Hello friends, I wanted to write on some interesting thoughts that I had while remaking some gloves for the fourth time.
Should I try to make this again?
So this is something that I struggle with a lot! Sometimes you do everything right, you do research, you have a plan, you make a mock up and it still doesn't come out how you wanted it to. At this point I usually try to do what I can to fix it, no harm since I already feel like I messed up. It may get better, it may get worse. If I look at it and I can't seem to fix the issue, I make some notes about what went wrong or what I would want to change.
These are usually my main things I consider if I choose to make something again:
* Is it no longer structurally sound?
* Do I have enough material to make it again?
* Would it be significantly better?
I will say that things are usually better the second or third time you make it. There are better efficiencies and better ways to make things that you may find out after its "too late". So if the answer is yes to any of those three questions above then I will usually remake something.
Don't believe me? Here's some quick proof:
This is good enough...right?
It's hard to know when good is good enough for a convention. Sometimes I am limited by time, skill level, or limited by the material I chose. There is a different standard when I am making a cosplay and intend to enter into a cosplay contest, since there is construction pre-judging and is under higher scrutiny than on the convention floor. If I am doing a group cosplay or just want to wear something on the floor, I follow the "5 to 10 foot rule". This just means that my cosplay looks pretty good from a 10 foot distance, which is about how far away most people take their photos.
Little details; when to go for it and when to skip
Ok, so my own personal opinion on details is the more the merrier to a point. So the detail that I most commonly skip out on is colored contacts. I tend to pick characters that have blue eyes already so I don't even have to think about that or Photoshop them later. I am very farsighted and have a different base curve for contacts which makes getting special effects contacts nearly impossible (or very expensive at $200 a piece). Many cosplayers that I know will just Photoshop their eyes after the fact, so just keep in mind that you do not need to spend that money on such a small detail.
----- However, if you can and it makes you happy then go for it! -----
Details do make a cosplay more visually appealing up close and, of course, more appealing in a competition. Now, when I was a full-time undergraduate college student I was pretty tight on disposable money. This is when I had to chose whether to make something out of a cheaper material, thrift pieces, or forgo little details all together. Since I love all the details, I decided to just extend my cosplay timeline. So instead of finishing a cosplay sooner out of a cheaper material that I wouldn't be as happy with, I waited until I had enough saved up to make it out of the material I wanted.
Don't believe everything you see online
I am guilty of this as well. I look at another cosplayers work and it looks literally perfect and I begin to doubt my own skills. I have to remind myself all the time that Photoshop is a thing and people use it to varying degrees. I use Photoshop too! I personally use it just for mild touch ups and cool background/lighting edits. I don't want to look like a different person when someone meets me at a con, but if a pimple showed up overnight and you can see it in the photo...it is 'spot-healed' away.
So don't compare yourself to others online, or at least remember the pictures are more than likely edited and some are edited heavily. Also for convention floor photos, remember that lovely 5-to-10 foot rule may hide many mistakes that you are worried about. I am always my biggest critic and can see all the little mistakes I made on every costume. However, not one single person has pointed out one of those little mistakes.
Remember why you cosplay
For me I cosplay to have fun and have fun making things. Sometimes I get really discouraged when something doesn't go according to plan (it happens to everyone). Sometimes I just need to remember that I'm doing this as a hobby. I'm not selling it to someone and I wasn't hired by someone to represent their work, so if that's the case. I walk away for a little while and see if I was just being too critical of the mistakes I made. Remembering why I cosplay helps keep me grounded and helps calm me down. Give it a try, it might work for you as well.
I hope this was helpful on your own cosplay journeys. What tips do you think I missed?
Have suggestions on topics to cover? Email me
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