed off because you are in a Deadpool cosplay. You can't cosplay a pervert character and think it's appropriate to act like that character at a convention. Pose in-character for pictures. Act in-character for videos or masquerades... but give it a break. 4. Cosplay elitists. - People that reprimand others because they do not look 100% like the character they are cosplaying are the worst. Cosplay is costume PLAY. It's fun. Yes - you have people who have made a career out of it, but even those people don't pick cosplays solely because they look like the character. Cosplay is for everyone. If you want to take it seriously and it's something that means a lot to you, as it does to me, don't look down on those people who use cosplay as a hobby. So what are your cosplay pet peeves?I always considered myself to be fairly prepared for the convention scene once I started taking cosplaying seriously, but it wasn't until Colossalcon that I really adopted the title of 'con-mom, and this past Otakon really cemented it'. What did I do to deserve this? WELL... if not for the fact that I basically bring my ENTIRE craft room with me to cons, you know - glue sticks, glue gun, safety pins, straightener, hairspray, makeup, baby powder, superglue, needle, thread, velcro... and the list goes on - then perhaps it's the fact that I am constantly taking care of everyone else.
At Otakon, I was the last person ready to leave - and people ended up waiting on me - because I was busy getting everyone else ready. I am by no means complaining about this - it's in my nature to help others and I really don't mind - but I was styling wigs and fixing makeup and putting on lashes and painting nails and adjusting armor and yada-yada-yada for hours while I was trying to piece together my cosplay in the meantime! I even con-crunch WHEN I FINISHED MY COSPLAY A WEEK BEFORE THE CON. Tell me how that works. Ha. Every night of Otakon, I was up late helping everyone finish cosplays - we were making props and styling wigs and painting. My first con where I was NOT con-crunching my cosplay... I was still freakin' con crunching. So, yeah.. I'm a con-mom. I'm 100% con-mom and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't know if it's because it's 1 a.m. and I've been deep into bow making today.. oh and possibly suffering from HEATSTROKE from mowing the lawn, but I want to ramble/vent/complain/ask-for-suggestions. I, honestly, think this rant stems from me being too nice? I think I'm too nice. Am I too nice? -_- As a cosplayer, you appreciate it so much when people ask you for your picture or want a picture with you. I know that I live for those moments. BUT. What I don't like is when people ask for a picture of or with you and then hang around for 20 minutes afterwards. Don't get me wrong - I love chit chat and getting to know people and meeting new people and all of that bullcrap.. but like.. if I'm hanging out at a con with my friends or family, I don't really have the patience (and I'm being honest here) to have a 15 minute conversation about all of your cosplans that you may or may not be doing; or discuss all of your favorite animes that you've enjoyed over the last 15 years of your life. God, that sounds so harsh when I write it down. >.< Ugh. I'm not trying to be rude. I'm not trying to sound mean. I think that there needs to be a limit, though, on the time dedicated to talking to strangers at cons.. I guess? HELP! How do you politely end a conversation with someone who JUST. WON'T. LEAVE? SECOND PART OF RANT. People that want to take fifteen pictures with you of various poses - some of which definitely impede upon your personal space. They may not be lewd - hand on butt, etc. - but definitely too close for comfort.
AGAIN, I'M FAIRLY SURE I'M TOO NICE FOR MY OWN GOOD AND I'M A PEOPLE PLEASER AND I WANT PEOPLE TO LIKE ME AND BE HAPPY AND I DON'T WANT TO LET THEM DOWN AND I LOVE YOU AND WANT YOU TO LOVE ME. Q.Q BUT. I don't necessarily want to be nose-to-nose with you in a battle scene, nor do I want your arm wrapped tightly around my shoulders. I don't want to (unless it's a planned photoshoot) spend 20 minutes of my time doing various poses for you/with you. Just.. pick maybe TWO poses tops that you'd want and leave it at that. Like for real. This happens more than I'm willing to admit. I suppose I already know the answer to all of these problems I have, but I just want to vent 'cause like.. it's a blog and that's what blogs are for... ...RIGHT!?!?
of this costume when I made it, and I'm still proud of it. I'm wearing it on Friday to Sci-Fi Valley Con to celebrate my one year con-iversary!! A year ago, I never would have imagined I'd be where I am today in regards to this cosplay universe. Ever since I started cosplaying, I've fallen in love with every aspect of it and sort of jumped head-first into it. In this last year, I have learned so much. I've learned new techniques, I have met new (and amazing) friends, and I have indulged in new opportunities.
I've learned to sew (sorta) and how to make armor, the friends that I have met through conventions and cosplay are, honestly, probably some of the best friends I have ever made and I hope that they will remain to be some of my best friends for a long, long time, and I've had a bunch of opportunities opened up to me via cosplay:
I am.. so grateful and amazed and humbled by everything that has happened over this past year and I am SO SO SO excited for what the future brings. |
AuthorMaiacat Cosplay Archives
July 2018
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