I love the feeling of getting a package in the mail. Its so exciting! Last week we order a set of Mokonas for our Tsubasa (And later XXXHolic) cosplay. I wanted a pair that was fuzzy and soft. I found a set on EBAY and we ordered them quickly. Today I got them in the mail. They are a bit smaller than I had thought but I love them so much! Its weird with Mokonas because their height changes. Some times they seem small and others they are large. So I don't think their height really matters much.
But its the first items for our second cosplay and I'm very excited. They are both in good condition, brand new and are so soft! I have to say I'm a bit hooked on Mokona items now. I told Nic during Kumori-con I was going to take a break from getting Gloomy Bear stuff and buy every Mokona item I could find. >.<
I'm obsessed.
Soon (when Nic has time) we'll be ordering his costume as well as the Chinese shoes for the cosplay. I believe we're also getting the wigs too. So then I'll have that to look forward to. Both wigs I found are pre-styled (THANK YOU!) and are wonderfully priced so I'm very excited to see them in person. My hanfu (Sakura's costume) will be ordered last since it's more money. The best thing is that everything will be coming on time for Kumori-con. We normally order around the three-four month period so we still have to time to send them back if something goes a miss.
We won't be able to go to the cosplay picnic now but that's okay. Since the costumes wont be done until August. I'm super thrilled now. But I still have a lot of prop work to do so I better go and do that now before I get distracted again.
Update on the sphere.
The sphere wont sand down and it breaking downwards so I'm testing out a few new ways that I could make it. One is Magic Model clay with a wire base inside, coated with two-three coats of Gesso then a coat of varnish. I'm almost done with this model.
Model two will be made out of wire, glued together with hot glue and will be spray painted gold. I'm not sure how long this one will take but I'm hoping this will be stronger than the clay one.
I'm also looking into learning how to do embroidery for future handmade cosplays. I'm really loving sewing and working with thread so I'm hoping that embroidery will be even better. I have a project in mind, just a simple rose on a sweater I have so once I have my mom find her embroidery stuff I'm going to try it out and see how it goes.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Cosplay contest? Oh yes!
I decided eary on that Kumori-con 2012 will be the con where we really reach outside our bubble and try new things. We're normally very quiet and easy going, more willing to watch then do. So this year I signed us up for a cosplay contest. It's a walk on so our costumes don't have to be hand-made by us. Instead all we do is pose and walk. I've been scanning through scans of Tsubasa and I believe I know what we're going to do. I've also been watching videos of old contests and what other walk on's have done. I think we're going to do great. We'll be nervous but this is a good way to meet some new people and really connect with the con in a different way.
We're also sharing a hotel room with some cosplay buddies. With only three months to go I'm willing to rush through summer to get to fall. I can't say I'm as excited as I should be but this helps boost up my excitement. I've been fairly depressed lately so having something to work on will be fun during the summer while we wait for Kumori-con. Cons are so refreshing. Exspecailly if your like me and have a lot of stress. Its like your free for three-four days, surrounded by friendly and creative people. Your in another world and its amazing. So I can't wait to take a break from reality to have some fun and let lose. Maybe this year I can meet some life long friends that are willing to not only cosplay but hang out outside of cons. That would be boss...
Anyway I'm tired and very sore (Got my industrial piercing a few days ago) and I have a few things I must do before I go to bed. So I'll be posting more about props tomorrow if I make enough process to type about. I've seen a spike in views lately and I'm very happy. Please keep reading and don't feel afraid to comment. I would love to hear your cosplay ideas.
Ta-Ta for now!
-Victorian
We're also sharing a hotel room with some cosplay buddies. With only three months to go I'm willing to rush through summer to get to fall. I can't say I'm as excited as I should be but this helps boost up my excitement. I've been fairly depressed lately so having something to work on will be fun during the summer while we wait for Kumori-con. Cons are so refreshing. Exspecailly if your like me and have a lot of stress. Its like your free for three-four days, surrounded by friendly and creative people. Your in another world and its amazing. So I can't wait to take a break from reality to have some fun and let lose. Maybe this year I can meet some life long friends that are willing to not only cosplay but hang out outside of cons. That would be boss...
Anyway I'm tired and very sore (Got my industrial piercing a few days ago) and I have a few things I must do before I go to bed. So I'll be posting more about props tomorrow if I make enough process to type about. I've seen a spike in views lately and I'm very happy. Please keep reading and don't feel afraid to comment. I would love to hear your cosplay ideas.
Ta-Ta for now!
-Victorian
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Tsubasa props
We had finally decided on cosplaying from Tsubasa for Kumori-con 2012. Since we'll be saving money from buying these costumes instead of buying the costumes from Black Butler, I really wanted to take this project on 100%. So I'm starting with props since we all know props aren't only important but fun for photo shoots. During the process of creating the props I'll be updating. So stayed tuned.
The two props we are working on are the red "staff" On the right and the golden ball on Sakura's lap. Of course we'll be bringing our own Mokona too. But we won't be making her. The first step in making props is coming up with a way to create them. Plan it out, whether that means drawing or simply discuss what items could make up the prop.
The first prop I'll be talking about is the "staff" Since this is the only picture I could find of the weapon I'm calling it a staff since it doesn't seem to be a sword covering. (We're cosplaying the outfits from the picture) This prop is for Nic who has decided to cosplay as Syaoran.
Items
Long wooden dowel (We found a 8 foot one at the local hardware store.)
Acrylic red paint
Varnish (Clear)
Wooden ball toppers
Golden paint
Magic model clay
So first thing we did is have the top part sawed so it reached to Nic's shoulder. Guessing by the picture that's where Syaran's should stand. Since the wood is already smooth I didn't see a point in spending three to four hours re-sanding it, so I skipped that and went right to painting. If you've used acrylic before you know its basically like plastic when it dries. (It stains too!) but when painted on wood it will need many coats because the wood absorbs it quickly. Which on a plus side means it dries quicker! At least until you put on the second coat. Now it'll start looking shiny.
We got a huge bottle of paint so I'm planning on painting at least three coats. The red color is dark in the picture so the more coats I add the better it will look. While it was drying I started on painting the wooden ball toppers gold. The round wooden balls we bought didn't have a lip under as seen in the picture so I created one out of the magic model clay we bought for the sphere. So while that dries I kept coating the staff in new coats of paint. Make sure you do one side at a time so you have a place to set it without getting red paint everywhere.
The only thing we haven't gotten for this is the red tassel. We're planning on finding that in a few weeks when we go to the mall and Asian market. We'll also been looking for a red tassel for Sakura's sphere as well.
So the "staff" is taller then me (5'2) so I'm guessing its around 5'5. The two gold toppers are on and are being fixed (hence why they are white on the base) with Gesso and then will be painted gold.
A close up of the topper. The gold ball didn't have a lip under it like the staff has in the picture so I created one out of magic model clay. Its coated in two coats of Gesso so it's firm and wont dent easily.
Moving on...
Sakura's Sphere and feathers.
This is tricky. The sphere is hollow with a memory feather inside. It seems firm but flat with two sakura flowers on the sides. At first I wanted to find something like a round glass jar or perhaps a ball but I realized both of those will not work. How would you put the feather in? The ball is useless without the feather.
We looked for a foam ball but with a price tag of $20 I decided not waste that money and to get a plastic toy ball at a store for the mold.
Items:
Plastic ball (I use a small metal cup, like for serving fruit at parties to hold the ball in place)
Magic model clay
Wire
Gold spray paint
Paper mache materials
I started by using the wire for a base. Its firm and hard to break. So I first started by wrapping two strands of wire around the ball (careful of sharp ends, I have really cheap hot glue and I put a little dab of glue at the end to keep the points from popping the ball) This way I had a firm base to work off of. Once that was down I started creating the swirls. Once I had a few done I decided to go ahead and start wrapping the wire in the magic clay.
This clay is mess free and is very fluffy and fun. But be warned it dries within 72 hours and is very fragile. Its meant for little kid projects. I bought it because Paperclay was $8 for very little. Magic clay is cheap and a little goes a long way with it. So after I coated it in the clay...
It looked like this. Now I'm planning on removing the ball later. the ball slips right out from under the sphere. As you can see the clay made some of the curls stick up. I decided the only way to fix that and make the clay stronger is by wrapping it in paper mache. I'm not sure if I'm going to buy a mix or make a mix of the paste myself yet. But we'll be starting on it today.
I made sure to start on the top. I'm not going to work on the bottom until the top is done and is firm. So nothing breaks while turning it over. When working with the wire I suggest having pliers with you, as well as wire cutters (My dad fixes cars so we have lots of tools) I'm planning on spray painting this since we have a can of gold shiny paint still. But if you decide to do paper mache as well be sure you use white paper. this way you can paint over it without having to use many coats.
So this is what I have so far. Its keeping the shape quite nicely. The clay is a bit thin in some areas as seen on the right. But that will be fixed with another layer of clay. So as of now this is all I have once I start on it again and it changes
Update- 6/3/12
Today I focused on fixing cracks (Magic Model clay cracks VERY easily.) And creating a firm base so I can move on and start on fixing the curls, plus adding more. As you can see in the last picture the lines were thin and weak looking. When I woke up a lot of the lines were cracking and bad. So I quickly started to work on it, adding a thicker layer of clay.
The lines are now thicker (Its starting to look more like how the prop should) but the spirals are not staying up and the smaller ones (See front) is tilting outwards. After I left it to dry and went about my day I came back and noticed it was cracking. Not only that but it was falling off the base. I went to wash my hands and my boyfriend was spazzing. It turns out the whole thing slide off (Luckily it wasn't broken because it was fully contented yet) So I quickly made the discussion to gather everything up and start with paper macheing the boning I had created.
----
I read that home made paper mache can mold over time because of the flour in it. Since this is such a complicated prop that I'll most likely never want to make again so I grabbed a bottle of Elmer's glue and a paint brush and some newspaper. This is a cheap way of making a firm paper mache without having to stand over a pan boiling gunk that stinks like no other. The photo above is the outcome. Its not only staying in place but its firm and nothing is leaning outwards. Its still drying but I'm very pleased with how it went. All my hard work has paid off and I'm really excited to move forward to finish this piece.
I'm planning on starting on the smaller tighter curls after the piece dries. I've learned that they need to be connected to the base in order to stay in place and from falling all over the place. So the next step is starting with the wire. This time I'm going to use two lines of wire, making the base thicker and firmer. This way it'll be harder for it to fall off of the base, which is covered in paper mache. Then add the coat of clay (Thicker this time, don't be afraid of using it) then paper mache. Four steps.
1.Cut and form the wire and connect it to the base.
2.Form the clay around the wire base
3. Let dry and add a layer of varnish
4. Add paper mache layer
After these steps I'm planning on trying to spray paint but if that doesn't work I'll be hand painting the whole thing by hand. After that I'll decided how to crate the hook on the bottom to hold the tassel, which we're looking for this weekend. The feather for the prop is already done but I'll post the pictures later.
----
Yesterday I added on the last bits of swirls to the top which is now covered in paper mache and is done. I noticed because I had to take off the boning of the sphere from the base (plastic ball) it had slipped and wasn't even. So I took it off the base for good. Although I did put it back on to make sure the shape was in fact correct because its hard to tell with it being on its own. This morning I covered the newspaper with varnish so it stays hard and the bits of clay that are seen don't crack before I can put on the gesso.
Gesso was a last minute discussion to put on because of the newspaper is uneven. I got the idea from FIRELILYCOSPLAY's DA. She also used the glue and newspaper for her paper mache project. Gesso dries hard like canvas. It'll go on smooth too. Its normally used for painting but works great on projects like this. Instead of using something more expensive to create a hard and smooth surface to work with Gesso is the best choice.
I can't post the pictures today thanks to the camera being dead at the moment but I'll make sure to update them tomorrow when I can also take pictures of the staff and the feathers.
Staff-70% done
Feathers-99% done
Sphere-40%
--- 6/8
So today we got more supplies, model magic clay and Gesso. The top part of the sphere is looking good. But I noticed a issue. The newspaper used for the paper mache is sticking up in some places and looks bad with the Gesso over it. Luckily we got some paper mache pulp too. So tomorrow I plan on re paper macheing it so it's smooth. I also started creating the bottom half of the sphere. Since I have to do this in parts so the I wont have to press the top part down while working on the bottom. I'm guessing this will take a while to figure out how to get it smooth but hopefully this paper mache pulp is easy to use. Its late I'm tired as hell and I still couldn't find the camera so tomorrow while I'm waiting for the paper mache to dry I'm doing a huge clean up of my work space and room.
Tomorrow we're also going to start our search for red tassels for both of the props. I hope we can find some!
---6/10
So still looking for that camera....Anyway The sphere is on hold until we have a full day to start the paper mache I think I'll do it tomorrow since I'm not doing anything after I go to the job center. We decided after not being able to find red tassels for both the props that I'll be making those as well. We also plan on entering both the sphere and staff into a prop contest in Dec. I'm pretty pumped for that since these are my first fully made props. I'm pretty proud of them. I'll post the pictures as soon as I can. I also got my ear pierced (Industrial) yesterday so I'm in a bit of pain and kind of wozy so work will be slow right now. We're planning on going to a cosplay picnic in July so hopefully I'll have the props done by then! I'll update tomorrow with pictures (If I find that blasted camera!)
So this is the after math of using the paper mache pulp. Its staying in shape although it doesn't look that way in the picture. And is pretty firm. I tested it and the paper mache is able to be sanded. So after I sand it all down I'm hoping it'll be smooth enough for me to paint. Although who knows how long that'll take.
The first prop I'll be talking about is the "staff" Since this is the only picture I could find of the weapon I'm calling it a staff since it doesn't seem to be a sword covering. (We're cosplaying the outfits from the picture) This prop is for Nic who has decided to cosplay as Syaoran.
Items
Long wooden dowel (We found a 8 foot one at the local hardware store.)
Acrylic red paint
Varnish (Clear)
Wooden ball toppers
Golden paint
Magic model clay
So first thing we did is have the top part sawed so it reached to Nic's shoulder. Guessing by the picture that's where Syaran's should stand. Since the wood is already smooth I didn't see a point in spending three to four hours re-sanding it, so I skipped that and went right to painting. If you've used acrylic before you know its basically like plastic when it dries. (It stains too!) but when painted on wood it will need many coats because the wood absorbs it quickly. Which on a plus side means it dries quicker! At least until you put on the second coat. Now it'll start looking shiny.
We got a huge bottle of paint so I'm planning on painting at least three coats. The red color is dark in the picture so the more coats I add the better it will look. While it was drying I started on painting the wooden ball toppers gold. The round wooden balls we bought didn't have a lip under as seen in the picture so I created one out of the magic model clay we bought for the sphere. So while that dries I kept coating the staff in new coats of paint. Make sure you do one side at a time so you have a place to set it without getting red paint everywhere.
The only thing we haven't gotten for this is the red tassel. We're planning on finding that in a few weeks when we go to the mall and Asian market. We'll also been looking for a red tassel for Sakura's sphere as well.
So the "staff" is taller then me (5'2) so I'm guessing its around 5'5. The two gold toppers are on and are being fixed (hence why they are white on the base) with Gesso and then will be painted gold.
A close up of the topper. The gold ball didn't have a lip under it like the staff has in the picture so I created one out of magic model clay. Its coated in two coats of Gesso so it's firm and wont dent easily.
Moving on...
Sakura's Sphere and feathers.This is tricky. The sphere is hollow with a memory feather inside. It seems firm but flat with two sakura flowers on the sides. At first I wanted to find something like a round glass jar or perhaps a ball but I realized both of those will not work. How would you put the feather in? The ball is useless without the feather.
We looked for a foam ball but with a price tag of $20 I decided not waste that money and to get a plastic toy ball at a store for the mold.
Items:
Plastic ball (I use a small metal cup, like for serving fruit at parties to hold the ball in place)
Magic model clay
Wire
Gold spray paint
Paper mache materials
I started by using the wire for a base. Its firm and hard to break. So I first started by wrapping two strands of wire around the ball (careful of sharp ends, I have really cheap hot glue and I put a little dab of glue at the end to keep the points from popping the ball) This way I had a firm base to work off of. Once that was down I started creating the swirls. Once I had a few done I decided to go ahead and start wrapping the wire in the magic clay.
It looked like this. Now I'm planning on removing the ball later. the ball slips right out from under the sphere. As you can see the clay made some of the curls stick up. I decided the only way to fix that and make the clay stronger is by wrapping it in paper mache. I'm not sure if I'm going to buy a mix or make a mix of the paste myself yet. But we'll be starting on it today.
I made sure to start on the top. I'm not going to work on the bottom until the top is done and is firm. So nothing breaks while turning it over. When working with the wire I suggest having pliers with you, as well as wire cutters (My dad fixes cars so we have lots of tools) I'm planning on spray painting this since we have a can of gold shiny paint still. But if you decide to do paper mache as well be sure you use white paper. this way you can paint over it without having to use many coats.
Update- 6/3/12
Today I focused on fixing cracks (Magic Model clay cracks VERY easily.) And creating a firm base so I can move on and start on fixing the curls, plus adding more. As you can see in the last picture the lines were thin and weak looking. When I woke up a lot of the lines were cracking and bad. So I quickly started to work on it, adding a thicker layer of clay.
The lines are now thicker (Its starting to look more like how the prop should) but the spirals are not staying up and the smaller ones (See front) is tilting outwards. After I left it to dry and went about my day I came back and noticed it was cracking. Not only that but it was falling off the base. I went to wash my hands and my boyfriend was spazzing. It turns out the whole thing slide off (Luckily it wasn't broken because it was fully contented yet) So I quickly made the discussion to gather everything up and start with paper macheing the boning I had created.
----
I read that home made paper mache can mold over time because of the flour in it. Since this is such a complicated prop that I'll most likely never want to make again so I grabbed a bottle of Elmer's glue and a paint brush and some newspaper. This is a cheap way of making a firm paper mache without having to stand over a pan boiling gunk that stinks like no other. The photo above is the outcome. Its not only staying in place but its firm and nothing is leaning outwards. Its still drying but I'm very pleased with how it went. All my hard work has paid off and I'm really excited to move forward to finish this piece.
I'm planning on starting on the smaller tighter curls after the piece dries. I've learned that they need to be connected to the base in order to stay in place and from falling all over the place. So the next step is starting with the wire. This time I'm going to use two lines of wire, making the base thicker and firmer. This way it'll be harder for it to fall off of the base, which is covered in paper mache. Then add the coat of clay (Thicker this time, don't be afraid of using it) then paper mache. Four steps.
1.Cut and form the wire and connect it to the base.
2.Form the clay around the wire base
3. Let dry and add a layer of varnish
4. Add paper mache layer
After these steps I'm planning on trying to spray paint but if that doesn't work I'll be hand painting the whole thing by hand. After that I'll decided how to crate the hook on the bottom to hold the tassel, which we're looking for this weekend. The feather for the prop is already done but I'll post the pictures later.
----
Yesterday I added on the last bits of swirls to the top which is now covered in paper mache and is done. I noticed because I had to take off the boning of the sphere from the base (plastic ball) it had slipped and wasn't even. So I took it off the base for good. Although I did put it back on to make sure the shape was in fact correct because its hard to tell with it being on its own. This morning I covered the newspaper with varnish so it stays hard and the bits of clay that are seen don't crack before I can put on the gesso.
Gesso was a last minute discussion to put on because of the newspaper is uneven. I got the idea from FIRELILYCOSPLAY's DA. She also used the glue and newspaper for her paper mache project. Gesso dries hard like canvas. It'll go on smooth too. Its normally used for painting but works great on projects like this. Instead of using something more expensive to create a hard and smooth surface to work with Gesso is the best choice.
I can't post the pictures today thanks to the camera being dead at the moment but I'll make sure to update them tomorrow when I can also take pictures of the staff and the feathers.
Staff-70% done
Feathers-99% done
Sphere-40%
--- 6/8
So today we got more supplies, model magic clay and Gesso. The top part of the sphere is looking good. But I noticed a issue. The newspaper used for the paper mache is sticking up in some places and looks bad with the Gesso over it. Luckily we got some paper mache pulp too. So tomorrow I plan on re paper macheing it so it's smooth. I also started creating the bottom half of the sphere. Since I have to do this in parts so the I wont have to press the top part down while working on the bottom. I'm guessing this will take a while to figure out how to get it smooth but hopefully this paper mache pulp is easy to use. Its late I'm tired as hell and I still couldn't find the camera so tomorrow while I'm waiting for the paper mache to dry I'm doing a huge clean up of my work space and room.
Tomorrow we're also going to start our search for red tassels for both of the props. I hope we can find some!
---6/10
So still looking for that camera....Anyway The sphere is on hold until we have a full day to start the paper mache I think I'll do it tomorrow since I'm not doing anything after I go to the job center. We decided after not being able to find red tassels for both the props that I'll be making those as well. We also plan on entering both the sphere and staff into a prop contest in Dec. I'm pretty pumped for that since these are my first fully made props. I'm pretty proud of them. I'll post the pictures as soon as I can. I also got my ear pierced (Industrial) yesterday so I'm in a bit of pain and kind of wozy so work will be slow right now. We're planning on going to a cosplay picnic in July so hopefully I'll have the props done by then! I'll update tomorrow with pictures (If I find that blasted camera!)
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