Morning all! Busy building for Dragon Con and just had a mild panic attack. Just a tad more than 2 weeks till con! EEEK! There needs to be a law that says we don't have to work our day jobs (but still get paid) 2 weeks out from con!A costume holiday!
What works for me is focusing on characters in movies/tv series that I love.
Watching them is great, but when you start studying the costumes, spending time with the creation of them and walking around in them it brings a whole new level of enjoyment.
The costumes that have flopped for me are when I made something because maybe I looked a bit like the character and it was popular enough to be recognized... but I didn't love the character or the story or the costume so it wasn't as fun to work on or walk around in.
Once you find something you want to do, here are three principles I focus on when replicating:
Shape: the template/pattern should be made in something very cheap until you are satisfied. Sometimes I borrow from other patterns already there, sometimes I construct them myself, but it is the foundation of everything else.
Texture: the material you're using should match how the original piece flows/feels/holds up... Even if it isn't to start with, can can it be manipulated to simulate it: matte, pitted, shiny, flowing, ridged etc. Also, consider what you choose for the final principle:
Color: matching the original color and weathering of the costume (if there is any) is the final consideration. Dying, painting, bleaching, staining etc.
There are plenty of tutorials out there to draw from too, if starting from scratch is a bit daunting. Even if the tutorial isn't for the costume you want to make, you can still learn the technique and adjust it for yourself. I have a few you can look at if you want - in my signature link.
The above advice from Guri is good! Mine is more philosophical: Don't ever NOT attempt a costume because you think it's beyond your skill level. Your first attempt won't be perfect, but in the process of making it, you'll learn how to do it better, and your skills will improve. Plus, if it's a costume you love and really want to make, you'll be motivated to stick with it and see it come together!
When I started cosplaying, I didn't know ANYTHING about sewing; I barely passed home-ec class and had no real-life interest in any kind of crafting. My first cosplay was literally held together with safety pins and duct tape, and it wasn't until my third costume that I borrowed a sewing machine to play with. But I loved costumes, so I kept trying new things even though I wasn't really good at it, and through trial-and-error I learned new techniques. Now I'm a Masters-level competitor -- and I actually know how to thread the sewing machine and stuff! It's still amazing to me!
I don't feel so awkward about it now.Oooh a good one!
Aside from what Guri and AVA have already said (Holla) I have a few other things
I sometimes forget just how much stuff I have in my brain already. It's not just costume theory and practice it's also art history, social history (as opposed to learning dates and wars) a lot of science nerding and stres of modern graphic art.
All of this means I can usually spot where a designer has taken inspiration or patterned directly from. And it helps to problem solve. Build up a library of art that inspires you regardless of where it is from
Also practice. If you are too nervous to go headfirst into a project then get scraps and play. Ask for off cuts of plastic at sign shops and learn how they take paint or how you cut them. Home renovation stores often have off cuts if you ask, otherwise yard lengths of tubing, pipe and other bits and bobs are reasonable to practice with.
Tools and stuff to stick things to other things are usually where the costs mount up.
Think of it as "Experimenting, for Science!" rather than practice drills and it will help
I'm one of those head first kind of people. But this is still something I want to get better at! Patience grasshopper.
Also mess is a natural side effect. It's taken two decades for me to at least tidy after myself every few days. It's another good habit to practice- keeping the mess under control!
Edited to add: rock on everyone
Hooooleee Hell, that is awesome.Current version - 2009
