Cosplay, which is short for costume play, is an activity where people participate to showcase their craft and costume of a specific character. You may have already tried to cosplay some of your favorite characters from anime or video games, but you are wondering how to step up your game and improve your creations as much as you can.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can approach cosplaying, and there is a fantastic community behind this hobby that is always trying to innovate and push the craft to its limits. Are you looking for ways to impress your friends at the next convention? Here we present a list of 6 ways to take your cosplay to the next level.
Step Up Your Make Up Game
Some fictional characters, due to their skin color or unique features, will require you to use makeup to achieve their look. But regardless of who you choose to cosplay as, makeup will always be your best ally when it comes to impersonating your dearest characters. If you’re on a tight budget, focus on acquiring products that will allow you to work on a blank canvas, like primers or foundation.
When you’re looking to accentuate or soften facial features, color shading will become your best friend. Some professional cosplayers spend hours reshaping the look of their faces by wearing a combination of prosthetics and makeup. Don’t be afraid of experimenting with different looks for your cosplay, especially if you’re in the testing phase!
Add Some Light!
Some iconic characters cannot come to life if their armors or weapons look too artificial and low-quality. Some inventive cosplayers have come up with different solutions to add electrical wirings and lightings to their costumes to have fully functional armor pieces and helmets. Adding these additional details can give an element of realism that fans absolutely adore.
But if you’re still a beginner to this hobby, there are more affordable ways to add lighting to your cosplay craft. The professionals behind Ellumiglow explain that the primary advantage of using electroluminescent tape kits for clothing or prop details is that it only uses a battery pack to function, allowing cosplayers to have full independence of movement. Moreover, these tape kits will prevent them from tripping over cables while performing some sweet battle poses in front of the camera.
Tailor Your Clothes
It would be easy to get some clothes or costumes from the thrift shop and call it a day. But in reality, a well-done cosplay takes time and effort to make, especially if you want to ensure that the costume fits your body type. This should be a top priority if you want your craft to make an impact.
Whether you decide to have a tailor adjust your costume to your size or learn to sew and readjust them yourself at home, you need to put a lot of detail in making sure that the character’s clothing will look good on you. After all, a clean-cut superhero with oversized pants would certainly look out of place at a convention. So, don’t be afraid to ask for help from your fellow cosplayers if you’re having trouble in this department!
Iron Your Clothes!
While working on your cosplay, make sure to research the properties of the fabric you selected and how to properly take care of them. Almost all fictional characters look like they’re wearing impeccable clothing even after a gruesome fight, and the idea behind a well-made cosplay is to emulate their look as best as you can.
One way to achieve this is learning how to properly iron your cosplay clothes while working on the look right before assembling the final result. Having a well-ironed costume can make all the difference in the world but be very careful to not burn the fabric, especially if you’re working with synthetic ones. It’s always best to start with a low heat temperature and adjust it if the fabric isn’t smoothing out. Spraying a bit of water can also help with the ironing process.
Learn About Your Character’s History
It may seem a bit obvious that you first need to know the character you’re cosplaying as. After all, it’s very likely that you’ve read or watched them countless times. But if you understand your character’s motivations and how they act in their fantasy world, you’ll be able to mimic their voice, gestures, and body language to properly bring them to life.
Imitating their posture will also help you impersonate your character, especially since it shows off their personality with the way they walk or stand. Combine this with your breathtaking attire and props, and people will surely take another look at you! If you’ll be showing off your cosplay at a public event, interacting with the audience will be a special moment to apply this advice and create a magic connection with other fans.
Pay Attention To Details
Props are the best way to include an additional layer of realism to your cosplay.
Some characters have specific features that can add depth to your craft if you include them. For example, they carry small items or have little details on their clothing or skin like a mark or scar.
Choosing the right fabric is also a crucial role in creating an accurate depiction of your favorite character, especially if you’re able to afford high-quality fabric instead of cheap, synthetic variations that won’t look good in front of the camera. Any fan will appreciate your attention to detail if they approach you and take a good look at your creations. But with or without your cosplay, dedicating yourself to be as accurate as possible is a matter of being proud of your hard work and dedication.
Cosplay enthusiasts see their craft as a form of art and dedicate themselves to putting their best effort into their creations. If you wish to continue improving your ideas and amaze everyone with the results for your next cosplay attire, do not be afraid of the failures and the learning process that comes with cosplaying. After all, this hobby will help you to learn different disciplines and art crafting skills to combine together into passionate work that may require hours or days to finish. Always thrive to learn more and practice your skills to improve your cosplaying efforts!
