cos culture magazine
papa cosplay the making of tychus
cosplay TUTORIAL: Adding zippers to EVA foam armour
PHOTOGRAPHY TUTORIAL: Photo Touch ups by Kairu Photography
amazing cosplays from
GAME OF THRONES
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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S 6.
PAPA COSPLAY
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tHE MAKING OF TYCHUS
BY PAPA COSPLAY
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Photo editing tutorial
BY KAIRU PHOTOGRAPHY
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GAME OF THRONES COSPLAYS Ginny Di as Arya Stark
LISA MARIE COSPLAY AS SANSA STARK Santatory as Margaery Tyrell JESSOLAURUS REX AS KHAL DROGO AND KHALEESI valentine costumes as oberyn martell batbunny cosplay as ellaria sand galacticat cosplay as brienne of tarth ves cosplay as joffrey baratheon starbit cosplay as daenerys targaryan cissy cosplay as missandei cha fernandez as Jon snow dirty moose design as a white walker
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COSPLAY EVA FOAM ZIPPER TUTORIAL
BY DOWNEN CREATIVE STUDIOS
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Cos Culture Magazine is owned and operated by NH Creative Inc. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Nikko Marie COPY EDITOR: Patrick Webb PUBLISHER: NH Creative Inc. CONTACT: info@cosculturemagazine.com www.cosculturemagazine.com www.fb.com/cosculturemagazine ISSN 2368-2574 PUBLISHER:
NH Creative Inc. April, 2016 info@nhcreative.ca www.nhcreative.ca
Disclaimer:
Copyrights of all included text, photos and other material used in this edition of Cos Culture Magazine are the property of their respective owners, and have been graciously provided to us for use in this magazine by the owner of each work. All efforts have been made to credit sources of inspiration and owners of original characters for each cosplay. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our publisher at info@nhcreative.ca.
FRONT Cover image:
Papa Cosplay as Tychus Findlay, Starcraft (Blizzard Entertainment) Photography by Padre Geek www.padre-geek.com www.facebook.com/padregeek
back cover image:
Ves Cosplay as Joffrey Baratheon, Game of Thrones Starbit Cosplay as Sansa Stark, Game of Thrones Photo by Batbunny Cosplay Edited by Starbit Photography
VES COSPLAY AS JOFFREY BARATHEON, game of thrones STARBIT COSPLAY AS SANSA STARK, game of thrones Photo by BATBUNNY cosplay / EDITED BY STARBIT PHOTOGRAPHY APRIL / MAY 2016
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papa cosplay in his Gronnstalker's Armour, world of warcraft Photo by Antony Gomes Photographe APRIL / MAY 2016
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papa cosplay as tychus findlay, starcraft Photo by York in A Box 6
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PAPA COSPLAY FRANCE
CC Mag: Can you first tell us a bit about yourself? What’s behind the name Papa Cosplay? Papa Cosplay: Hi, my name is P.A., hence Papa Cosplay. When I decided on the name, I had no idea people would start calling me Papa - pretty naive of me, right? And on certain occasions, or all of them, it’s disturbing. I’m also a French robotics engineer who loves to make costumes on his free time!
I haven’t done too many costumes. During my studies I travelled a lot and lived in different countries (which makes it difficult to have a workshop), so I typically only do one costume per year. I started small, for carnivals, making costumes that would last a day, mostly using wire, paper, cardboard, etc. My first costume was a Ninja Turtle with 3 other friends! Unfortunately I had no purple fabric so I was the yellow turtle! At that time I had no idea that it was called cosplaying. For me it was just a carnival costume.
“I really love making all sort of things, and cosplay allows me to share my craft with other dedicated crafters.”
In terms of cosplay, I’m more into the “cos” part, as I love to recreate armour and costumes, but don’t really impersonate the role (the “play” part). So for me cosplay is about crafting costumes from the character you love, then having fun with other people wearing the costume. But I hope in the future I’ll have more time to plan some “shows” with my costumes. I’m mostly doing cosplay for the crafting part. I really love making all sort of things, and cosplay allows me to share my craft with other dedicated crafters. I might be more into villains, as they usually look really cool. But not just common villains - the villains that are so cool you want to be pals with, like Hades, Zurg, Izma, etc. That being said, I still made a Buzz Lightyear costume, and both of my leather armour costumes are from relatively “good guys”.
The following year I made a Goldorak costume out of cardboard and wiring, which is still the only manga/anime costume I’ve done.
I first discovered the word “cosplay” in 2008 at the Worldwide Invitational of Blizzard in Paris, where I was participating with a T6 Warrior/God-Crow Anzu made out of wire and paper. I got third place, which looking back is crazy when I consider that I didn’t even know about foam or cosplay. It was all thanks to the other participating cosplayers with whom I talked about craft and materials. Thanks to them, my next costume was a giant Raving Rabbid mascot made out of foam APRIL / MAY 2016
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I typically make armour cosplays, and it usually takes me about a year to make a costume, so to keep my motivation that long I always choose something that means a lot to me. Buzz Lightyear is Buzz Lightyear. From Toy Story to the TV series, he’s just awesome! The Gronnstalker’s Armour with its moving eyes was my absolute favourite outfit in World of Warcraft, even though I don’t play a hunter. And since I saw the video where Tychus as a prisoner gets suited up by the machine into a space marine, I’ve always loved the power and awesomeness it incarnates - and I’ve never even played Starcraft!
“... it usually takes me about a year to make a costume, so to keep my motivation that long I always choose something that means a lot to me.” CC Mag: Is cosplay a hobby you see yourself doing in ten years time? Papa Cosplay: Yes, definitely! I don’t think my need to create things will vanish anytime soon, and cosplay adds even more fun to the crafting. I’m sure we’ll never run out of awesome and classy characters in the future, so I got no reasons to stop! CC Mag: What’s the cosplay scene like in France? Do you have to travel a lot to cons? Papa Cosplay: I can’t really answer that, as I’ve mostly participated in foreign conventions. There are a lot of different kinds of conventions in France
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everywhere in the country, not just in the big cities, so yes, I would still need to travel a lot. I typically prefer the video game and comic-related conventions over the Japanime conventions. CC Mag: Congratulations on winning the Blizzcon costume contest last year with your Tychus cosplay from Starcraft! Do you have any favourite memories from Blizzcon? Papa Cosplay: I’ve done a few contests over the years. It’s been five since 2006, including Blizzcon 2015. The first one was a high school carnival contest. I’m not too into contests, as you have to wait a lot and you miss most of the convention. And contests are stressful! But you get to talk with other cosplayers about projects you’re working on while waiting backstage, which is great. I’ve been to Blizzcon 2010 (where I got to see Tenacious D!), Blizzcon 2014 (thanks to the Gamescom 2014 contest), and Blizzcon 2015. I like the Blizzcon contests because 100% of the contest is about your craft. You meet the judges, then take pictures so the judges will be able to zoom in on your detailing when making the final decision. I really liked the Blizzcon 2015 cosplay contest because the three judges knew a lot about costume making! Glenn Hetrick was even there! Well I say this, but I had no Idea who he was when I met him the first time. I don’t watch TV, and even less American TV. It’s another cosplayer who told me about him after the judging was over. It made me really happy when he came back to see me after my walk on stage to congratulate me on my armour making. It’s always good to hear when a professional likes your work! Like all contests ,you spend a lot of time backstage waiting. But you are with more than a hundred other cosplayers, so it’s the perfect time to chat about crafting and exchange ideas.
papa cosplay in his Gronnstalker's Armour, world of warcraft Photo by Antony Gomes Photographe APRIL / MAY 2016
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“...I take a lot of time to make a costume, so to keep my motivation that long I always choose something that means a lot to me.� - Papa Cosplay
papa cosplay as tychus findlay, starcraft Photo by padre geek photographe APRIL / MAY 2016
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papa cosplay in his Gronnstalker's Armour, world of warcraft Photo by Antony Gomes Photographe 12
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Also, the best thing about Blizzcon is you get the chance to “meet your maker” in the halls. For the past two Blizzcons, I had Blizzard developers coming up to me, saying “did you know that I’m the one who made you?” It’s awesome to meet and chat with the people who created the design of the cosplay you took so long to realize. I was also able to participate in the cosplay panel the next day with other talented cosplayers and previous Blizzcon winners, thanks to my Blizzard friends and cosplayers. I was asked how I feel about being the Blizzcon costume contest winner a few times. In a way, I felt so relieved. I didn’t come to compete in the first place. I just wanted to be sure to have a new costume when meeting my friends again who I haven’t seen since the year before. I still have a lot of work to do on my Tychus armour. I’m missing lots of parts, and didn’t have time to put any mechanics into it. Also, usually in cosplay contest you have to be 100% accurate with the character you cosplay, but I was doing my own design. I wanted to show my vision of that well-known character as a medieval version, so I assumed I wouldn’t be eligible for the contest. With that in mind, I had absolutely no stress at all for the contest. After Gamescom, Blizzcon was really the only other contest I wanted to win someday. The possibility of being featured in one of Blizzard’s games is better than any reward you can expect, and being able to do this “by surprise” was awesome! I don’t think I’ll participate in any another contests in the future, except if it’s the only way to go on stage. Finally I would say the best thing now for me about Blizzcon is to see the friends I made there over the years. It’s quite expensive to do the trip, but I never regret it! I like meeting new people and discovering what everyone cooked up during the year for the next Blizzcon. Then, cosplay aside, opening and closing ceremonies are always really great shows to attend!
I wish someday that 100% of Blizzcon attendees would try cosplaying, so that they can experience being in another world. Thank you everyone for your cheers and support! CC Mag: What made you decide to cosplay as Tychus from Starcraft? Papa Cosplay: At first I was going for something more “robotic”. After watching the Overwatch announcement during the Blizzcon 2014 opening ceremony I had planned to make Torbjörn. I had already thought of all the mechanisms to deploy the turret, because in the game, apart from his feet, all of the rest seems to be is coming out of nowhere. Thank you, CGI, for making our job a nightmare! But I don’t know, for some reason I was missing the motivation towards the character. I love dwarves in fantasy, and I love robotics, so I thought the combination was perfect! But I think the character is lacking charisma or personality. So in the end I just stopped developing it, and searched for another costume from the Blizzard universe. My goal was to have something new to show for Gamescom 2015. I was originally planning to do a mecha of a Diablo character, until I saw Prince Armory’s Crusader Armour and got inspired to make a new leather armour. And hell, I had so much fun designing, making, and wearing my Gronnstalker costume! I was already planning on doing an original take on a Blizzard character, so instead of taking a medieval character to make a robotics version, I decided to take a futuristic character and make a leather version! I always considered Tychus, that character in the giant blue armour, to be badass ever since I saw that amazing video where the barbarian-looking prisoner is being suited up by a machine, right before being dropped in the middle of a battlefield. However, I never really wanted to do that space marine armour. It didn’t have a lot of interest since APRIL / MAY 2016
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a lot of people already did it and for the release of Starcraft 2. Also if you look at it anatomically, it’s so impossible and absurd, it would have been really uncomfortable and nearly impossible to travel with, not to mention impossible to bring on a plane. All these problems were the reason it I thought it would be awesome to make it in leather! It was something no one had done before, and it was going to be comfortable, and fit in a plane (with extra luggage, obviously). But the main reason I wanted to make my Tychus costume was the mixed design of the armour between futuristic and medieval. The year before, while making the Gronnstalker’s armour, I tried to respect as best I could the original design of the armour. Of course I had to re-design a few parts like the belt, the legs (which are mostly boots in World of Warcraft), and a few other pieces to be able to wear. And then of course there was the tooling to replicate the texture of the Gronn skin and other details. I created the monster skin texture using 3 different stamping tools on the whole surface of the armour, using a guide.
But I never had any real knowledge of what the armour would look like in the end, and that’s something I’m not going to do again. I didn’t have any preview and couldn’t know if what I was doing on some part was going to stay consistent with the rest. CC Mag: What other cosplays have you made? Papa Cosplay: • The Gronnstalker’s Armour (World of Warcraft) • Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story) • Roman Soldier (Asterix) • A few other small things not worth mentioning. CC Mag: Any big plans for the future? Papa Cosplay: For now I’m focusing on adding robotic and animatronic parts to the Tychus armour. But I think next year I’ll rework my Buzz Lightyear Costume with the armour skills I’ve gained from the past two leather armour costumes. I want to redo it so It’ll be comfortable to wear and robust. I’ll use leather for the jointing parts, but I’ll keep the costume in plastic, because that’s how people love Buzz Lightyear. I’m not going to do it all in leather, which would be too “serious” a version.
“... the main reason I wanted to make my Tychus costume was the mixed design of the armour between futuristic and medieval.”
The Tychus armour was going to be really difficult, because I needed to adapt the mechanics, pipes and other metallic designs into leather, for a medieval but still futuristic armour. That’s where the real difficulty was: how far can I go with the medieval detailing so that it will still look like a space marine? And that’s also where I faced my biggest problem. I don’t draw! I had to think up the entire design in my head, and build it in foam and paper. Sometimes of course I tried to draw something out, even if it looked terrible, just to keep the idea for later.
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CC Mag: You’re one of the first cosplayers we’ve seen to use leather on a cosplay of this scale. What inspired you to use leather? Why not Worbla or EVA foam? Papa Cosplay: I would first like to thank Prince Armory for his awesome designs, as he’s the one who inspired me to start in leathercraft. I saw his medieval Aquaman and it was so awesome that
I decided just like that I needed to try making armour out of leather! That’s what first inspired my Gronnstalker’s armour, but he’s continued to be a source of inspiration to me. I’m sure most of you already know him since he made Iron Man and Darth Vader in leather! Now, let’s start with the obvious. Everything on my Tychus costume is made out of leather. Not a single part is in foam or Worbla. Only leather, everywhere! I considered doing the lights of the torso, the reactors on the back, and other pieces in metal or plastic, but since I was really short on the deadline and I didn’t want to lose too much time thinking about it, I made all of them in leather, too. And it was not that easy, some of those pieces were really hard to make! The very last pieces I made were the two lights on each side of the head. They were small, and the paper patterns looked like nothing! All the pieces involving leather molding are weird looking when flat, and were really hard to make out of paper. Something that might interest some of you is the price. Usually when you start a cosplay, you’re looking to do it on a budget. I know I started when I was a student, and began with wire, paper and glue. But when you want to make an armour that will last and survive moving and stuff, it has a much higher cost. There is about 570€ worth of leather in my Tychus armour. Then you have to add the cost of the tools. I went from 6 stamping tools for the Gronnstalker, to 40 for the Space Marine. Then there is the dye, which is incredibly expensive on such a surface, rivets, and buckles, which even for cheap buckles, 40 of them add up in price. Overall, tools plus materials, the costume cost around 1600€.
If you do the math, it represents a 40 hour per week job. It’s like I had 2 jobs of 8 hours a day for the 6 months before Blizzcon! A research engineer by day, and a cosplayer by night. I can tell you I will manage my time better for the next costume, because it was not always pleasant. Even though I took most of my vacation days for the costume, when you reach the last month before the deadline you really wish that you were jobless, but you also know that can’t happen Most cosplayers experience a time of rush approaching the end of their costume, and even though I’m used to working a lot on a costume until the last minute, usually the last few days are more about finishes and last-minute details. But here I almost didn’t make it in time. I received the additional dye I needed for the armour 3 days before catching the plane to California, and I finished setting the rivets and the assembly in a motel in Anaheim. By the way setting rivets is not like last-minute sewing that you can do in your hotel room. It makes a lot of noise! After almost getting kicked out of the motel, we finished the assembly in the parking lot and in the street. Like with the Gronnstalker’s Armour, I put on the whole armour for the first time only a few minutes before entering the convention. And while we’re still talking about the armour, I have to say the best thing about leather armour is its mobility. I can run, jump, dance, and my movement is completely free. Nothing can break, and it can only get scratched if I roll on the ground. But it still won’t break! Well enough with that. It’s time to talk about the making process!
So now you know about the price, let’s talk time. I spent around a thousand hours on that armour over six months, counting the time I used for the design and the patterns, which is easily one third of the project. APRIL / MAY 2016
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THE Making of
Tychus Photo by greg de stefano photography courtesy of blizzard entertainment 16
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The steps to making leather armour are roughly always the same for me. I start by thinking about the global design of the armour. I looked at lots of reference pictures, and thought I would like something like the armour of Alphonse for the torso. But I can’t say this step is like the first step. It’s more like the first thing I’ll start thinking about, but it will stick with me until the end. Normally I would start with paper and make the pattern at the right scale. But in this case, the torso shape was so complicated I had to do it entirely out of foam first. It’s like I made the costume twice. Once in foam, the other time in leather. So I started by doing the torso in foam, then I did the arm (upper arm + elbow + forearm), then the gauntlet, then the foot, and finally the leg (tibia + knee + thigh). At this time I didn’t do the shoulders. The first step with leather is to cut all the pieces out from the skin, losing as little leather as possible. Then cut the edge of the top and bottom of each pieces using an edge beveller. After that I did a rough assembly. I punched all the holes in the leather pieces, and used brads (playing the role of rivets) to attached them together.
Part 1 : Design & Pattern
Part 2: Cutting & Preparing
• Paper works well for most pattern pieces
• Paper pattern pieces
• Use foam for more complicated pieces
• Blade, Scalpel
• Draw the design on the paper
• Edge beveler
• Transfer the design on the leather through the paper using a round end needle or a modeller APRIL / MAY 2016
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Now is the time to go back to the paper pattern, and draw the design you want to tool on each piece. Which kind of border will you use? Can I stamp screws? It’s medieval futuristic, so should I? Which part of the original armour should I stamp onto the leather, and where could I put some crest of frills to look like medieval royal armour? And what should they look like so they are still corresponding to the Starcraft universe? Designing takes a lot of time and brain power. It’s really tiresome. For some parts, I used something looking like the Falcon of the Terran, but in a medieval crest style, and I used a lot of “tentacle” styled frills to stick with the Zerg. The choice of the stamping tools was also really important to have some parts tooled as mechanical, futuristic, and others as medieval. Once the design is roughly drawn onto the paper patterns (this I can do, draw designs at 1:1 scale on the paper patterns), I marked it onto the leather piece using a round end needle. However, you really should use a modelling tool for leather or clay, but I didn’t have one at the time. Now that the design is transferred on the leather, you wet it and use a swivel knife to cut open the leather along the edges of the pattern. Then with the leather still wet, you use your stamping tools to carve the design. Stamping leather makes a lot of noise, so in my case I did it every evening and Saturdays after work in my laboratory after working hours.
Part 3: Punching Holes & Rough Assembly (fitting) • Simulating rivets using brads
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When all the leather pieces were tooled (it took me about two months of evening work), I wet molded it in the shape I needed.
Part 4: Drawing & Cutting • Transfer the design on the leather • Wet the leather and use the swivel knife to open the leather
Part5: Tooling • Wet leather • Stamping tools • Endless possibilities • NOISY!! • Befriend your neighbours first!
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Part 6: Sewing & Molding • 2 kinds of sewing:
- Cross
- Straight
• Waxed linen thread • Awl or diamond chisels to prepare leather for sewing • Molding: immerse leather in water • I only use cold water The sewing part can be done before or after the dyeing, depending on the colours you’re going to dye the pieces. Sewing leather this thick is done by hand. You first draw the line of the sewing, then mark the holes to do in the leather. For the gronnstalker I used a ruler and manually noted the spacing between the holes. I now have a spiky wheel that measures the spacing (like for pre-cutting pizzas, but for leather). You then punch the holes with an awl. Sewing by hand is really long, and I used all my free time I’d get to do it, like during my commute to work. The next step is the dyeing. Unfortunately I don’t have a lot of pictures of that step, because I wore gloves and had to do it quite fast. Leather dye is not easy. It’s not like paint. You can’t correct a mistake. Also you can’t have a clean straight line with dye if the leather isn’t cut where you want that limit. Because the dye spreads into the leather, the edges are always diffused, unless you make a clear line by opening the leather with a knife cut. You can’t lighten the colour on your leather with clearer dye, the dyes just add themselves to another. You can go darker and darker. For the space marine, I dyed blue, then added more blue to some parts to do the shadows, and some black to bring out some designs. 20
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Part 7: The Dye • Eco-Flo Dye: water based, no vapor • Hard to try shades • First layer for colour • Second layer for shades and shadows • Blocking techniques • Silver and gold need to be mixed with other dye
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The dye takes several hours to dry. When I dyed the leather in blue, it first appeared black, then after it dried out it was blue (not even dark blue). So dye makes it really hard to use shades, or to rapidly know if the mix is the colour you want. You better remember the proportions of your mix, because you’ll have to wait a long time to be sure how it looks when dried. When everything’s dyed, you apply a finish. I like the gloss finish better because it looks more finished to me when the armour is shiny. This finish also protects the leather from water. That’s a good thing, since you have to wet the leather to tool it or mold it. Finally you install the riveting, to assemble all parts together. Considering the shape of the torso, the riveting was a nightmare. You need to use a hammer to set properly your rivets, meaning one side of your rivet needs to be on a flat surface to absorb the shock of the hammer. I had to get pretty ingenious and have more than 2 arms for the torso. All those round shapes and pieces assembled together didn’t make it simple. For this I’m really thankful to my twin who helped me in his flat a few hours before taking the plane to California! 22
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You can find more of Papa Cosplay's work here: www.facebook.com/PapaCosplay-308461022660458 Photography by: Antony Gomes Photographe www.antonygomes.com www.facebook.com/antonygomesphotographe York in a Box www.facebook.com/yorkinabox Padre Geek Photographe www.padre-geek.com www.facebook.com/padregeek Greg De Stefano Photography (Official photos from blizzcon 2015) www.gregdestefano.com Instagram: @gregdestefanov
Photo by greg de stefano photography courtesy of blizzard entertainment APRIL / MAY 2016
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TUTORIAL 24
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Photo Retouching by K a i r u P h o t o g r a p h y APRIL / MAY 2016
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kairu photography's photo editing process
Cosplayer: Tao Cosplay Cosplay: Nidalee, League of Legends
Initial Shot
final version
For cosplayers and photographers alike, the road to a completed project is not always quick, easy, or glamorous.
approaching edits to cosplay photos. Now, I am happy to be able to share with Cos Culture Magazine an overview of that process and approach.
For a photographer, the editing process of a cosplay photoshoot can be tedious and time-consuming. Even so, the little edits and the details, when finetuned, can add up and amount to the difference between a good snapshot and a beautiful photo.
For this step-by-step process overview, I will be using a photo I took of Tao Cosplay as Nidalee, from League of Legends, as an example of the edits and areas I focus on.
As a cosplay photographer for more than five years, I have been able to hone and develop a process for
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Note: for any photo editing, I recommend utilizing layers, layer masks, RAW files in Lightroom, or any other non-destructive editing methods to avoid losing the original image data.
STEP 1 First, I always start with the farreaching changes of lighting, colour, and balances when editing photos. These changes, while the simplest to perform, also have some of the biggest results. With some minor shifts and adjustments to brightness, contrast, white balance, highlights, shadows, colours, saturation, angles, or cropping you can see significant alterations to the overall look and feel of a photo. There is no “right way� to do this, as this first step requires an eye for design, and having a vision of the final product in mind is helpful as well. In the example image, I cropped (along the dotted line) to give a tighter focus on the cosplayer. I increased the exposure, increased the shadow values, decreased the black values, decreased the white values, added some warm tones, and increased colour saturation to the image as a whole to balance the colours and lighting until I was satisfied. The result was a more vibrant image with deeper dark areas and smoother highlights.
STEP 2 After approaching the photo on a broad level in Step 1, the next step is to make adjustments to specific areas with additional lighting, colouring, and other adjustments as needed. In the example, I decreased shadows and adjusted colouring in the facial area, increased warmth and brightness to the arm, and increased contrast in the spear. These changes helped further highlight the cosplayer and balance the image overall.
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STEP 3 After getting the image to have the look and feel I desire, I will use the dodge tool in order to bring out or lighten specific areas. In this example, I highlighted some of the white war paint, her eyes, and necklace. I will also use the burn tool, which can darken areas, to increase contrast. For my example, I used the burn tool along the lines of her spear tip and some of the leopard print she is wearing.
STEP 4 At this point, I typically will dive into the detailed edits. In this step I zoom in to specific areas and clean them up. For example, I may remove stray hairs (as highlighted in the example), people in the background, trash on the ground, or distracting elements. Also, depending on the vision or the image, I may add effects or stylizations like flames, sparks, debris, or other enhancements when appropriate. There are many ways to approach this step, but I typically use the clone tool for the first pass in cleaning up small areas. After cloning areas, I will add additional layers with the paintbrush tool and introduce colours that match the area well and blend them together using layer blending options or layer masking. I will then add slight blur and adjust the masking and opacity to help blend the cloned area with the original image as best I can. By that point, I may have roughly five or six layers used for a single area to ensure the edits are smooth and natural looking. For effects, I will typically use various brushes and filters to create the effect I am looking for and then integrate them into the photo using layer masks and additional blending options. There are also effects packs and actions you can use to introduce new effects to your images, should you desire to go that route.
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STEP 5 & ADDITIONAL NOTES After you have gotten the image cleaned up, stylized, and fully edited, I recommend taking the time to go back to Step 1 to make sure all the levels, brightness, and colours are where you want them in the final image. Take the time to dodge and burn areas one more time, if needed, and make any last fine-tuning edits you desire. At this point, I’d like to mention that I am sure many of us have seen that it is possible to over-edit an image. It is nice to clean up images and sometimes bring an idea to life, but I would encourage anyone editing photos to keep in mind that edits made improperly can ruin the photo, rather than enhance it. It is best to keep in mind the natural structures of your image. Things like light direction, shadow direction, straight or leading lines, repeating patterns, and reference points should be consistent and pleasing to the eye when the image is viewed as a whole.
Likewise, be mindful of the edits you make to the cosplayer or their cosplays. Be respectful of them and if you are ever in doubt, discuss the edits with them to make sure they approve. On the proceeding pages, you will find some additional examples of my edits with details of the types of changes I made to take them from the initial shot to the final image. I hope you enjoyed this walkthrough and if you’d like to see more of my work or discuss cosplay photography with me, be sure to visit my pages below or e-mail me. I’d be happy to talk to all of you! Kairu Photography www.kairuphotos.com www.facebook.com/kairuphotography or email: kairu@kairuphotos.com
Photo by Kairu photography APRIL / MAY 2016
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Tsun of Tsun Yan Cosplay as Leone from Akame Ga Kill Edits made: • Cropped and adjusted the angle • Slightly increased exposure • Increased contrast • Lightened shadows • Darkened blacks • Increased blues and tone • Increased saturation • Cleaned up hair strands • Burned and dodged for key areas
Photo by Kairu photography 30
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Kohalu
as Dark Pit from Kid Icarus: Uprising Edits made: • Increased exposure • Increased warmth • Added radial filters for light ‘beams’ • Lightened shadows • Increased contrast • Cleaned up fringes • Added a faint lens flare • Burned and dodged for key areas
Photo by Kairu photography APRIL / MAY 2016
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“My best memories from this cosplay, just like with all my cosplays, is hanging out with friends and making new ones while bringing one of my favourite TV shows and characters to life.� - BatBunny Cosplay
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amazing cosplays INSPIRED BY game of thrones VALENTINE COSTUMES AS OBERYN MARTELL, GAME OF THRONES BATBUNNY COSPLAY AS ELLARIA SAND, GAME OF THRONES Photo by STARBIT PHOTOGRAPHY APRIL / MAY 2016
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“I spent about six months putting this cosplay together, because I wanted to make sure it was as close to screenaccurate as I could get it.”
ginny di as arya stark, game of thrones Photo by weneals photography and retouching 34
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ginny di
as Arya S tark CC Mag: Can you tell us a bit about how you made the costume? Ginny Di: I spent about six months putting this cosplay together, because I wanted to make sure it was as close to screen-accurate as I could get it. The jerkin is made from jute webbing that I dyed myself, and it’s handlaced with a faux leather cord. About twenty hours of work just on the lacing! I also hand-dyed the linen for the blouse and pants, and hand painted all the leather binding on the jerkin to ensure everything was the precise colour I wanted. My wig is from Arda Wigs (one of my favourite wig suppliers) and I bought the grip, pommel, guard, and blade for Needle from Zen Warrior Armory before getting a friend’s help shortening the blade to be more proportionate.
CC Mag: Why did you choose this specific character to cosplay? Ginny Di: I had people telling me I looked like Arya before I even started watching the show! But I didn’t even consider cosplaying her until I started actually watching the show and realized that I loved her character. As flattering as it is to be told you’d make a great cosplay of a character, I don’t do a cosplay unless I’m familiar with the character and feel my own personal connection to them. It’s just luck that I happened to look like a character I love! CC Mag: The scenery in your photos is perfect! Can you tell us about the shoot? Ginny Di: I actually postponed this shoot by about a month because I wasn’t willing to compromise on my vision, and it snowed on the day of the shoot! Darn Colorado weather! But a month later, Torre Neal of WeNeals Photography and Retouching was kind enough to travel with me to Morrison, CO so that we could take advantage of Red Rocks’ beautiful landscapes to try and mimic the wide open spaces, rocks, and greenery of Northern Ireland in the show.
“Her mantra of “fear cuts deeper than swords” is something I’ve found myself saying to myself in my day-to-day life!”
CC Mag: Do you have anything in common with Arya? Ginny Di: Plenty! Luckily I haven’t witnessed my father’s execution or lost most of my family to brutal political murders, but I definitely relate to a lot of Arya’s less extreme experiences. She’s young, and small, and female, so people are constantly underestimating her. She’s under a lot of pressure to prove herself over and over, which is definitely something I feel. She’s also always being thrust into situations she’s not prepared for, which is a feeling I’m all too familiar with as someone who suffers from anxiety. Her mantra of “fear cuts deeper than swords” is something I’ve found myself saying to myself in my day-to-day life!
You can find more of Ginny Di's work here: www.ginnydi.com www.facebook.com/ginnywrites Photography by WeNeals Photography and Retouching www.weneals.com www.facebook.com/weneals APRIL / MAY 2016
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lisa marie cosplay as Sansa S tark
CC Mag: Why did you decide to cosplay Sansa Stark? Lisa Marie Cosplay: As soon as I started watching Game of Thrones several years ago, I felt a connection to Sansa. At that time I had a bit of a ‘type’; cosplaying slim, redheaded young characters (Amy Pond, Ginny Weasley, Mary Jane) so I could instantly see myself as her. Feeling that connection soon led to a personal connection to the character. I became incredibly sympathetic to her plight. CC Mag: What are some of your favourite qualities about her character? Lisa Marie Cosplay: Sansa gets a fair bit of flack from the community, but I see her as a strong character who has suffered incredibly, and she is
one of the only Starks still standing. She plays the game well, even throughout everything she has been put through. She is a very human character. She is weak at times, annoying at times, but also incredibly strong at times, too. CC Mag: Of her many costumes, how did you decide on this particular one? Lisa Marie Cosplay: Her pink dress was the first dress that I saw and knew I wanted to make, which is odd as I usually dislike pink! I love the incredible level of detail on all Game of Thrones costumes, and even this plain looking pink dress was covered in detailed embroidery, so I spent hundreds of hours trying my best to recreate that same level of detail. It was hard, and it was my first big sewing project, so I learned a lot making that dress. CC Mag: What is your favourite memoriy while cosplaying her? Lisa Marie Cosplay: That would have to be being invited to play Sansa at an event in London for George R R Martin, and meeting him, and Robin Hobb, in costume. He was incredibly complimentary, and I was speechless. He gave me a Westerosi coin from the Game of Thrones set and I was a bumbling mess of a fangirl. It was amazing. You can find more of Lisa Marie Cosplay's work here: www.facebook.com/lisamariecosplay Instagram: @lisamariecosplay
lisa marie cosplay as sansa stark, game of thrones Photo by starbit photography 36
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Photography by Starbit Photography www.facebook.com/starbitphotography
lisa marie cosplay as sansa stark, game of thrones Photo by starbit photography APRIL / MAY 2016
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santatory as margaery tyrell, game of thrones Photo by foto 37 38
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santatory
as Margaery Tyrell CC Mag: Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Santatory: I am a Norwegian cosplayer from the kingdom in the far north: Norway. I am a cosplayer and love it, and am a nerd and a gamer. CC Mag: What was the most challenging part of the cosplay? Santatory: The most challenging part of my Margaery cosplay was finding screen accurate fabric and then tracking it down to a manufacture in Norway. CC Mag: What inspired you to make a Margaery Tyrell cosplay? Santatory: What inspired me to make my Margaery cosplay was that I fell in love with the design of the character.
CC Mag: What is your favourite thing about the character? Santatory: My favourite thing about Margaery is her grace and her cunning, and how she has everyone wrapped around her little finger. You can find more of Santatory's work here: www.facebook.com/santatorycosplay Instagram: @santatory santatory.deviantart.com Photography by Foto37 www.facebook.com/fototrentasette
CC Mag: Do you have any favourite memories while wearing your Margaery cosplay? Santatory: My favourite memories‌ where to start? I have so many good memories of it. Well, there are two that I am very fond of. One was when I wore it to London Film and Comiccon where Miss Dormer was originally going to be present, but cancelled the night before. There were some people who didn’t know this and actually mistook me for the actress. And there is the memory from my time in Italy with Foto37. We had the most amazing photoshoot in this medieval village, Grazzano Visconti. I had to get up at five in the morning for it and it as really cold, but it was magical being there so it was all worth it. santatory as margaery tyrell, game of thrones Photo by foto 37 APRIL / MAY 2016
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jessolaurus rex
as Khal Drogo and Khaleesi CC Mag: When and why did you first decide to cosplay? Did you start together or did you cosplay individually first? Laura: I’ve long been an admirer of cosplay but I didn’t start until three years ago. Playing JRPGs is really what started my interest in the cosplay scene since I loved seeing people replicate the costumes from the games I love, even though I have yet to cosplay from a JRPG. I started off doing individual cosplay. Jesse: Denver Comic Con 2014 was when I first cosplayed. And I started because this beautiful lady I had a huge crush on was into cosplay, and I wanted to dress us as Goliath and Elisa from Gargoyles with her in hopes that she would fall in love with me forever. CC Mag: What drew you towards Khal Drogo and Daenerys? Laura: The first night I met Jesse, I told him he would make a really great Khal Drogo. I had read the books and started watching the series and Jesse had a very strong resemblance to Jason Mamoa so I thought he would be a perfect Drogo. I never had plans to do a Dany cosplay myself, and always leaned towards Arianne Martell from the books as she fits my physical description better. Since we specialize in couples cosplay, it made more sense for me to be the Dany to his Drogo. Jesse: I noticed Drogo had some very interesting leather pieces on his wardrobe that looked like they would be fun to make. I also seemed to fit that character type very well as he is big and I am big. But really, it’s just because Laura told me to. 40
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CC Mag: Do either of you personally share any qualities with the characters? Laura: Drogo is tough and rough and intimidating, but he’s also very passionate and sweet to his Khaleesi, and that is Jesse to a T. I don’t have a lot in common with Dany (she has gone through and had to overcome so much), but we do seem to have the same taste in men. Jesse: Drogo the Khal because he’s the biggest and the baddest. I’m certainly the biggest guy I know. CC Mag: Tell us a bit about the process that went into making the cosplays! Laura: Mine was a fairly straight-forward outfit. I used leather for the main part of the skirt and a burlap-like fabric for the top. The detail work was mostly done using stuff we had laying around the house. This was an easy one for me to do in comparison to Drogo. Jesse: I started with the leather belt because that is his iconic piece. I cut all the pieces out, shaped them, stained them, and stitched them together. Then I went on to the medallion belt. We don’t have a 3D printer so I had to think of a way to replicate the horse design ten or so times. I remembered my friend Mandie telling me about a way to make a mold out of plaster and fill it with hot glue to replicate 3D objects, and that’s what I did. The medallion belt is all hot glue, leather cord, and paint. I really enjoyed making the woven leather bracer; I had never done anything like that before. And Laura was kind enough to make the pants for me. We clipped extensions into my hair and beard to complete the look (though I had to wear a fake beard once because I had shaved recently).
jessolaurus rex as khal drogo and khaleesi, game of thrones Photo by chiseled light photography APRIL / MAY 2016
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CC Mag: What are your favourite incosplay memories? Laura: Getting taken backstage for pictures with the cast and crew at the 20th Gargoyles reunion when we were dressed as Goliath and Elisa. Jesse: Last year at Denver Comic Con, we were doing Dragon Age (Iron Bull and Cassandra), and Dragon Age Inquisition had just come out so it was popular. We were running into other Dragon Age cosplayers left and right. We all started congregating together to form this massive impromptu group. We may have had 25 people at one point. People were going crazy over us. You can find more of JessoLaurus Rex's work here: www.facebook.com/jessolaurusrex Photography by Chiseled Light Photography www.chiseledlight.com www.facebook.com/chiseledlight www.instagram.com/chiseledlight.cos
laura as khaleesi (daenerys targaryan), game of thrones Photo by chiseled light photography 42
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jesse as khal drogo, game of thrones Photo by chiseled light photography APRIL / MAY 2016
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valentine costumes as Oberyn Martell
CC Mag: Your Oberyn cosplay is amazing! What inspired you to make this cosplay? VC: Thank you. When Oberyn first appeared on screen, I got flooded with messages from people telling me that I looked like the actor and should add him to my cosplay list, and over the next few weeks of getting introduced to the character, I fell in love with his style, mannerisms, confidence, and whole way of being; so that combined with a number of similar facial features made it an obvious choice to take on. CC Mag: What’s the best part about cosplaying this character? VC: Oberyn, like many great personalities before him, disappeared from our screens all too quickly. But, in the time that he was part of the series he made this massive lasting impression, and was pretty much universally loved by everyone who is a fan of the show. I could definitely feel that when I portrayed him for the day. The response from people was unbelievable, and it really cemented in my head why I enjoy the “play” part of cosplay so much. Also, in the four months running up to the convention I’d gained a few thousand followers on various social media platforms who were following along and engaging with each step of the build (which I documented in very intricate detail), and hearing their reactions to finally getting to see the completed outfit was incredible. Everyone was so supportive and positive, so it was a wonderful feeling. CC Mag: Can you tell us a bit about the process you when through in making the costume? VC: For me, the research and documentation of every tiny detail that I can acquire for a cosplay 44
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is the first port of call. I still have a folder on my computer with hundreds of screen grabs, closeups, patterns, guides, and much more that I pulled together before I even started the construction. Then I spent weeks scouring fabric shops for the right materials before finally moving on to the build itself, which I completed with as much accuracy to the original that my skill level allowed. I hand cut the lino print and printed the fabric, ensuring that each print was in the same place as on the original, used all the same hemming/lining designs, hired a huge digital embroidery machine to handle all the suns, hand cut all the leather scales in the belt, made the buckle and dagger from clay and resin, cast them both, and so much more. I feel that I really developed my skill level and attention to detail on this build, which is something I like to think I’ve carried through to cosplays I’ve completed since. CC Mag: Any plans for more Game of Thrones cosplays in the future? VC: Actually, I’d like to try Daario. I’m a big fan of leather work and I think the style of his costume is amazing. I’m going to wait and see what he wears in Season 6 before making any decisions, but I’m pretty sure that I’ll be going back to Game of Thrones for costume inspiration again in the future. You can find more of Valentine Costumes' work here: www.facebook.com/ valentinecosplayandprops Photography by Starbit Photography www.facebook.com/starbitphotography
VALENTINE COSTUMES AS OBERYN MARTELL, GAME OF THRONES batbunny cosplay as ellaria sand, game of thrones Photo by STARBIT PHOTOGRAPHY APRIL / MAY 2016
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BATBUNNY COSPLAY AS ELLARIA SAND, GAME OF THRONES Photo by STARBIT PHOTOGRAPHY 46
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batbunny cosplay as Ellaria Sand
CC Mag: What first drew you to this character? Why did you decide to cosplay her? BatBunny: I’ve always been a fan of Game of Thrones, both the TV show and the books. After making a few different cosplays from the show, because there are so many awesome costumes, I really wanted to cosplay someone I could see more of myself in. Then Ellaria appeared and I fell in love with her character at once. She’s bold, doesn’t hold back, and she’s not afraid to be herself. She’s proud to be who she is no matter what people think of her, which is something I feel everyone should do. That’s what drew me towards her.
You can find more of BatBunny Cosplay's work here: www.facebook.com/batbunnycosplay Photography by Starbit Photography www.facebook.com/starbitphotography
CC Mag: What was the most challenging part of making the costume? BatBunny: I think the necklace was by far the most difficult part of the costume. I decided to just make all the pieces individually with clay. It took forever, but I’m super happy with how it turned out! And even though it was tedious, I kind of enjoyed it. I think those kinds of things are a lot of fun. CC Mag: What’s your favourite thing about wearing the cosplay? BatBunny: I love how this costume makes me feel: just happy, proud, and pretty. I’m also very fond of the colours in this costume, so that’s also something that I enjoy when wearing it. Also the feeling of cosplaying together with a big group of people as Game of Thrones characters makes for a lot of fun and good memories. My best memories from this cosplay, just like with all my cosplays, is hanging out with friends and making new ones while bringing one of my favourite TV shows and characters to life. To me, that’s the best part of cosplay.
BATBUNNY COSPLAY AS ELLARIA SAND, GAME OF THRONES Photo by STARBIT PHOTOGRAPHY APRIL / MAY 2016
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galacticat cosplay as Brienne of Tarth
CC Mag: What made you interested in cosplaying Brienne of Tarth? GC: Brienne is one of my favourite Game of Thrones characters, both in the books and in the show. As soon as she debuted on the show, I knew I had to make her armour, but it took a few years for me to finally decide to tackle such a big project. In the meantime, I threw together her pink dress from The Bear and the Maiden Fair. I even had friends dress up like the bear, which was a lot of fun! I made a third Brienne costume last year, which was a Brienne-themed bunny suit for the DragonCon bunny hutch - totally not Brienne at all, but the Game of Thrones group I organized was amazing! CC Mag: What are some of your favourite qualities about the character? GC: I always tend towards more tomboyish characters. I love that Brienne completely goes against society’s norms, acting as a warrior with dreams of becoming a knight instead of playing the role of a proper lady. And though she is strong, loyal, and determined, she isn’t without her insecurities and flaws, which makes her a very human, relatable character.
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CC Mag: How long did it take you to make the cosplay? GC: My boyfriend and I spent a few months putting it together in the summer of 2014, and we barely completed it in time for DragonCon. In fact, I spent Wednesday night in the hotel room finishing it and trying it on for the first time! It was my first armour build, as well as my first time using Worbla, and it was definitely a challenge. CC Mag: Where have you worn it? Have you met other GoT cosplayers? GC: I debuted it at DragonCon 2014, then wore it again to Geek Media Expo that year and C2E2 in 2015. I’ve met a ton of Game of Thrones cosplayers. The fandom is a great one, and full of some extremely talented costumers. It takes a lot of talent to make all those sets of armour and intricately embroidered gowns. You can find more of Galacticat Cosplay's work here: www.facebook.com/galacticatcosplay Photography by Derek DeWeese/ DWRD studios www.dwrd.net
GALACTICAT COSPLAY AS BRIENNE OF TARTH, GAME OF THRONES Photo by Derek DeWeese / dwrd studios APRIL / MAY 2016
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“I love that Brienne completely goes against society’s norms, acting as a warrior with dreams of becoming a knight instead of playing the role of a proper lady.” - Galacticat Cosplay
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GALACTICAT COSPLAY AS BRIENNE OF TARTH, GAME OF THRONES Photo by Derek DeWeese / dwrd studios APRIL / MAY 2016
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ves cosplay as joffrey baratheon, GAME OF THRONES Photo by STARBIT PHOTOGRAPHY 52
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VES COSPLAY
as Joffrey Baratheon CC Mag: How long have you been cosplaying? Ves Cosplay: I think it must be about ten years now. It doesn’t feel like it, though. It is like I made my first proper costume (Phantom Hourglass Link) two years ago. CC Mag: What inspired you to cosplay one of the most hated characters on TV? Ves Cosplay: It was a spur of the moment thing. Some friends of mine arranged a small “Game of Thrones in-the-forest” costume party. I got invited to it kind of late, most of the “good characters” were taken. The only interesting ones left were Brienne and Joffrey. Brienne is super cool, but I didn’t want to make armour. You can say what you want about Joffery’s personality, but he has excellent taste in clothes. So I made the costume, went to the party, had a great time and got a horrible cold since it was in the middle of winter! CC Mag: Do you find people treat you differently while in your Joffrey cosplay? Are people mean to you? Ves Cosplay: Joffrey is a surprisingly fun character to cosplay. I’ve gotten some great comments from people at conventions, some telling me that I’m brave for cosplaying such a hated character. They say, “Oh, cool costume. I hate you already!” This one girl came up and confessed that she really liked Joffrey, but didn’t dare tell anyone. I even had a guy that asked if he could pretend to choke me for a picture. Of course he could!
CC Mag: What’s your favourite part of cosplaying this character? Ves Cosplay: The costume is very comfy and easy to wear, which is very important to me. Game of Thrones is such a popular show that I will always find other characters to hang out with at conventions. Since Sansa and Margaery are some of the most popular characters, I tend to end up with a pretty lady on my arm. One of my favourite moments was when the Game of Thrones costume expedition was in Oslo, and some friends and I dressed up to go there. The line was so long it went all the way around the block. We made quite the commotion when we walked along the line to get to the back of it. Luckily, some people that ran the show saw us and somehow got us in the back door in exchange for us posing for photos with the visitors. It was a great day! The expedition was lovely, I met some great people, and I got to sit on the Iron Throne. You can find more of Ves Cosplay's work here: www.facebook.com/vescosplay Instagram: @vescosplay Photography by Starbit Cosplay www.facebook.com/starbitcosplay
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Starbit Cosplay as daenerys targaryan, game of thrones Photo by batbunny cosplay/ edit by starbit photography 54
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starbit cosplay
as Daenerys Targaryan
CC Mag: You’ve done a few Dany cosplays. Are you a big fan of GoT? Starbit Cosplay: Yes, I have! I’ve been cosplaying Dany since 2012, and I never seem to tire of her character or her outfits. I’m a huge fan of the show, and my favourite part is probably the costumes and the realistic fantasy aspect of it. Oh, and the dragons. Definitely the dragons. CC Mag: What made you choose to cosplay Daenerys? Starbit Cosplay: It was just one of those moments that happened as soon as I saw her on screen “I just have to cosplayer her!” Everything about her character appealed to me! She has got such a feminine badassness that I really enjoy about her. And, she’s got dragons. Who doesn’t love dragons? CC Mag: Which one has been your favourite to wear or make? Starbit Cosplay: It’s a tie between my Dothraki Daenerys and my most recent one, the shorter silvery gold one. They both represent such different sides of her character. The Dothraki was definitely the easiest to wear, but I’ve got to admit I feel very much like royalty in the silvery one! CC Mag: What’s the best part about cosplaying Dany? Starbit Cosplay: There’s always a high amount of people calling me Khaleesi throughout the day when I wear her to conventions, so that is a lot of fun. I also usually cosplay her along with a big group of other Game of Thrones cosplayers, and that really makes it all that much more fun for me.
I generally have a lot of love for her character, and that too makes cosplaying her really rewarding for me. I’m very invested in her and her storyline, and I feel like cosplay is one of the best ways of showing your love for a character. CC Mag: Can you tell us about your process in photographing the other Game of Thrones cosplayers? How do you set the scene? Starbit Cosplay: I always try and bring out some of the characters’ personality in my photography. Whether that has to do with lighting, backdrop, and/or mood. With Ellaria I tend to lean towards warmer editing, I want the pictures to emit warmth, to feel like they could be taken right out of Dorne, and at the same time capture some of her fierceness. And with Sansa, I try to bring forth a cooler atmosphere, one that is almost sad, to match her troubles throughout her storyline. I want my pictures to show the best parts of the cosplayer and their costume, and to have the person looking at the pictures go “Yes, this is Game of Thrones. Definitely.” You can find more of Starbit Cosplay's work here: www.facebook.com/starbitcosplay www.starbitcosplay.com Photography by BatBunny Cosplay www.facebook.com/batbunnycosplay Edited by Starbit Photography www.facebook.com/starbitphotography APRIL / MAY 2016
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cissy cosplay as Missandei
CC Mag: What made you cosplay a character from GoT? Are you a fan of the show? Cissy Cosplay: Game of Thrones is one of my favourite TV shows and as a cosplayer I feel like I needed to do a character from it. I first did Margaery, then Ellaria, and finally Missandei. I decided to do Missandei because I didn’t need a wig! And, let’s be honest, she is amazing. Without her, all the scenes with Daenerys would have been boring. I also decided to do her because I have friends who love cosplaying Daenerys and I wanted to do some nice pictures with them.
CC Mag: Why did you choose this specific dress? Cissy Cosplay: To me, this dress is one of the most recognizable of Missandei’s dresses. She wears it for the first time in a scene when Daenerys is braiding her hair, and they are wearing the same outfit in a different colour. I really liked this scene and wanted to redo it in pictures (we did, but the pictures haven’t arrived yet). CC Mag: Any plans to cosplay any of the other characters? Cissy Cosplay: In the future, I’ll probably do a new Missandei dress, but definitely more Margaery, who is my favourite character in the show, and probably some others like Nymeria (not the dog, but the Sand Snake!) CC Mag: Whats been the best part about cosplaying Missandei? Cissy Cosplay: Cosplaying Missandei was really nice as a summer costume because it is really light and I did use my real hair (which is quite rare). We had a wonderful photoshoot with my Game of Thrones group and that was properly amazing. Being such a good character is always nice. You can find more of Cissy Cosplay's work here: www.facebook.com/CissyCosplay Photography by BatBunny Cosplay www.facebook.com/batbunnycosplay
cissy cosplay as missandei, game of thrones Photo by batbunny cosplay 56
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Edited by Starbit Cosplay www.facebook.com/starbitphotography
cissy cosplay as missandei, game of thrones starbit cosplay as daenerys targaryan, game of thrones Photo by batbunny cosplay /edit by starbit photography APRIL / MAY 2016
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Cha Fernandez as Jon Snow
CC Mag: What’s your favourite part about Jon Snow’s character? Chavez: Jon Snow is just a kid who wants to join the Night’s Watch, and is forced to quickly become a grown man because a war he wasn’t aware of suddenly surrounds him. A simple bastard ends up commanding the Night’s Watch against the dark forces. That’s cool! CC Mag: How long did it take you to make the cosplay? Chavez: Well, I didn’t really made the cosplay, I just added the boots, trousers, cape, and the makeup work. A friend of mine made the hardest part. It was, with no doubt, a really good job. In the end it was maybe one month of work (if I remember correctly). CC Mag: Where have you worn the cosplay? Chavez: I’ve worn it on all kinds of book, comic and TV events, and I even used it for a special carnival event in a well-known media store here in Spain. It’s no doubt one of my most used cosplays.
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CC Mag: What’s your favourite memory while in your Jon snow cosplay? Chavez: I remember wearing the costume and playing the character role in the canival event I mentioned before, when a kid came and asked me for a photo. I agreed, and after taking it, he told me he really didn’t know who I was, but his parents asked him insistently to take the photo because they were big fans of the Game of Thrones series. When I looked at them, they were really excited looking at the picture and yelled, “Oh my god, our kid is now a member of the Night’s Watch!” They looked far more excited than the kid. That was amazing. You can find more of Cha Fernandez's work here: chaves87.deviantart.com Photography by Florencia Sofen Photography whitelemon.deviantart.com
cha fernandez as jon snow, game of thrones photo by florencia sofen photography APRIL / MAY 2016
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Dirty moose design as a white walker, game of thrones Photo by Elaine Anselmi 60
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DIRTY MOOSE DESIGN a s a W h i t e Wa l k e r
CC Mag: What inspired you to make a White Walker? DM: First of all I love the show! I read the books and watched every episode at least twice a day, and dreamed about it while tree planting in northern Manitoba. Game of Thrones is my perfect genre and the White Walker character is a huge part of that. He’s terrifying and mysterious, but also ancient and stoic all at the same time. This was the perfect character for me to recreate and practice my own skills with. I currently work in film and television in Toronto, and strive to become the guy who creates the original characters you see in film. This was an exercise in realizing that goal! CC Mag: How long did it take? DM: The build was done over a two month period in my basement apartment, all before I got my studio. I’m not sure how the landlord liked all the strange fumes coming from the latex and paint for about a month, but regardless I was able to get it done in a very small space. All the building was done in my spare time or on weekends when I was down from my full time work. CC Mag: What does it feel like to cosplay such a dark character? DM: Well first of all it feels sweaty... Very sweaty. Latex doesn’t breathe very well. Beyond that it was awesome! People were very scared but also intrigued and wanted to get close and do a lot of face touching. I haven’t gone to a Comiccon yet, but I’m sure it would do well at one. The spear is also great for getting a cab.
You can find more of Dirty Moose Design's work here: www.dmoosed.com www.facebook.com/Dirty-MooseDesign-233872430010581 Photography by Elaine Anselmi
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bRETT DOWNEN AS Briareos, appleseed PHOTO BY BEVERLY DOWNEN 62
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DOWNEN CREATIVE STUDIOS
al i r o Tut age p on 66!
CC Mag: Can you tell us a bit about Downen Creative Studios and what first drew you towards the cosplay community? DCS: We are a husband and wife cosplayer and photographer team. Our first comic convention in 2013 at Rose City Comic Con here in Portland Oregon was what first drew us towards the cosplay community. We attended our first con as regularly dressed ‘citizens’ as we had no idea at the time that hundreds of convention goers actually dressed up in homemade and store bought costumes. As soon as we walked through the main entrance, we were immediately blown away by the groups of people of all ages and interests dressed in amazing costumes, from Marvel super heroes, to Anime characters, to video game characters, you name it, they were there. They were gathered in groups of chatty, laughing people, all comparing outfits, posing for pictures together, talking about construction techniques, and most importantly they were all extremely happy, and infectiously so!
happen to be a Cosplay class offered at school at the time (although my stepdaughter’s school next year does have a cosplay club!) One other personal trait that helped escalate my path into cosplay is my love of all things Halloween, the most costume-centric day of the year. I was made for this lifestyle! CC Mag: How long have you been doing cosplay? DCS: Short answer: We began doing cosplay in 2014. Longer answer: After we attended Rose City Comic Con in 2013, my stepdaughter asked me to help her sew a Tauriel (Lord of the Rings) costume for RCCC the following year. My mom, who had recently passed away, taught me to sew when I was my stepdaughter’s age, so I was more than happy and honored to pass on the lessons that my mom had passed along to me. We worked together all summer, ripping more seams than we sewed, and finally had a gorgeous costume that she was incredibly proud to wear. We were so excited about how the project turned out that two weeks before the convention it was decided that the rest of us had no choice but to join my stepdaughter in costume at the convention together. I went into “beast mode” (ask any cosplay builder and they’ll know exactly what this term means!) and was determined to make some cool stuff, but I wasn’t sure where to start. Thankfully I found Evil Ted’s foam helmet tutorial on YouTube and was instantly hooked on building with foam. After watching the video over and over and over, I jumped into making a Magneto helmet for my husband. With a week to spare before the con, I hastily sewed a Jean Grey costume for myself and made the chest armour for Magneto the night before the con. The next day, we walked into the convention together as enthusiastic newcomers, and walked out of the convention at the end of the day with a new lifestyle. We had no idea how much
“I had decided after my first Comiccon that I too wanted to be a part of such an incredible, open group of artistic people.”
We found ourselves immediately drawn to this incredible community of artists and creators. I remember my husband and I noting to one another at the same time that “Did you notice everyone is smiling?” There’s all kinds of public events to attend every weekend, like sporting events, trade events, etc. but we don’t ever remember seeing such a large group of openly happy strangers all having the time of their lives. I had decided after my first Comiccon that I too wanted to be a part of such an incredible, open group of artistic people. I honestly have a big advantage in melding into this lifestyle as well. Full disclaimer: I have a degree in Industrial Design. Building creative structures is something I was trained for, there just didn’t
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fun it was going to be, or how much costuming and cosplay would shape the rest of my family’s days from that point on. Especially me… I was hooked big time. CC Mag: What are some of the costumes you’ve made? DCS: Magneto (X-Men: Days of Future Past) Jean Grey (X-Men: The Last Stand) Thor (Thor: The Dark World) Lady Sif (Thor: The Dark World) Briareos (Appleseed (2004)) Imperator Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road) Immortan Joe (Mad Max: Fury Road) CC Mag: Where do you get your cosplay inspiration from?
BEVERLY DOWNEN AS JEAN GREY, X-MEN PHOTO BY BRETT DOWNEN
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DCS: So far I’ve been pretty fortunate because I truly feel as though these cosplays have chosen me, and not the other way around. I’m drawn to pretty much any strong female character from action movies. When I saw Furiosa, the badass lead female character from Mad Max, there was no way I wasn’t going to make her! CC Mag: What resources do you typically refer to when planning a new cosplay or learning new tricks? DCS: I have several go-to resources for all things building and prop making: Evil Ted Smith, Punished Props, and the Replica Prop Forum. I also will directly contact people whose work I admire to start a conversation about their work, and I always end up learning something new. The cosplay community is full of people that are more than eager to help you figure out how to make something, or to at least point you in the right direction. One of the main goals with my cosplay website (downencreativestudios.com) is to provide people with whatever creative material and knowledge I can to help them succeed with their own projects. I am very transparent about my building process because I believe that failing along the way is just as important as the successes, if not more so. If others can avoid costly pitfalls because I openly made them, we all win. CC Mag: Can you introduce the zipper tutorial? DCS: This zipper method is a great alternative to using bulkier buckles, Velcro, and D-rings to connect EVA foam pieces to one another. A wellplaced zipper can be designed into the seams of a costume to make it almost invisible. The zipper technique is particularly useful for large areas that need to be more flush with the body. Additionally, - and this is big for anyone who has to don and remove a bulky costume unassisted - zippers can provide an easier method of putting on and taking off a costume. I think most importantly though
that zippers provide a stealthier method of costume assembly than most other fastening methods available. When I was planning Briareos’ costume, I wanted to stay as true to the movie version as possible. In the movie, the seams on his legs are in the front of his calves, so I couldn’t bring myself to use visible buckles. Briareos’ lower leg is also contoured in such a way that would make it extremely hard to reach inside the armour to unfasten buckles or rip open Velcro. Magnets wouldn’t be durable enough to last through a day, let alone an hour in the bulky foam armour. Maintaining the contour was important to me so finding a way to make it a reality became my mission! I thought to myself “too bad I can’t use a zipper, because that would be perfect” and then I realized, “well, why shouldn’t I use a zipper?” I had recently also been introduced to Barge Cement and its amazing gluing properties, so I gave it a go and it worked perfectly! I was so excited about this little revelation that I wanted to share it with anyone that may have the same dilemma or was looking for a new approach to a common design construction challenge. I honestly had no idea how well received the tutorial would be; it was my first structured tutorial I’ve ever shared online. After two days it was viewed over 65,000 times and shared on Facebook 231 times! This method obviously touched a welcoming nerve in the cosplay community and I was beyond excited to think I just helped thousands of cosplayers solve their own costuming challenges! I know I’m not the pioneer of this method but am very happy to see I reached the heart of the cosplay community in a convenient, visible medium for thousands of fellow builders. This is what I love the most about the cosplay community: sharing methods and techniques and building each other up through ongoing positive praise and encouragement.
BEVERLY DOWNEN AS LADY SIF, THOR PHOTO BY BRETT DOWNEN sword by coregeek
many friends out there, I have a growing collection of online tutorials to keep up with everything I’m learning along the way! You can find more of Downen Creative Studios's work here: www.downencreativestudios.com www.facebook.com/downencreativestudios Photography by Downen Creative Studios
My personal goal is to give back to the community as much as I have received from my fellow cosplay designers and builders. Thanks to the support of so APRIL / MAY 2016
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TUTORIAL 66
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ADDING ZIPPERS TO EVA FOAM ARMOUR
Why use a zipper when I h a v e Ve l c r o , D - r i n g s , e t c ? I thought about using D-rings, or Velcro, snaps, buckles - all of the usual ways to attach armour, but none of those methods seemed like they would give me the result I was looking for. I thought “if only I could use a zipper!” And here we are.
MATERIALS YOU'LL NEED: • EVA foam piece you’d like to attach a zipper to • Zipper (I’ll talk more about what kind a little later) • Utility knife • Sharpie marker • Fabric pins (that you don’t mind destroying) • Chip brush or other paintbrush • Gloves • Barge Cement. I get mine from Tandy Leather, but you can also order it from Amazon. • Respirator (an actual respirator, not just a painter’s mask) • Well-ventilated area that is NOT inside your house or apartment. Outside is best.
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4. Decide if the zipper will need to open at the 1. Put on your gloves and respirator!
2. Bevelling the edges of the EVA foam
where the zipper will be placed is a good idea. This allows the zipper (and your fingers) a little bit of room inside the seam. If you’re using really thick EVA foam, you’re going to want beveled edges.
bottom or on the top. Measure the zipper to fit and mark it with a sharpie. Allow an inch at the end.
Note: At the time of making this tutorial, I used an invisible zipper, which was probably a little too delicate for such a large and thick piece of EVA. In hindsight I would have used a heavy duty zipper. Don’t cut the end of the zipper off yet! You need to be sure the length is accurate before trimming. Before you trim, use hot glue or thread at the end of the zipper to make the zipper stop.
5. Pin the zipper to a scrap piece of long EVA foam to make it easier to apply the barge cement.
3. Sand the EVA foam along the edge
where the zipper will be glued, for better adhesion.
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6. Apply a thin layer of cement to the zipper, avoiding the zipper teeth. Allow the glue to dry until tacky, and apply a second coat.
9. With the zipper CLOSED, align the zipper and the EVA and press firmly together.
7. Apply a thin layer of cement to where the zipper will be placed on the EVA foam. Allow the glue to dry until tacky, and apply a second coat.
8.When the glue on both the zipper and the EVA foam is tacky (about 3-4 minutes if using barge), you are ready to press the pieces together.
10. Continue pressing the zipper to the EVA along the edge to the end of the EVA.
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14. Allow the glue to completely dry before zipping the piece together.
11. When you reach the end of the EVA, press the opposite side of the EVA edge to the zipper firmly.
12. You can now unzip the zipper.
15. You can now trim off the excess zipper if needed (make sure you don’t cut off the zipper stop).
Optional: Add a bit of worbla to the zipper pull for better grip
13.
Continue pressing the zipper along the edge of the EVA.
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FINAL RESULT: Look how shiny it is! The zipper line emphasizes the contour of the calf. By using a zipper, we’ve eliminated the need for bulky straps and Velcro, giving the costume a seamless and clean look. The same technique can be applied to armour pieces on nearly any part of the body, and works well for costumes without visible attachment mechanisms.
BRETT DOWNEN AS Briareos, appleseed PHOTO BY BEVERLY DOWNEN
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