Thursday, October 17, 2013

Teaser?!?

Hello! It's been quite a while.

I've been up to the usual: Classes, dance, spinning, reading, writing, fangirling over cars and motorcycles.

But I've also been working on a little something. It's a pipe dream project I've had spinning around my head since freshman year (has it really been two years since then?!?!?), and I'm currently in the process of applying for funding to make this the most awesome costume prop I've ever made.

Here's some teaser pics of the concept I've been developing. There will be electronics, and carbon fiber, and maybe, just maybe, some cyberpunk.


So many small drawings of heads! What could it all mean...?


Those look suspiciously like some LEDs drawn there...



It's been a while since I've worked with modeling clay, but I figured for my interview tomorrow for funding, that I should bring something presentable, if I didn't have a CAD model yet. And since SolidWorks is so annoying about curves... (grumble grumble)

I have to admit, there's something to be said about going to a convention under the confines of a tinted helmet. It's both liberating and limiting in a way; you don't have to worry about people judging your face or your choice of costume for your gender (or the ever-dreaded, "does she even game? I bet she's just another one of those self-proclaimed 'nerd girls'" -.-), but you also feel less attached to the bustle of the convention atmosphere, as if you're an aloof observer that nobody can read, under your black plastic visor. Certainly, I got a lot more compliments on my actual cosplay while I was wearing the helmet, compared to the awkward small talk and double takes I got when my helmet was off. This year, I'm thinking to go the same route, with the androgynous figure and helmeted face.

But trust me, it was real tempting to go in skintight leather, razor steppin' through the crowds at PAX East like a boss.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Zer0 Cosplay: Props and Results

So the costume for this cosplay was enough of a struggle. But I hadn't even begun my pieces de resistance: The helmet and the sword.

I initially wanted to make a silicon mold of the helmet, then cast it in plastic after making it all professional looking. But as a first timer at both mold making and casting, let it suffice to say that I was thoroughly disillusioned on making this happen with any semblance of speed and niceness in the confines of my dorm room. So I turned to the next best thing: Making the helmet as shiny and nice as possible, and simply hollow out the foam on the inside.


Monday, May 20, 2013

Zer0 Cosplay: Costuming

So primarily what I'll be blogging about here will be my own little side projects, and the occasional project for school. My current work is in preparation for a cosplay at PAX East, which is a gaming convention that I've attended for two years now.

Last March, I cosplayed as Zer0 from Borderlands 2. This was probably my most complicated cosplay at the time; my two prior ones were the Engineer from Team Fortress 2, and Surge from X-Men, both of which relied mainly on sewing fabric and altering bought clothes, with some gauntlet making from molding materials or cardboard.

For the Zer0 cosplay, I found myself making two props: the sword and the helmet. In addition, the rest of the outfit required a more armored look, which I achieved via craft foam, sewn to the jacket under a layer of spray-painted lycra.

So in this costuming section, here's a pic dump of the process I went through to create the armored jacket and ...interesting pants that Zer0 wears.