2015 Cosplay "HELP Me..." thread

[Anix]

I'm trying to paint white onto a rather dark blue. I've tested a fabric medium with acrylic paint and I've tried both applying a thin portion of dimensional fabric paint directly to the fabric and also painting it on in layers. The acrylic with fabric medium looked the best but washes off and the dimensional paint looks glossy which I really don't want. I'm making the wii fit trainer and this is for the logo on her top. So it needs to be able to flex a stretch with the fabric without cracking.

You might want to try screen printing ink. I recently started playing with it and it's awesome. Definetly get the water based kind, the other you need a flash dryer to cure it. Speedball has a small jar on amazon pretty inexpensive. The nice thing about screen printing ink is it stretches, and doesn't add to much weight.

[Firemage1000]

I'm trying to paint white onto a rather dark blue. I've tested a fabric medium with acrylic paint and I've tried both applying a thin portion of dimensional fabric paint directly to the fabric and also painting it on in layers. The acrylic with fabric medium looked the best but washes off and the dimensional paint looks glossy which I really don't want. I'm making the wii fit trainer and this is for the logo on her top. So it needs to be able to flex a stretch with the fabric without cracking.

I suggest using iron in vinyl instead. No color will bleed through and you can stretch the vinyl and fabric (a bit) once everything is ironed on. Also for the OCD, the lines are a lot neater and cleaner.

[TsukiYuu]

Hey guys! So I just received my uniform for this anime I'm cosplaying from, but they got the wrong colour of the skirt and I'm really disappointed by it :C

Is there anyway I can dye the skirt to make the colour the same as the one in the anime, or should I just go and try to sew a new one?

(The colour right now is a light ish green, and the colour I'm trying to make it blue.)

Thanks guys ; A;

[Imperial]

Hey guys! So I just received my uniform for this anime I'm cosplaying from, but they got the wrong colour of the skirt and I'm really disappointed by it :C

Is there anyway I can dye the skirt to make the colour the same as the one in the anime, or should I just go and try to sew a new one?

(The colour right now is a light ish green, and the colour I'm trying to make it blue.)

Thanks guys ; A;

I have a tip for lighting it up, but since we are going a deeper color, you may have to resort to a die bath to deepening the color, although this might prove too much. If I got pictures, or hex number colors (pick the color here, copy the number at top and post) of the skirt, I could help you find the ink you may need, or it may prove too powerful to do anything.

[SquishyK]

I'm trying to paint white onto a rather dark blue. I've tested a fabric medium with acrylic paint and I've tried both applying a thin portion of dimensional fabric paint directly to the fabric and also painting it on in layers. The acrylic with fabric medium looked the best but washes off and the dimensional paint looks glossy which I really don't want. I'm making the wii fit trainer and this is for the logo on her top. So it needs to be able to flex a stretch with the fabric without cracking.

You might want to try screen printing ink. I recently started playing with it and it's awesome. Definetly get the water based kind, the other you need a flash dryer to cure it. Speedball has a small jar on amazon pretty inexpensive. The nice thing about screen printing ink is it stretches, and doesn't add to much weight.

Thank you! I had been considering using paint intended for screen printing but I was a little nervous about trying to use it with just a stencil. It worked great! A little less crisp around the edges then I would have liked but you can hardly notice (I think perhaps I put the first coat on a little too heavy).

[SquishyK]

Have you looked at this liquid theatrical makeup? http://www.mehron.com/Liquid_Makeup_p/111.htm
It might be easier to use over a creme foundation then trying to get water based to not smear. I know water based can be tricky, you really can't even use a moisturizer underneath it.

Liquid might be good, actually. I want to go with a water-based cake because that's what I'm used to using and because the creme-based cake didn't agree with her sensitive skin (but has had no problems on my own sensitive skin), but I had a feeling it would be really difficult to get it to cover her tattoos/cover something that would cover her tattoos, hence my post.

Would that particular paint be okay to use on faces, as well, without it cracking? I might just have to pick up a small bottle of it and experiment.


Also, one more body painting question unrelated to my first one: does anyone have a recommendation for an opaque white body paint (doing rainbow drinker Kanaya Maryam from Homestuck) that isn't either Snaz (which, in my experience with my friends wearing it, tends to be smeary and flaky) or creme-based cake (or clown white, or anything else really heavy and greasy)? As I've mentioned, I've used water-based cakes, but I'm afraid that white would be too transparent for what I want. does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks :]

I'm using a white water-based cake for wii fit trainer and it is pretty opaque. I have been using wolfe aquacolor and I apply 3 coats. That is actually another idea for what you could try to cover the tattoo too. Apply a layer of the white water-based cake as a "primer" then the color you want once it drys. It should make any color put on top of it show up better.

[keitoghostie]

Any advice for covering up dark under-eye circles?

[heeroyuy135]

What are some methods to wig thinning?

[ruby19_4]

Hope its ok to ask here. Im not good in sewing, but Im looking for someone who can do some costume for me. Hopefully who live in the bay area.

[SquishyK]

Hope its ok to ask here. Im not good in sewing, but Im looking for someone who can do some costume for me. Hopefully who live in the bay area.

Technically requests like this should go here: http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/board,40.0.html

However, I don't blame you for posting on this form too as the other doesn't seem to get much activity. You could also try to find someone on Etsy.com who does custom cosplay stuff and see if they take requests for items. Or you could try posting in this board on cosplay.com: http://www.cosplay.com/forumdisplay.php?f=269 However, if this is for Fanime then you are cutting it pretty close if you need a full custom cosplay. (personally I like etsy because you can read reviews and see how many sales a person has and such so I feel that it is a safer shopping environment if you know what to look for in a seller)

[SquishyK]

What are some methods to wig thinning?

depends on where it needs to be thinned. You could use thinning shears (I have never done this but will probably need to experiment myself in the near future) on bangs sections. There should be tutorials on youtube on how to use them. Or if you just need to take some weight off of a wig then you could remove wefts on the interior where no one will see. I would start on an interior weft about and inch in, cut the weft and then seam rip it away from the wig base and continue along until you are an inch away from the other side. probably alternate weft until you achieve the desired thickness but be careful to avoid any areas that would leave the wig with a bald looking patch. Of course how you are styling it makes a HUGE difference on what you should do to thin it.

[SquishyK]

What are some methods to wig thinning?

And this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyRxURKL_Xs

[heeroyuy135]

Hopefully these works because I need a hat to fit over this wig and historically wigs and hats don't go hand-in-hand

[ruby19_4]

Hope its ok to ask here. Im not good in sewing, but Im looking for someone who can do some costume for me. Hopefully who live in the bay area.

Technically requests like this should go here: http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/board,40.0.html

However, I don't blame you for posting on this form too as the other doesn't seem to get much activity. You could also try to find someone on Etsy.com who does custom cosplay stuff and see if they take requests for items. Or you could try posting in this board on cosplay.com: http://www.cosplay.com/forumdisplay.php?f=269 However, if this is for Fanime then you are cutting it pretty close if you need a full custom cosplay. (personally I like etsy because you can read reviews and see how many sales a person has and such so I feel that it is a safer shopping environment if you know what to look for in a seller)

I will check both out. thank you so much.

[Nina Star 9]

Have you looked at this liquid theatrical makeup? http://www.mehron.com/Liquid_Makeup_p/111.htm
It might be easier to use over a creme foundation then trying to get water based to not smear. I know water based can be tricky, you really can't even use a moisturizer underneath it.

Liquid might be good, actually. I want to go with a water-based cake because that's what I'm used to using and because the creme-based cake didn't agree with her sensitive skin (but has had no problems on my own sensitive skin), but I had a feeling it would be really difficult to get it to cover her tattoos/cover something that would cover her tattoos, hence my post.

Would that particular paint be okay to use on faces, as well, without it cracking? I might just have to pick up a small bottle of it and experiment.


Also, one more body painting question unrelated to my first one: does anyone have a recommendation for an opaque white body paint (doing rainbow drinker Kanaya Maryam from Homestuck) that isn't either Snaz (which, in my experience with my friends wearing it, tends to be smeary and flaky) or creme-based cake (or clown white, or anything else really heavy and greasy)? As I've mentioned, I've used water-based cakes, but I'm afraid that white would be too transparent for what I want. does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks :]

I'm using a white water-based cake for wii fit trainer and it is pretty opaque. I have been using wolfe aquacolor and I apply 3 coats. That is actually another idea for what you could try to cover the tattoo too. Apply a layer of the white water-based cake as a "primer" then the color you want once it drys. It should make any color put on top of it show up better.

I've considered Wolfe because I've heard that it is pretty opaque, so I'll probably check that out. thanks. :]

We actually found a tattoo solution by actually asking an employee at the Kryolan store in SF. They make a skin-safe colored hairspray that apparently more people use on their skin than on their hair, and that combined with a layer of Aquacolor does the trick. It obviously wouldn't work on faces, but that isn't an issue. It is fairly opaque and doesn't seem to crack.

Using a base of white with the color on top is a good idea, though. I'll have to keep that in mind, in case our other solutions end up not working. :] (I''ll have white paint with me at con, so it would easy enough to try that in a pinch)

[Tiana]

How annoying/hard is it to wander the convention in a larger gown (i.e. a hoop skirt). I have a costume that has a fuller skirt but I am not sure if having a large gown will be annoying.  I would love to hear what experience anyone has with this.  The skirt I have is very large, similar to a civil war ballgown.

[Torai]

I didn't exactly have a hoop skirt last year, but my dress was pretty dang poofy thanks to an obnoxious amount of tulle. That said, it wasn't that hard to navigate the sometimes overly crowded hallways so long as I was conscious of the people around me. Maybe it helped a little that my friend was there too to make sure my dress was alright and stayed right by my side. I didn't have any problems really! I know there was a gorgeous Vanellope Von Schweetz cosplayer who wore a really large hoop skirt last year and I want to say she also had someone helping her navigate around- but really it was so pretty you could just see her easily and know to go around. So I mean you should honestly be fine if you feel comfortable walking in it anyways!

The only annoying thing about it had to be going up and down stairs since I was really worried I'd trip on the back of the dress or miss a step because I couldn't see the steps but after a few times it got easier and there was a sort of princess-y feeling to it when going down stairs (hehehee~)

[Imperial]

First, a reference to what I am looking for is in this picture: http://th05.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2013/170/3/1/jill_valentine_and_parker_luciani_by_plamber-d69t1km.jpg

now, the fellow on the right is parker, and I have everything else set for this cosplay EXCEPT the vest, as I can't find one that will look the same as this. Does anyone know where to look for a vest of a similar look, or if they know of any of the plastic vest of the 80's that I can sew into something similar to this jacket? as with most cosplays, i'm trying to keep it budget levels of price.

[AiKii]

https://scontent-a-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1391760_758002894215816_798698611_n.jpg

Hey guys! So I was thinking of getting a wig for a cosplay I've been working on for awhile. On my first attempt wearing my cosplay, I decided to temporarily dye half of my hair white. Although it was okay for the occasion I wore it for at the time, I realize that it would be extremely inconvenient to use this method at Fanime. However, so far, it has been difficult finding a trustworthy seller than would sell an inexpensive, yet decent looking, wig of the kind I'm looking for: a half-black and half-white wig of appropriate length so I can put it into twin buns (as seen in the link provided). I was thinking of purchasing a white cosplay wig and dying half of it black through methods I found online, however, I am not sure how exactly I should start. I don't know where I should buy the appropriate white cosplay wig, nor am I sure of how exactly I should approach dying half of it black...

If anyone here is an expert on wigs, I would appreciate your guidance. O A O;;;

[keitoghostie]

I've had a lot of luck using Kryolan Color Spray on wigs. Otherwise there are split color wigs available!!
Here are a few that I think would work - it looks like you want to keep it short so this one might be the best (it also has a less scary shipping time, haha) - these also look good 1 2 3 4 - they're all similar items but from different sellers!

As far as the buns go, I'd recommend buying them separately - they're pretty inexpensive!
These look decent but I'm sure there's something better out there (I'm rly tired right now, sorry)

I hope this is helpful, and since a number of cosplay wig sellers are based in Hong Kong and China I would recommend ordering sooner than later because sometimes the shipping time can take a while.


And on the subject:

REMINDER TO ALL COSPLAYERS!!
IF YOU'VE BEEN HOLDING OUT ON BUYING A WIG FROM EBAY NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO, OTHERWISE BE READY FOR ANXIETY OVER SHIPPING TIMES!!!