Introduction
Since I've begun my journey in cosplaying, I've ran into numerous complications be it with my wig, makeup, fabric, or just plain confusion. Now that our guild has an entire forum dedicated to cosplay I would like to try and provide the answers for some of the most likely complications that you might run into. So before you start panicking take a look and maybe you'll find your answer in here somewhere.
FAQs
Props
-What kind of material should I use to make my prop with?
-This really depends on the prop that you're making first of all. If it's something small I suggest trying your hand on woodcarving. A basic starter kit and some sandpaper should do the trick for the little jobs. If you find the woodcarving a little too tedious and painful you should consider buying molding clay. They usually have those in local art stores.
-If your prop happen to be bigger and require more detailing I suggest buying a couple of sheets of Wonderflex. They are moldable once exposed to heat and can be easily shaped into swords and such things. If you happen to have the right tools to work with large planks of woods, those work just as well and will more likely be finer in detials. You should also consider metal work if you have the equipments for it. I wouldn't highly recommend it as most cons tend to ban metallic weapons.
-What kind of paint should I use on my props?
-I would recommend paint that has a latex compound and cannot be absorb. If you can, paint straight from the bottle with a dry brush and avoid usng water. If you have to switch colors, switch paintbrushes. I find that Liquitex Acrylic paint ought to do the trick for most materials though you should research on the particular type of material before deciding what paint to choose.
-What is the best way to attach pieces of my prop together?
-Small parts can easily be glue together with Craft Glue or with the use of a hot glue gun. For bigger parts I would recommend inserting a metal joint into the two parts and join them together. If you know of some better adhesive, please feel free to post them!
Fabrics
-I bought some vinyl/leather fabric but my sewing machine can't penetrate the fabric properly? What do I do?
-Tough fabrics like leather and vinyl require an industrial power machine to sew through. Units such as the Highlead are a bit costly but will do the job quite nicely. If you can't afford such a machine than you can try wrapping your fabric with tissue paper and paper clipping the area you want to sew and give it a try. If that fails then you can always do it the old fashion way and sew it by hand. Though it takes a very long time and precision, hand sewing tends to do the trick.
-What difference does a stiff fabric and a soft fabric have besides the comfort level?
-Stiff fabrics are more suitable for crisp lines like those of a military uniform. Softer fabrics frames the body and droop more. Though beware, some stiff fabric may just be cheap fiber and will not do any good either way. Be willing to pay a little bit of extra cash to get the fabric that's worth while.
-I found a fabric that is the right texture but the wrong color, should I dye it or keep looking?
-Unless the fabric is moderately thin and soft, I wouldn't recommend dyeing it. Some fabrics require their own special brand of dye so unless you know every detail of your fabric, I wouldn't venture there. There is always the added risk of the fabric coming out blotchy so it has too many downsides. It's better to sacrifice a little accuracy than to waste a large amount of money for nothing at all.
-I want to sew lacey materials together, what kind of machine should I use?
-For delicate materials such as lace, you must be careful lest the fabric unravel. First cut the lace from selvage to selvage only; avoid cutting across the pattern. Lace can be sewn by machine or hand. To avoid having the fabrics squished and stuck to the metal plate, attach lace to a piece of tissue before sewing. If you few like trying something new, meddle around with crocheting your own lace patterns that you can directly attach to your fabric.
Wigs
-What type of wigs are best to use?
-When shopping for wigs, you should always try to find out the fiber of the wig if possible. Kanekalon is probably the highest quality fiber available to the public but they can rarely be found at local stores. Only stores wholely dedicated to costumes would have such high quality wigs. If the wig comes from a plastic bag and ranges from $15-$20, it is likely of poor quality. Fine wigs almost always come wrapped in net and can range from $30-$60 depending on length. It's pricey but it's a much option for an impressive costume.
-What is the best way to straighten/curl a wig?
-Let's start with curling wigs. First rule: No hair curlers! Even the lowest setting on the hair curler could melt the fiber of the wig so lock them up. Your best bet would be to use regular curlers on wet hair. If you think the rollers will be difficult to remove, you can try wrapping the strands of your wig around round pipes then hair spraying the hell out of it.
-Though there are many methods for curling wigs, there is only one for straightening them. Heat water up to 180-184°F then pour it over your wig. (Be sure that your wig is hanging straight.) Wait until the wig is completely dry before brushing it out; it should come out straighter than before. If needed, repeat this process over and over until you've reach your desired state.
-I have no idea how to handle my wig, any tips?
-Wigs can be tricky to deal with depending on their length. For most wigs, avoid intensive combing for it will pull the fibers loose and cause the wig to become frizzy at the ends. When a wig gets too tangle, seperate the locks as best you can with your hands and then wash it with lots of conditioner. It should lessen the tangle and put some of the stray hairs back in place. Products like Motions Oil Sheen spray should help keep the wig fibers sleek and easier to handle.
-I can't find a wig the exact color of my character, what should I do?
-There are some sites out there that offer dyes for your wigs. Those work fabulously but if you're one who can't order online things, I'd suggest doing it the old fashion way: sharpies! Purchase a white or platinum colored wig and use the sharpie to color the strands. This is a tedious method but it has been proven to work just as good as a pre-colored wig. Don't buy spray on colors for they tend to clump up in your wigs and the colors always come out uneven.
-How should I carry my wig to conventions?
-If you have a short wig, you can pretty much put it in a nylon bag and it'll be fine. Longer wigs should be tied with elastics at every quarter section and fold to fit in a bag. For wigs that have been gel and hairspray, stick them on a foam head and put them in a box with packing peanuts. They should make it through the trip relatively unharm.
-What sort of materials & tools should I have to style my wig?
-The most necessary items you should have are a wide tooth comb, a narrow tooth comb with a point handle, a bristled brush, various sizes scissors, hairclips/pins, dozens of straight pins, a can of decent hairspray, and a big bottle of gel. Those should cover the most basic wig styling, you might need some stronger stuff for gravity-defying wigs but these will do for the most parts.
-How do I create weird shapes for my hair?
-If there is absolutely no way that you can style it with gel and hairspray, consider putting in wires to shape the wig. First bend the wires into the desired shape, next wrap the wires with a soft fabric the same color of the hair, then glue locks of hair to the fabric but be mindful of the direction of the hair.
Makeup
-My wig is a different color from my eyebrows, what can I do?
-To darken eyebrows, simply use mascara or a colored eye liner, they tend to do the trick. Lightening eyebrows are much harder and there is no sure fire way of doing it except for one and that is bleaching. I don't recommend bleaching because of the risk of exposure to your eyes. If you're feeling brave you're more than welcome to try but be aware of the consequences. Some people use the double sided mascara with the white tip to then powdering their eyebrows with their hair color eyeshadow. Others have actually mixed the eyeshadow with the mascara to create a color blend. Some have even resorted to using silver sharpies to color their eyebrows. The method that I think would work best is to thin out your eyebrows as much as possible. Then do your best job with a colored eyeliner/mascara and hope for the best.
-How do I create an aged look using makeup?
-Have a nice variety of tan foundations available for starters. To create a wrinkled affect, crease your forehead and dab the darker shades onto spots where the shadow hits and lighter shades on the highlighted area. Dabbing dark shades onto your cheeks also make for a hollow look and under the eyes will create a exhaust look like L from Death Note.
That's all the questions I can answer for now, if you have any question regarding a specific cosplay, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer it!
