Costume notes pending. For now, enjoy the photos!

Daenerys Targaryen WIP

Daenerys Targaryen Portfolio

This was a dream project in every sense of the word. As is true for many, Wonder Woman was a first for me – the first female superhero I was introduced to in the world of comics. She holds a really special place in my fandom, and while I love the stars, stripes, and satin tights of classic Wonder Woman, I’ve always been drawn to her Amazon origins. I pictured Diana as a warrior first and foremost, and wanted to bring my specific vision for her to life.

Having enjoyed my Steampunk Lara Croft collaboration with the extremely talented Tess Fowler, I asked her to again aid me in putting an original take on a classic character.

Our collaboration kicked off with lots of research. I sifted through dozens upon dozens of incarnations of Wonder Woman, both official and fan creations. I knew I wanted a gladiator-style skirt and corset, a sword, shield, and bracers. I also wanted a half-helm and cape, the latter having the added benefit of modesty. I also envisioned practical footwear – flat sandals.

Armed with my notes and a slew of reference materials, Tess turned around an initial design that was drawn directly from my imagination. After a few minor adjustments and a quick color pass, Warrior Wonder Woman was born.

A shopping trip was in order prior to kicking off the costume – a rather expensive stop at Tandy Leather. My friend/leatherworking expert Tom Ignatius came along to ensure I picked out the right hides for the project – selecting an untanned hide for the skirt pieces and a nice finished red hide for the corset. Unfortunately, I couldn’t buy any less than a full hide in red, so I had to pick up the entire thing at a price of $300. In a fortuitous turn of events, however, the color worked perfect for my future Castlevania costume.

I grabbed a slew of blue leather dye as well as a few dozen decorative conchos, both for the tips of the skirt and for the apex of each armor piece.

Armed with supplies, I began the project with a massive amount of patterning on paper. Starting with the skirt, I calculated out the amount of coverage I wanted on both my front and back to determine the width and length each skirt piece should be. After confirming the fit on paper, I traced each piece onto leather, cutting it with a rotary blade and straight edge. This process took a few days. Once all the pieces were cut out, I made a protective tarp out of garbage bags and began dying the leather. This process took a very, very long time. Each piece needed 2-3 coats on both the front and back to get an even, deep blue.

While waiting for each coat to dry, I set out patterning and cutting the Wonderflex pieces for the bottom of each skirt spear. This was tedious, but not particularly hard. An aside – I made this costume a year or so back prior to switching to Worbla, which is now my preferred thermoplastic for armor. While Wonderflex works just fine, it is laced with a mesh similar to duct-tape, making it less versatile than Worbla.

After giving them a quick coat of paint, each armored tip was attached to the leather skirt pieces with brads, although looking back I’d rather have used rivets to ensure a polished look on both sides. I also added a concho to the tip of each skirt piece.

The armor came next, and once again I patterned out everything on paper to ensure it was properly sized to my appendages before switching to Wonderflex. The armor consisted of multiple layers aligned on top of each other, with a thin layer of Wonderflex used as trim around the sides. I bonded all the pieces together while flat to achieve maximum adhesion, then shaped them to fit my arms and legs. I used a soldering iron to smooth out the edges and give it a more polished look.

The helm, eagle, belt, and hand guards were made much the same way – pattern layers on paper, transfer to Wonderflex, heat and bond, shape, repeat. Once all the pieces were done, I used a grommet tool to make holes for leather laces. I also lined each piece of armor with self-adhesive craft foam to act as a buffer between the Wonderflex and my skin.

On to accessories – I purchased a wooden gladius on eBay to guarantee it was safe for conventions. I roughed it up quite a bit and added leather to the grip. I then set to work on the shield. I found most of the pieces I needed in one trip. The shield is comprised of a wooden barstool top, an ornamental eagle from a giant necklace, a candle plate holder, bisected Christmas ornaments, and leftover leather. Per my personal cosplay philosophy, I always look for form instead of function, and was super happy to find all of the above while wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles of hardware and craft stores.

Prior to painting the armor and props, I proceeded to distress everything. I used my soldering iron to burn in weapon grazes, as well as various heavy-duty files and sand paper.

Knowing that I’d be using hammered metal paint, I skipped priming all my armor with gesso, something I recommend otherwise. The base of each piece of armor is silver, mimicking Wonder Woman’s classic bracers. I then used a muted hammered gold as accent on the trim. Next, I traced the edges and seams of each armor piece with a fine line of black paint to add some dimensionality, just prior to stippling on a light coat of black and brown paint to simulate dirt. Lastly, I used a much brighter silver in the damaged recesses of the armor, making it look like a raw layer of metal. The final touch was a bit of stage blood, sprayed out of a bottle and allowed to drip down each piece and dry.

With the armor done, the next step was to tackle the corset. Having never made one, I was a bit apprehensive about attempting it on my own. Luckily, Tom is also a master corset maker and offered to help with the process and let me use his industrial sewing machine.

We looked through his huge collection of corset patterns to decide on the general style and shape, modifying it slightly to have a sweetheart neckline. I played assistant in the corset’s construction – tracing and cutting out all the pieces while Tom sewed them together. I sewed a handful of the pieces under his watchful eye towards the end, though, to ensure I learned proper technique for the future.

Once finished, I attached the skirt pieces to the corset with rivets, a long and painful process when you’re exhausted and have horrendous depth perception.

Last came the cape. I’d ordered some fantastic Greek trim in contrasting colors from overseas, and attached it to a simple solution for a quick cape – an oversized circular tablecloth with a circle cut out the middle. Once the trim was attached, I put the entire thing in a bath of coffee and tea to age it. It was then attached to my costume with grommets and the matching conchos. With everything finished I took to the leather and cape with a cheese grater for additional wear and tear, and used black and brown hairspray to dirty it up a bit.

The final touch was the wig. I went for a slightly wavy, shoulder-length look, adding a braid to each side of my face for an ornamental and utilitarian style – the braids keeping stray hairs from obstructing my vision.

I debuted Warrior Wonder Woman for the first time in Bogota, Colombia, for SOFA 2012. I made sure to dirty myself up to match my attire, using the black and brown hairspray on my skin. The process involves diluting the hairspray for an initial pass, wiping it on with my hands. A second layer is then stippled on with a brush for more distinct patterns of dirt.

Despite the challenge of wearing a corset in high heat and altitude, I had an incredible time wearing Warrior Wonder Woman at SOFA, especially considering how long I’d wanted to bring this vision of her to life.

I brought Warrior Wonder Woman back out for a second time at SDCC 2013, where the lovely Hydred took care of my makeup. I had the great fortune of shooting with a slew of talented photographers in San Diego, as well as at Dragon*Con a few months later, making this the most well documented costume I have to date.

Coming full circle, Tess used my photos as reference for a final, polished piece of Warrior Wonder Woman art. You can see her process in the gallery below.

At the risk of looking silly, I pushed myself quite hard to look aggressive and intimidating during the various photoshoots. While there may be a few giggle-worthy images of me failing spectacularly floating around, I think the risk paid off, as many of the below images capture the warrior spirit I was so eagerly aiming for.

I hope you enjoy the photos, and feel free to ask questions should you have any!

Warrior Wonder Woman Concepts

Warrior Wonder Woman WIP

Warrior Wonder Woman Portfolio

Thank you to the following for the photos! Ljinto, SGH PhotoArt, Joits Photography, Jason Chau Photography, Estrada Photography, Dru Philips, Elysium Entertainment, Chris Fink, Darryl Pamplin, OnLivo, & Eurobeat Kasumi

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was my first, breathtaking step into the dark and dangerous world inhabited by the Belmont clan. I’d always been drawn to the series, much due to the haunting character art by Ayami Kojima. As a completionist, though, I’d struggled with a point of entry to the franchise. I wanted to start from the very beginning, and in a way Lords of Shadow afforded me this opportunity.

MercurySteam made one of the most beautiful games of this generation in Lords of Shadow, appealing immediately to the designer in me. That, coupled with the compelling array of weapons and accessories Gabriele wields, had me itching to recreate his ensemble. Easy enough – add an “LE” and enter Gabrielle Belmont.

This costume is the most ambitious and demanding design I’ve ever tackled, challenging me to combine many of the skills I’ve learned over the past eight years – leather working, armor fabrication, molding and casting, and more. As such, you’re in for a long read should you be interested in the entirety of how it came together. If you’re here for insight on a specific part of this build, however, I’ve made subheads to help you skip around to whatever piques your interest!

The Gauntlets  (Worbla)

I started with what I considered the least stressful part of the costume – the gauntlets. Having polished off a pair of Witchblade costumes in the past, as well as a gauntlet for my Princess of Persia ensemble, I wasn’t too intimidated by the thought of making a few more stabby hand accessories.

Gabrielle’s standard gauntlet was pretty easy – comprised of tiered plates of armor and simple articulated fingers. I patterned out everything in paper, transferred the pieces to Worbla, and then shaped them around various sized bottles for a slightly tapered look. I then attached the pieces to a long gardening glove with a leather hole punch and brads. Brads are great for temporarily holding items in place, although I recommend switching to rivets for extra security when you’re sure everything is where desired.

The fingertips were the most complicated, and resulted in a few burns due to the admittedly unsafe way I went about it. I started by cutting out square pieces of Worbla, sized to cover up to the first joint on each finger. I then heated it and folded the excess towards the pad of the finger, leaving the most visible area nice and clean looking. Next I heated the fingertips while on my hand and rolled the excess material against a clean, hard surface to smooth it out. After repeating this step several times, it was very difficult to see where the Worbla originally overlapped, resulting in smooth, round tips.

The Dark Gauntlet was much, much more complicated and took several weekends to polish off.  As before, I started by patterning on paper before moving to Worbla. I mostly used single sheets of Worbla on this gauntlet, although I did layer craft foam between the three outermost tiers to space them out a bit.

I created a support structure out of Worbla for the claws, layering Magic Sculpt over the top. The two-part epoxy clay is quite heavy, but resulted in a much sturdier and full looking shape than I would have gotten with Worbla alone.

The Dark Gauntlet is very ornate, and I used a combination of puff paint, rolled Worbla, and small stenciled Worbla pieces to replicate the patterns. With these touches finished off the gauntlets were complete, save for distressing and painting, which I would do in bulk at a later date.

At this point I’d spent several weekends working at Keith and Abby’s place (known as Keabtium collectively), taking advantage of their generous offer to make a massive mess in their garage. Keith regularly casts items for their costumed capers, and inspired me to give it a try again – something I hadn’t attempted in years.

Skull & Daggers (Resin Casts)

I decided to cast the skull on Gabrielle’s chest so I could pour it in a lighter and more malleable material. Under Keith’s supervision I started by replicating the original in Sculpey. Once done and baked, Keith showed me how to make a box mold out of foam core and hot glue – a very efficient and quick process.

We’d picked up a slew of materials from Douglas and Sturgess earlier in the day, and Keith recommended Smooth-On’s OOMOO 25 for the mold due to its easy mix properties and cheaper initial investment.

He next had me use a thin layer of warm clay along the bottom of the skull to create a tight seal between it and the box floor before pouring the silicone. Next, Keith had me pour a “vanity layer” of silicone over the original – a very, very thin coat drizzled from 8-10 inches high, lessening the chance of bubbles forming in the mold. Because the coat was so thin, I was able to pop any remaining bubbles with an air can before they cured. After the vanity coat dried a bit, the remainder was poured in, resulting in a nearly flawless negative.

Next up I prepared the resin for the first cast. Keith recommended Smooth-Cast 325 resin to ensure the final skull had a little bit of flexibility and so that I could color tint it easier. He had me grab some metal powder to mix in with the resin – a process called cold casting – making the final object look like real metal through and through. I was really happy with the first pull from the mold, and the success empowered me to try casting on a larger scale.

I decided to cast copies of Gabrielle’s daggers, guaranteeing all four would match perfectly. I started by sculpting the hilt of the dagger around a wooden dowel, switching to Magic Sculpt over Sculpey as it’s my preferred medium now. Bits and bobs from my scrapbook collection were added as accent pieces to make the dagger more ornate. I used Worbla for the blade to give it a crisper edge.

With the original dagger done, I went about repeating the process above, this time using Mold Star 15, which we chose for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I was on a time crunch to get the mold done and cast the daggers, and secondly, because Mold Star silicones are more durable and are great for repeated casting without the risk of tearing the mold.

Once the mold was made, casting the daggers only took a single night, each curing in about 30 minutes. Working over at Abby and Keith’s place again, I used a power sander to smooth out the blades and a Dremel tool to clean up the accent areas. This was a pretty lengthy process, but I’m elated with how they turned out. They are light and durable, too.

Combat Cross (PVC, Magic Sculpt, & Worbla)

At this point, I was doing everything in my power to avoid starting Gabrielle’s coat/jacket thingy, being totally terrified of sewing something so extravagant. I distracted myself with Gabrielle’s Combat Cross next.

I determined fairly quickly that the best way to make the base of the Combat Cross would be with PVC plumping pieces. I cut up a long PVC pipe and attached the pieces to each end of a slip cross to form the structure. I purchased a length of plastic chain from the hardware store to keep the final prop as light as possible, and attached it to the inside of cap that fit snugly on the bottom. I actually had to scrap my first attempt – which was built using 1” PVC pipe – because it wasn’t wide enough to house more than a foot of chain. I upgraded to 1.5” tube, which accommodated enough length for epic action shots.

After building up the base of the cross, I began to flesh out the shape and style. I used Magic Sculpt for the stake at the bottom of the cross, as well as the slightly less-intimidating spikes on each side. The accent pieces at the top and center are built out of pieces of Worbla with craft foam sandwiched between them.

Not going to lie – this prop was a massive pain in the butt to make. It took me two full weekends to finish, and I had several false starts trying out patterns and techniques that didn’t work early on. I’m super happy with the result, though, especially since I was able to hide nearly four feet of chain inside.

Coat (Leather & Marine Vinyl)

Unable to delay any longer, I had to start making progress on Gabrielle’s garments. I was appropriately petrified of the coat, having only sewn very simple garments in the past. While I felt more comfortable working with leather than with other materials, patterning is something I’d never tried before, and as such I decided to look for external help. Baby steps! Catherine of God Save the Queen Fashions was a lifesaver in agreeing to help me translate the design to paper. I sent along my measurements and a slew of reference material, and she returned something I was able to take to a large format printer – and during her pre-Dragon*Con crunch nonetheless. I can’t thank her enough for the help! It will be a while still before I’m able to look at a garment and deconstruct it.

Keeping in mind that I mostly make armor and props, it was overwhelming but also immensely satisfying to draft up the garment in scraps of fabric. Once wearable, I spent the evening dancing around the living room, proud of my meager accomplishment. The design didn’t require much in the way of alternations, thankfully, other than a few nips and tucks that were intuitive enough for me to make myself.

When it came time to move from mockup to the real-deal, I called on my friend Thomas Ignatius so that I could work under his supervision and use his industrial sewing machine. I had a nearly a full hide left of red leather from my Warrior Wonder Woman costume, which was thankfully the perfect color for Gabrielle.

I brought my mockup to Tom’s place for him to look over. Once he approved it I cut everything apart and created new patterns from the slightly-altered pieces. Thus began a painful seven-hour marathon of bending over a table measuring and cutting leather and gold marine vinyl for the appliqué. Thank God for sharp rotary blades.

Once everything was cut out, Thomas showed me how to top-stich the marine vinyl onto the leather –  he helped out with more than a few of the panels before I was brave enough to try it on my own. It’s pretty easy to tell what he did versus my sad attempts – most of my lines look like I had a few glasses of wine prior to manning the machine. I’m still pretty proud that I managed to attach them without any major mess-ups, though.

By far, the shoulder pieces were the hardest part, as they required top-stitching on really narrow surfaces with lots of 90 degree angles. Again, not perfect, but I’m feeling much more comfortable with the thought of sewing complex garments in the future. Massive thank you to Tom for ensuring I didn’t run all that expensive leather!

I used lots of snaps and rivets to hold everything in place. The grey hood was made out of a remnant I found at the fabric store, and the skulls on the sides of the shoulders were crafted out of foam and Worbla.

Belt (Leather)

At this point it was getting down to the wire, and I still had a considerable amount of work to do on the costume despite giving myself two months lead time. I felt pretty comfortable with the belt, having patterned, cut, dyed, and finished leather several times in the past. Each piece was topstitched to look a bit more finished, and hardware was secured in place with rivets.

The belt has a slew of stuff on it, making it quite bulky and obscuring my natural waistline more than I would have liked, but the tradeoff (being a BAMF) is worth it, in my opinion. I picked up holy water bottles online (yes, they are really for holy water), and filled them with mouthwash to get the nice blue-green hue. Minty fresh! I made the fairy jar in an hour or two out of EVA foam, PVC pipe, and Worbla, with an ornate candle toper at the apex. I’m likely going to remake it as a transparent jar so I can have a green glow emanating from inside.

Cyclone Boots (Worbla)

With three days until I left for Dragon*Con I’d barely started my Cyclone Boots. What followed was a 16-hour crafting marathon, ending at 5AM on a Monday morning only hours prior to leaving for a full work day.

It’s difficult to describe the complex construction process for these boots, but it involved a ton of patterning on paper and frequently trying the boots on while assembling them to ensure I maintained mobility.

I started with the back, layering successively smaller pieces of Worbla on to an old pair of leather boots, attaching them with brads to allow for movement as I walked. I used a similar treatment in the front even though I knew that most of it would be covered by the more ornate feather accents. I heated and bonded the multi-layered feather accents flat to each other, attaching them to a base of Worbla and craft foam. I then heated the entire thing on to a large PVC pipe to give it a perfectly cylindrical shape, before tapering it slightly by hand as it cooled.

The toe of the boot took quite a bit of time and repeated heating to round off properly, as I had to dart the Worbla to get the right fit. Everything again was attached with rivets or brads, depending on if I was able to reach far enough into the boot to use an anvil and hammer the pieces together. The very top of the boot is a cheap foam kneepad. I heated the Worbla directly over the pad, shaping and smoothing away the excess slowly.

The above is a sad explanation of something that took me so long to complete, but the WIP gallery shows much more of the process that what I’m capable of conveying with words.

Painting & Distressing

With the boots done it was time to distress and paint the props, my favorite part of costume construction. I started as I always do by burning in battle damage with a soldering iron, paying extra attention to high-friction areas such as the kneepads and the toes of the boots. I followed up with a similar treatment, this time using a rough metal file for a slightly different texture of damage.

I moved directly on to paint as I don’t bother with a primer when working on such heavily distressed items. When I do use primer, I alternate between wood glue and gesso, as endorsed by many other cosplayers.

I opted for hammered metal paint in silver for the base coat, as I’ve found it looks the most realistic and ages well. It took nearly five cans to get the right amount of coverage.

With the primary coat done, I used a charcoal grey acrylic paint to darken edges around accent pieces and make them pop. I also brushed a light silver paint into damaged areas, making the metal look raw like an open wound. The next step had me using a fine grain sanding block to dull down some of the natural shine from the metallic spay paint.

Nearly finished, I used a combination of diluted brown and black acrylic paint to stipple on dirt and grime with an old sea sponge, giving a unique texture to the finished pieces. Again, I paid special attention to areas that would have seen more use – the feet of my boots are almost entirely obscured with dirt and dust. Lastly, I sprayed select pieces with fake blood, letting it dribble and dry as if spilled long ago.

I repeated a very similar process with the coat, using a scissors to tatter the bottom edges, and then a metal file to add additional wear and tear. Instead of spray paint, I used black and brown hairspray to sully the jacket, doing my best to make it look like it had seen a battle or two. Also, more fake blood. Added bonus – my horrible topstitching is now less visible! My cosplay mantra is like that one Portlandia skit “Put a Bird on It.” Except my motto is “Throw some blood on it.”

I only vaguely remember finishing this costume and packing it up, as I was mostly brain dead from days of inhaling spray paint fumes. Luckily, everything made it out to Dragon*Con safely in my hard shell luggage.

I had the amazing fortune of shooting with several fantastic photographers at the convention, all of whom have a unique flavor in their shooting styles.

A special shout out goes to Darrell of BGZ Studios, though, who went above and beyond in his preparation by renting out Rhodes Hall for our pre-Dragon*Con photoshoot. The location looked straight out of Castlevania, complete with lanterns on the walls, stained glass, an epic spiral staircase, and a massive claw-foot chair. The photos are wonderfully moody.

Additional thanks go to Anna Cosplay Photography, Benny Lee Photography, Jason Chau Photography, and Joseph Chi Lin Photography for taking time out to shoot with me!

And thank you to Acksonl for featuring Gabrielle in the cosplay video below – twice!

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Enjoy the photos, and please let me know if you’ve got any questions! Also – keep an eye out for Lords of Shadow 2 – it’s looking incredible!

Gabrielle Belmont WIP

Gabrielle Belmont Portfolio

Cosplay Feature:  Steampunk Lara Croft

Inspired by my desire to realize an original design – and by my perpetual love for Lady Lara Croft – this costume has been gnawing at the back of my mind, attempting to manifest itself into reality, for years now. Most likely from the first time I heard the term “steampunk.”

This year has been a bit challenging for me in terms of cosplay. It’s been very, very difficult to find time to tackle large projects with my often-overwhelming work schedule. As such, the two major projects I finished in 2012 (aside from San, which I made entirely on my own) have been collaborative in nature – Claymore and Steampunk Lara. That being said, my personal motto always drives me to learn a new technique, or better yet skill, with each project. One of the primary reasons I wanted to tackle a steampunk interpretation of Lara was to try my hand at leatherworking, and I’m exceptionally happy with what I’ve learned so far.

This project also gave me the chance to collaborate in a way I’d wanted to for years – working with a concept artist to flesh out a costume prior to its construction. The incredibly talented Tess Fowler was my first choice for the project, and she happily agreed to the job. I brought another lovely lady onto the project early on, knowing that I’d want to commission Lara’s garments so to focus my limited time on the props and accessories. Samantha of Blasphemina’s Closet joined Tess and I, bringing her intricate knowledge of clothing design to the table. As a side note, while Sam is an incredible designer and I urge you to buy her wares, please note she only does costume commissions for a select group of friends. Her primary work dips into fashion & couture, much of which is Lolita inspired.

With the three of us assembled, the first step was to conceptualize and flesh out the character design. Knowing that Lara’s classic costume would be the most recognizable with the Steampunk twist, I began by detailing the iconic features I wanted to retain from her ensemble. Then the three of us brainstormed steampunk updates for each aspect of her look. You can check out some of the early ideation below.

• [HAIR]
  • Keep: Long, brown braid
  • Update: Victorian styling in the front
• [GLASSES]
  • Keep: Red lenses
  • Update: Transform to nose spectacles
• [TOP]
  • Keep: Color, general shape
  • Update: Transform leotard into vest, with intricate white undershirt
• [HOLSTERS]
  • Keep: Color, general shape
  • Update: Scion belt buckle, silver hardware accents
• [Gloves]
  • Keep: Color, fingerless
  • Update: Accent with lace
• [SHORTS]
  • Keep: Color, length
  • Update: Inspired by pantaloons
• [Backpack]
  • Keep: Color, general shape, and twin silver buckles
  • Update: Transform into a jetpack
• [PISTOLS]
  • Keep: Color, size
  • Update: Add steampunk accents, chains w/TRIV ankhs
• [BOOTS]
  • Keep: Color, height, red laces, white socks
  • Update: Transform into spats w/white lacy stockings
• [Other]
  • Add Dagger of Xian

Armed with the above details, Tess took a (very successful) first stab at the design, to which Sam and I provide feedback – Sam specifically in regards to keeping the design authentic to Victorian standards, and I in regards to keeping it true to Tomb Raider. With feedback in hand, Tess whipped out a second sketch in no time, and hit the nail on the head. The image on the right is the one that we referenced for the final costume.

Click to Enlarge

Time to dive into specifics! As I often do when I start a project, I made my way over to the Home Depot for inspiration. I walk up and down every isle at the beginning of a build, looking for form over function. I found myself in the plumbing section and purchased PVC pipes, plungers, an A/C vent, and several other assorted pieces of hardware with the jetpack in mind.

The first step of the jetpack was to build out the general structure. This was easy enough with a hacksaw and some PVC glue. Note to anyone using PVC glue – it is very, very permanent. I attempted to loosen and adjust the pipe shortly after applying the glue, and it was a no-go. I had to go buy new pipes as a result.

I used Craft foam, brads, and decorative tacks for the first level of detailing on the jetpack, and then sealed the craft foam with Mod Podge before spraying the entire pack with primer. I next coated it with a bright copper spray paint, before distressing the paint job by adding in bronze, gold, and even black for variation. The distressing process usually consists of layering on significantly more paint than needed, and sanding it down to a dull luster. I also often burn imperfections into my props with a soldering iron. Lastly, I added ornamental pieces such as filigree and clockwork cogs for a bit of extra flair.

It just so happens that I had two Darkwatch replica guns lying around from my Game Informer days, and they were the perfect twist on Lara’s twin pistols. I repeated the painting and distressing process (in silver this time) before adding a slew of findings, such as a keyhole, assorted valves, decorative tacks, and other ornate items. I also attached two chains capped with The Last Revelation inspired Ankhs to the very bottom of the pistols.

Two other small props topped off my workload – the Scion belt buckle and Dagger of Xian. I built the belt buckle out of wood and craft foam, sealed with Mod Podge before it was painted and distressed. The Dagger of Xian took a bit more work, as sculpting is still a skill I’m trying to develop. I used Sculpty for the head, baked onto a wooden dowel that became the hilt of the dagger. I used two loose gems for the eyes, and velvet with gold cording for the handle. I was actually pretty proud of the final result, only to have it break ten minutes into SDCC. Hence, I have very few photos of it.

With the props done and the clothing in Sam’s hands, the leather working remained the final big blip on my radar. I’d always wanted to learn the craft, and lucky enough Tess knew a local artisan who was up for providing me with some lessons. Enter Thomas Ignatius! Tom has an extensive history in theater, specializing in costume, prop, and leatherwork. His corsets in particular are incredible, and I hope to try my hands at one under his guidance soon. Tom’s help was invaluable on this aspect of the project, although I’m not sure if my wallet will ever recover after my introduction to Tandy Leather Factory.

Working under unfortunately tight time constraints, Tom and I opted to use pre-stamped belt blanks for the jetpack and holster straps, although he was nice enough to let me try out his stamp collection on scraps after learning the basics of shaping leather. We also picked up a slew of metal buckles and other ornate hardware.

Once at the workshop, we stained the jetpack straps a deep brown, and the holster pieces a solid black. We used an edge trimmer to give them a more polished look, and sealed the back with a special coat to protect the garments from the leather’s rougher side. Cutting and dying was the easiest part of the project. Engineering points of attachment was a bit more difficult and took some work to perfect.

While I helped with the staining and shaping, Tom gets most of the credit for the holsters. I had a surprise work trip pop up just prior to SDCC, and as such Tom had to finish them off them without me. Tom and I patterned out the holsters prior to my departure. After that, he used an industrial sewing machine to line the holsters with suede to avoid damaging my guns. Armed with my measurements and the pieces we cut and dyed, he polished off the holsters in little time.

As always, last-minute details consumed the weeks prior to SDCC. Finding the perfect fingerless gloves, glasses (which I had to modify with red lenses), stockings, and so on came right up to the last minute. I also had to secure a proper wig, as at that point my hair was nearly blonde.

Tomb Raider had a massive presence at SDCC this year, and as such I worked every day but Sunday. I reserved the final day of the convention to debut my Steampunk Lara Croft costume. As with every SDCC, my lovely makeup artist friend Hydred put my face on for the look, and I styled the wig just prior to leaving the hotel.

All in all, I’m very happy with the final result of the costume, although Sam and I are already working on a few tweaks to the top to ensure it stays tucked in a bit better. I was very surprised by how many people recognized me as Lady Lara even with the Steampunk twist. I was told more than once that the red glasses and laces gave it away. A few hardcore fans even noticed the little touches like the belt buckle, and appreciated it that much more.

I was really bummed out that my dagger broke ten minutes into the convention, and plan to remake and fortify it before the next outing Lara goes on. I also just dyed my hair back to brunette, which will allow me to skip the wig next time.

The bulk of the photos below come from a mini-shoot with the talented LJinto. While we were both rushed, we managed to find some fitting interior locations, and a lagoon that looked reminiscent of The Lost Valley. I also nabbed some photos with the lovely Monica Lee, who was dressed as Legend Lara for a TR cosplay gathering I organized.  Leonard and I have plans for a grander shoot at an undisclosed point in time, hopefully at a steampunk restaurant in LA he previously scouted. By then Steampunk Lara 2.0 should be ready to go!

This project came full circle when I sent Tess some of the early, high-resolution images from SDCC and she created a final polished piece based on the real-world implementation of her art. In the end, this collaboration began as life imitating art, and concluded with art imitating life! You can see the final (stunning) piece below. If you’re looking for incredible original art or character design, I highly recommend Tess.

Click to Enlarge

That’s all for now! I hope you enjoy the photos! If you have any construction questions, feel free to ask below.

Steampunk Lara Croft WIP

Steampunk Lara Croft Gallery

I’ve been inexcusably slow to finish this write-up, as the task of putting this experience to paper has been daunting. Our Claymore build was the most complex costume I’ve ever had the pleasure of working on. It was also the most rewarding. Hang in there; you’re in for one long blog.

Stage 1: Assembling the Team
So how did this beautiful relationship begin? I’d met Linda Le, also known as VampyBitMe, just prior to my big move across the country last year. I really enjoyed the limited time I spent with her, and when I learned I’d be living less than 20 minutes away, a collaborative costume was a no-brainer. It became even more ideal when we were both invited to be cosplay guests at the same convention – Katsucon – in February of 2012. We just had to narrow down the theme.

About the same time my boyfriend had started and finished a Claymore marathon in a single sitting. The ambient music and dialogue from the other room had me instantly intrigued. I sat down the next weekend and did the same, falling in love with the characters, costume design, and overall narrative of Claymore. In a moment of serendipity the next day, Linda posted a progress photo of her own Claymore costume to Facebook – the first stages of wig and bodysuit for Teresa of the Faint Smile. The madness began soon after.

We both wanted the cosplay to be one of the most impressive of our portfolios, so some large amount of time was spent ideating techniques for the swords and armor – Linda is an expert seamstress, so we didn’t sweat that aspect at first. I work primarily in Wonderflex and craft foam, but knew they wouldn’t cut it this time around.

Part of the discovery phase involved chatting up a friend from work – Michael Poon – who offered some great advice and put us in contact with a friend who runs a fabrication shop up in Sacramento. We met the owners (Zack and his wife Kris) a week or so later and immediately hit it off over debates about Star Wars, Gundams, and gaming. With that, our team began to assemble.

The best part of collaborating with a big group is the unique skills we each brought to the table. Michael, Zack, and Kris specialize in engineering and machining, while Linda and I offered up the more creative and aesthetic angle. In total, Linda and I made the drive up to Sacramento for five long weekends during the build, taking advantage of the massive shop and picking the brains of our newfound friends. Specifics on each aspect of the project below!

The Sword: Claymores
To be totally honest, Zack got a bit excited about the project, and had our first sword nearly complete by the time Linda and I arrived up in Sacramento the kickoff weekend. Thanks Zack! After freaking out about how amazing the blank blade looked, we sat down and chatted about how to polish it off and replicating a second.

Despite the first blade being nearly done, Zack made sure to run us through the process so we could wrap our heads around the fabrication. After plotting out the sword in SolidWorks, a CNC (computer numerical controlled) machine milled the blade out of solid aluminum. We considered at one point welding sheet metal together to hollow out the blade and make it lighter, but the milled approach resulted in a much higher quality and was worth the extra few pounds.

In regards to the hilt of the sword, the pommel and cross-guard pieces were also mapped out in SolidWorks by Zack, and then lathed/milled, respectively. The grip is spun carbon fiber fixed with colored epoxy – red for my blade and blue for Linda. Zack was even able to cut our respective symbols from the swords – another perk of the blade being solid. The pommel and guard were then painted with high-quality gold automotive paint.

My sword was the first out of the metaphorical oven, and after comparing it to our statures we scaled Linda’s down to be a bit more proportional. To acknowledge the obvious – yes, the blade is taller than in the show or manga. Without realizing the discrepancy, we scaled the Claymore off the PVC MegaHouse figure of Clare, which showcases the sword at a much larger size. After investing so much work into them we weren’t going to start over. Also, there is no such thing as making a sword too big.

At that point, the swords were mostly done, except for a large amount of sanding required, and dulling down the edges for convention safety. They were sharp enough to murder watermelons for this video, and to be honest; they didn’t dull down a noticeable amount. I’m surprised they weren’t confiscated at Katsucon! The swords easily weigh over fifteen pounds, but were worth the exhaustion from carting them around.

Claymore WIP – Sword

Armor: Pauldrons & Sword Sheath
The shoulder pauldrons were by far the most challenging part of the build, and a big learning experience for everyone involved. The most difficult aspect wasn’t the fabrication, but rather engineering how everything would stay in place and where to position the points of attachment, as well as scaling them for two vastly different stature individuals.

We looked at using traditional mould setups and plastic composites, but ended up using carbon fiber as the most lightweight and durable option available. Yes, I’m fully aware that we were spoiled on this project.

To start the pauldrons we again took advantage of the CNC machine. Zack had the moulds drawn up and milled by the time we arrived the next weekend, leaving the actual fabrication to Linda and I once we settled in. After demoing the technique to us, Linda and I laid out sheets of carbon fiber, cut them into thin strips, and wove them back and forth in the concave aluminum shapes. After five or so layers, we covered the entire form in heat-resistant cloth, created plastic vacuum seal bags, and sucked out all the air to compress the carbon fiber. Each shoulder piece has two tiers, so in total we repeated the process eight times, consuming the majority of a single weekend even with the help of the rest of the team.

After baking the pauldrons in an industrial oven, the carbon fiber shapes were set, albeit very rough. Then came repeated fittings and shaping, which again took the better part of a day. Linda and I struggled with the exact size and shape to cut them to (we baked them considerably larger then needed so we could custom fit them to our shoulders) as each reference image looked different. We printed hundreds of stills from the anime, and constantly consulted the manga, but it came in little aid. Eventually we settled on a shape somewhere between the perfect oval and dramatic point the armor seemed to swap between.

Early designs done in SolidWorks

Marking out our final patterns in a silver sharpie, we cut away the excess materials and started the process of sealing the forms with Bondo and sanding. And sanding again. And again. And again. We then used a piece of foam to bolster the tiers of pauldrons on each shoulder and give them the accurate angle and degree of separation.

What we referred to as the “backpack” was created in a very similar way – aluminum mould, woven carbon fiber, baking, Bondo, and sanding. In the anime the form is used to sheath the giant Claymores, but we quickly learned that our arms could not feasibly extend far enough to actually draw a sword from that angle, so form took priority over function.

Returning for another weekend, assembly became the biggest focus for us, and it took dozens of attempts to get it right. A full day of fittings unfolded as we learned that animators don’t necessarily consider real-life engineering issues when creating entertainment. We could find no points of attachment on the armor, aside from the more intricate metal designs along the breastbone (these shapes were drafted in SolidWorks and cut with the water jet).

At some point we gave up trying to hide hardware and permanently attached the pauldrons to the backpack and front pieces with locking nuts and bolts. Even at this stage we were adjusting the armor constantly to form it properly to our chest and shoulders. The final result was a bit back heavy, but we were able to mitigate that at a later stage.

Claymore WIP – Pauldrons

Armor: The “Petals
Weird nicknames aside, these pieces shouldn’t have been overly complicated but again ended up being a nightmare. Early on we came to the agreement that using a urethane blend would be the best approach for them. Finding that perfect blend was extremely difficult, however. Zack and Kris tried dozens of mixtures to ensure it wasn’t too heavy or brittle, and malleable enough to conform to our bodies. Michael proposed a perfect solution in embedding wire mesh to provide extra staying power for shaping. We put the wire mesh into our CNC milled moulds and spent another weekend mixing, pouring, and drying the urethane pieces once Zack found the appropriate ratio of parts. Each took two hours to dry, and both Linda and I needed nine pieces, so the process ate up most of another weekend. The petals cured well, but required some Bondo here and there to fill pockmarks from escaping air. Much more sanding followed.

With the petals finished, Linda and I shifted our attention to the harness, to ensure they would sit correctly before we shaped them to our hips and thighs. After much thought, we decided for a fairly rudimentary approach by attaching each petal to an elastic band that sat at our natural waist. Sewing them into the tunic itself wouldn’t have been seamless enough, but the curve of our waists would help to disguise the thickness of the petals. We drilled holes in each petal top and hand sewed them into the interior of the band, using a bit of felt to protect our skin from the urethane. The exact positioning and attachment methods again took some trial and error, but after a day or so we had them mostly finished.

Then came the baking. We put the entire skirt piece in the oven for two or so minutes, and shaped each petal one at a time so they lay flush with our lower half. After cooling, we took every thing – petals, pauldrons, and other assorted shapes, to the shop for painting. Again, we used high-quality automotive paint to ensure it was thick and chip resistant.

Claymore WIP – Skirt

Bodysuits, Capes, and Cowls
While away from Sacramento, Linda nabbed some not-so-cheap triple ply fabric from downtown San Francisco, which worked perfectly for the Claymore bodysuits. I was nervous about donning a white body suit in public, but the fabric was thick enough that there was no transparency to it.

Linda whipped out both bodysuits in a weekend, and then we met up for fittings and alterations. Eyeballing the deep neckline and concave tunic shape, we cut and finished all the edges by hand in our moments of downtime in Sacramento. The capes were cut from the remaining fabric in a single piece, giving careful consideration to the shape so that they would drape and move appropriately.

Our final weekend in Sacramento was the most stressful, as we planned a photoshoot for that Sunday. Linda and I were up working on the cowl pieces for hours just prior to the shoot. As all cosplayers know, good intentions and careful planning only help so much when it comes to finishing costumes early. Somehow it always comes down to the last minute and a lot of industrial strength velcro.

The Final Touches
The final touches resulted constant scrambling the week before the shoot, as we had to purchase white cloves, silver contacts, and add various snaps and Velcro bits all over the costume to ensure everything stayed in place. Linda also had to cut and style the wigs. Last minute, we even decided to whip together a young Clare costume for Zack and Kris’ daughter, who was a super trooper for participating and looked totally adorable. Our initial photoshoot with James Ellerker proved to be a much-needed test run for the costumes, although the images turned out quite well despite the stress. After the shoot, I removed one of the arms from my tunic and whipped up a Quicksword arm, assembling it from some faux leather and some belts I nabbed at Target.

Finishing Touches Gallery

Claymore – Finishing Touches

Katsucon
After all the pressure of coming down to the wire subsided, Katsucon was a blast and the costumes were received incredibly well. I owe the convention administrators a huge thank you for being such fantastic hosts, and throwing a wonderful show. The highlight of the convention was our shoot with my good friend Ljinto, who does the majority of my cosplay photography. He scouted the perfect location just outside our hotel, boasting an amazing statue called “The Awakening.” Linda and I transformed it into a giant Yoma emerging from the sand, waiting to be slain by a pair of vengeful Claymore. The day was overcast and gloomy, setting a somber tone for the shoot. It was perfect.

Claymore Portfolio

Final Thoughts
I usually make costumes alone in my apartment in the midst of a movie marathon. Having never collaborated with a group before, this build was an incredible experience, and inherently much more fun than sitting by myself making a mess on my floor. In fact, we all got along so well that a builders group was born from our cosplay collaboration – Mantium Industries. You can read more about our group and goals here. Essentially, we just want to make cool shit.

With all the unique skills we each brought to the table, everyone involved walked away having learned something new. Despite all the false starts and occasional frustrations, we can’t wait to collaborate again.

Phew! That was a mouthful! Want to get even geekier about the build? Read our interview in Composites World Magazine for even more tech specs!

Mantium Team Credits: Zack & Kristine Spencer, Michael Poon, Linda Le, Meagan Marie, Scott Trauthen, Robert Maurer, and growing!

Although my childhood memories are primarily punctuated by cartoons like Batman: The Animated Series, DuckTales, and Disney’s Gargoyles, I was exposed to a handful of anime in my youth. One offering in particular – Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke – resonated with me for years to come. To some degree it retains a special place because it was one of my first forays into the world of Japanese animation, but it additionally warrants fond recollection for a powerful story and moving performances. When I was invited to Katsucon 2012 as a cosplay guest – a massive honor and an amazing experience – it only seemed natural to take on San’s deceptively simple garb from the Ghibli film.

Construction of the costume took about a month, working a few hours here and there after work. I started with San’s mask, as in my eyes it’s the most iconic part of her costume. The mask began as a bamboo bowl from Target, which I chose because of its light weight and durability. I shaved down the bowl with a razor, plotted out the eyes and mouth, burned the sockets in with a soldering iron, and began mold the clay accent pieces. When everything was shaped, I popped it in the oven to bake. After cooling, I filed off any paint that still adhered to the mask so the natural grain would show through.

My primary goal in the costume was to ensure everything looked hand made, and as such little sanding was needed. I actually carved lines into the dry clay to make it appear made of wood, too. When it came to painting I avoided oversaturation, so that the rings would show through the bright pigment. I hand painted the small details, again, not really worried about achieving perfection.

The ears were made similarly, entirely out of clay and carved to look like wood. I also made the teeth on San’s necklace out of clay – painted an off white and then slightly yellowed for a realistic look.

The crystal dagger was fairly easy. I ordered a glass napped point on Etsy, and painted the back with blue nail polish. It’s a simple trick that works very well and doesn’t compromise the transparency of the glass. I used a friendship bracelet and some leather cording to finish off the piece.

San’s actual dagger – her primary weapon – is made out of Wonderflex. I left the edges intentionally serrated so it would appear to be made out of bone. Again, I used a slight off-white color. A spare piece of curtain rod became the handle, completed by wrapping leather cording around the grip. I also made the earrings out of Wonderflex, painted a pearlescent shell color.

I completed the dress and vest in one night without the aid of a pattern. I chose a thick, rough looking linen for the fabric, knowing it would fray and look more authentic as I wore it. I used the same fabric for the head and arm bands, attaching beads accents I purchased to match the design.

The shoes used to be some ugly fashion boots, complete with fur and a massive zippers. I stripped them down to the bare bones, and hand-sewed on new soles so they wouldn’t look manufactured.

The fur cape was a last minute addition, and something I was very concerned about leading up to the show. When my order arrived, it was a very distinct silver color – not the pristine white I had ordered. I almost settled due to a lack of time, but my boyfriend surprised me with a new, accurate order that arrived the night prior to my departure. Cutting it up and securing it in place wasn’t difficult, but was very messy.

The day of the convention, fellow Katsucon guest Linda Le helped me paint my face, as I’m absolutely horrid at anything involving symmetry. She also cut and styled the wig for me, making it look as light and feathery as San’s own hair. I finished up the costume with a bit of “dirt,” which was in truth black and brown hairspray diluted with water and stippled on my arms, legs, and face.

I spent the first half of the day in my full Mononoke ensemble, which was very well received by other Ghibli followers. I then returned to my room, removed my mask, and bloodied up my mouth and hands. Fans of the film recognized the look as the first time they see San, attempting to aid her wounded wolf-kin.

I shot with both Anna Fischer and LJinto at the show, and am so, overwhelmingly happy with the photos. The Katsucon hotel was an ideal place for the shoot – the lighting and atmosphere was perfect, and there was even a little stream running through the courtyard.

I am by no means through with San – I intend to wear her again to several more conventions this year. All I need now is to find myself an Ashitaka!

Princess Mononoke WIP

Princess Mononoke Portfolio

Madame Mirage captivated me. One look at her classic beauty, dangerous curves, and ever-present air of mystery – illustrated to perfection by the talented Kenneth Rocafort – and the hook was set.

The intriguing tale woven by Batman: The Animated Series scribe Paul Dini ensured the story was as good as the scenery, and by the time I turned the last page I was consumed by thoughts of wanting more. Alas, an ongoing series wasn’t in the cards.

Naturally, I felt the best way to pay tribute to my brief tryst with the comic was through cosplay.

The costume itself was fairly simple to pull together. I purchased the dress on eBay after weeks and weeks of searching – eventually finding something suitable in an exotic dancer boutique. Go figure. To ensure modesty (and a seamless silhouette), I purchased a nude body stocking to wear underneath.

I commissioned the bolero, as I wasn’t sure enough in my sewing skills to work with such a heavy fabric in an equally difficult pattern.

I already owned the boots from my Zatanna costume, and picked up the hat from a thrift store. I attached a handful of black bows to dress up the hat and boots, and some netting to drape across my face. Lastly, I added a few metal accent pieces to a small plastic handgun I owned, before spray-painting it gold.

I finished the costume for SDCC back in 2009, but only just found time to shoot it with LJinto at NYCC 2011. We shot outside after the convention finished, finding some dark alleyways and other intriguing areas that played with shadow and light.

I’m actually very happy with how the photos turned out, but have officially categorized this costume as retired. Honestly? It’s nearly impossible to take a flattering image in. The skintight dress doesn’t allow me to properly breathe, which makes having a good time at a show difficult.

Still, I consider this costume a success! Hope you enjoy the photos!

Madame Mirage Portfolio

Interested in capturing your costumes with some professional photos? Check out my new FAQ on cosplay modeling and TFP/TFCD here.

If you’ve still got questions after reading my thoughts, feel free to comment below and I’ll answer them in a timely fashion.

This costume has taken on a life of its own, in a way I never could have anticipated.

The decision to don Lady Two-Face stemmed from how much I enjoyed wearing my gender-bent Princess of Persia. Two-Face has always been one of my favorite Batman villains, right up there with Poison Ivy and the Joker. While I enjoy most Bat-flavored entertainment, Dini’s Batman: The Animated Series has always been at the top of my list. As such it seemed a good fit to opt for the comic styling from the TV-show, rather than the more realistic interpretation that came courtesy of the movies. It was also an attractive challenge to try something simultaneously glamorous and grotesque.

Harvey Dent/Two-Face from Batman: The Animated Series.

Honestly, the costume itself wasn’t that hard to pull together. In total I clocked in two or so weeks securing all the pieces. The majority of the time was consumed ferreting out similar cut double-breasted suits on eBay. The white one is Ralph Lauren surprisingly, and I nabbed it for only $30. I won the black pinstripe suit for $10. I ordered two of the same pair or shoes and two of the same corset – one in black and one in white.

I commissioned a professional tailor to stitch together the suit, knowing full well that I would butcher the job trying to rush in the limited time I had before SDCC. We took in the jacket to an exaggerated degree so to contrast the baggy slacks.

After ordering the coin replica and a plastic Tommy gun online, all the pieces were in order.

I didn’t tease the fact that I’d be wearing Lady Two-Face to SDCC, instead leaving it a surprise in case the makeup didn’t come together properly. Hydred – the amazingly talented makeup artist I hire every year for SDCC – and I discussed the execution in great detail for weeks, hashing through the construction and toying with different ideas. In the end I shouldn’t have worried, as Hydred knocked the look out of the park.

Makeup and hair in full took six and a half hours – twice as long as I wore the costume at the convention. Hydred began by painting my left side (face, neck, and even bust) with blue latex. For delicate areas around the eyes we instead used a saturated blue eye shadow. From there, Hydred built up the mouth with wax, using Spirit Gum to adhere it to my face. We filed and painted acrylic nails yellow to use as the teeth, which were carefully placed and secured within the wax structure. Next, gums were layered on and attached above the teeth, before being painted various shades of black, red, and blue.

In total hair and makeup took six and a half hours.

We decided to exaggerate my features with animation-esq lines, drawn on with black eyeliner and shaded by a careful hand. Even my eyebrow on the right side was made to be a bit more angular, hinting at the inborn deviance of Two-Face. For hair we opted for flowing curls on one side, contrasted by a wild, white up-do on the other.

The final touch was the single yellow contact, which was a bit of a challenge to wear as I’d never successfully used one before. Somehow I lucked out and it stayed in for most of the convention without issue.

I finally made it out to the show floor around 2:00 PM Saturday of SDCC. Walking about was complete madness, and I’m still astonished by the reaction of fellow attendees. I’d hoped fans would appreciate the costume, but never expected to be stationary for hours inundated with photo requests. It was difficult to talk or smile, otherwise I’d have been grinning ear to ear.

Funny enough, I didn’t even name this character myself. The Internet sort of did. I was struggling to come up with a name for the character even as put on the suit – I vetoed Harley Dent early on for the obvious lack of originality. Someone dubbed me “Lady Two-Face” and it stuck.

It’s going to be hard to top this costume next year, as somehow a rumor got started that I “won the best costume of SDCC.” While I have no idea where it originated, I’m pleased by the sentiment. I’m also quite happy that the risk paid off, proving that fan service doesn’t always require an excess of skin. Not that I complain when it does.

As with every SDCC, I shot a set of photos with LJinto and they turned out fantastic. Check out his work and a gallery of show floor snaps below. Enjoy!

Lady Two-Face Portfolio

I loved making this costume despite the bruises, blisters, and blood. It seems I say this after completing every project, but this is hands-down my favorite cosplay to date.

Early Anya Concept Art

Let’s start with the motive! Gears of War is one of my favorite game franchises. Not only do I love the games, but I’ve read all the novels and comics so to stay caught up on cannon. My fandom landed me a spot on the Game Informer/Gears of War 3 cover story team, and that particular trip is when it was first hinted at that the women of the Gears universe would be taking up COG armor. Our suspicions were confirmed when the final cover art arrived at the office, showcasing Anya in full combat regalia.

My 2010 costume roster for San Diego Comic Con was already full, but as always, I had begun to plan the subsequent year. The difficulty of the costume was a huge selling point, as I wanted to continue challenging myself and learning new skills. The fact that I hate sewing and prefer to work on armor and props helped with the decision, too.

Despite my hatred of sitting at a sewing machine, I made a pact that I would create the entire costume from scratch. I wanted to take full ownership of final product so I could proudly say that I made everything myself. Online tutorials and advice from friends were pivotal to finishing the costume, however, and I’m thankful to everyone who lent a hand.

I started the costume about seven months ago, although I mulled over its construction for more than a year. One of my Minnesota friends – Rachel Dangerfield – aided me in fabricating the corset and pants. Finding fabric was tough, as I was going off very early concept art and couldn’t tell at the time if her armor was leather or canvas. The color was suspect too – sometimes appearing tan, and others a warm grey. I had to dye some of the fabric to get the right tone.

Rachel worked on a second corset and set of pants in tandem to mine for a Sam Bryne costume also slated to debut at SDCC. For a handful of weekends we worked side by side, making it much easier for me to wrap my head around the complex task. When finished sewing I added dozens and dozens of dark grey brads around the lighter patches on the pants, and did the same in vertical lines across the corset. My fingers were raw by the time I was done.

After polishing off the pants and corset I moved onto a acquiring a few easier items to give myself a mental break. Tracking down a set of official COG tags was easy. The blonde wig was a bit tougher, as the cut from the concept art is quite unique. Next I ordered a grey athletic tank and ironed STROUD over the left breast, as I wasn’t sure what would be visible under the armor at that point in time. I also ordered a crimson omen patch from eBay, and altered it with fabric markers to fit the color scheme. At this stage, I began looking at footwear. I zeroed in on motorcycle boots before further narrowing the focus to motocross apparel, hoping to find something appropriately oversized and exaggerated like in the game. I eventually settled on a pair of THOR boots. As far as other purchased items are concerned, the gloves came from the sports section of Target.

At this point I was certain the costume would come together and started talking to Cliff Bleszinski about the project. He was amazingly helpful and provided me with additional reference material to ensure the armor was accurate.

At first I wasn’t sure which approach to building the armor would work best, although I had researched several options. The most accurate option would be to use the male pepakura template and scale it down for the female form. For those of you not familiar with pepakura, it’s the resource used to make many amazing Gears of War, Halo, and other armor-heavy costumes. Essentially you print a template on standard paper, fold and tape it together, and then coat it in various primers and paint to harden it. After seeing a WIP build of Marcus’ armor in person, however, I realized the design was too different from the female armor to use. As there was no female COG pepakura template yet, I went back to the drawing board.

Anya Without Armor

I’ve worked with Wonderflex many, many times, and it was the next method I strongly considered. I voted against it in the end, as Wonderflex alone is quite thin and wouldn’t look durable. I came to the conclusion that a hybrid of materials was needed. I revisited the world of motocross and acquired zip-up torso armor as a starting point for the COG gear. After weeks and weeks of searching online, I found a set that was similar in shape to what I needed and ordered it online.

I deconstructed the armor entirely the day it arrived at my house. After removing the netting that held the chest, back, shoulder, and wrist/elbow pieces together, I started to re-appropriate everything for a new use. The shoulder pieces worked perfectly for kneepads, and I removed all the ridged plastic from the front of the armor to use on the back – but more on that later. The forearm/wrist guards were kept as is for the most part.

To build up the chest piece, I lined the back with Wonderflex to strengthen it and form it to the specific shape I was looking for. I then began to pattern out basic shapes from the reference material using paper – folding the paper in half before cutting to ensure each side was symmetrical. After establishing the right patterns and layers, I transferred them to craft foam and attached the pieces with glue. I actually have no idea what the large circle pieces on the chest are, but I think they’re somehow associated with toilets as I found them in the plumbing department of my local hardware store.

Properly securing everything in place became the next priority. I used both a drill and a leather punch to make holes for the various nuts/bolts that hold together the layers. When all was said and done, the inside of the chest piece was riddled with pointy metal that needed to be filed down for comfort sake. That came much later, after I borrowed a tool tough enough to cut the hardware flush. Until then, trying on the piece was very uncomfortable.

I cut up an old backpack and used the straps to join the front and back pieces of the armor via the shoulders, reinforcing it with Wonderflex at a later time. I moved onto the back of the armor before attempting the LED shoulders pieces. The back is a hodge-podge of pieces that I removed from the chest place, as mentioned. I also used some sort of vent for a dryer, and tubing from a vacuum. Again, lots of hardware was needed to keep everything in place.

Anya Action Figure Prototype

The shoulder pieces were the biggest challenge, and something I was working on two hours prior to leaving for San Diego. Having just moved to California, I couldn’t rely on my dad to help me figure out the tricky wiring needed for a proper LED setup. That didn’t keep me from attempting that particular approach, but I wasn’t able to get it working as needed. In the end, I used two gum tins from Starbucks to house the lights, cutting holes in the lids with tin snips. Not able to find the right color blue LEDS, I instead cut up a transparent bottle of laundry detergent that was the appropriate blue color. Then I lined the inside with tin foil to optimize reflection, and positioned two clip lights from Fry’s Electronics at the top of the structure. The batteries and buttons are hidden under the shoulder wraps.

By comparison, the rest of the armor was simple. Again, I patterned out each piece on paper before moving to foam. This is how I built up the forearm guards, the belt, the kneepads, and the boots. The boots were challenging, but the ornate belt was a nightmare. It’s probably my favorite part of the costume now that everything is said and done, however.

After finishing the armor, I used a soldering iron to burn in battle damage and make it look worn and weathered. I learned from my Mad Moxxi costume that clean and crisp isn’t the way to best represent a post-apocalyptic world, and wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

After adding a bit of character to each piece, I sprayed everything a matte grey color to prime it. From there, I coated each item with black and silver paint where appropriate. When the paint was fully dry, I sanded it down with a block to make it appear dull and worn. I also stippled a warm brown on top of each piece to make it look dirty. Red and yellow were used in various locations for accent, which I again sanded down appropriately. In terms of paint, I polished off the look with little flecks of a rust color near any damaged pieces. Everything was then coated with a clear (satin) coat, and again sanded down so that only a few areas looked reminiscent of once-polished armor. The whole process took a week to finish when taking into account drying time.

As far as props are concerned, wandering the halls of the hardware store resulted in securing sprinklers that worked perfect for grenades. A bit of foam and a similarly distressed paint job achieved the aesthetic I was looking for.

The last piece to the project was the complicated belt/gun harness that Anya wears. Constructing it took the final three days I had free prior to Comic-Con. I made the “saddlebags” (as I call them) from scratch, patterning and stuffing them before sewing them shut and adding the accent cording. These were attached to a traditional black leather belt. The back piece was leftover from the motocross armor, which I again built up with craft foam and a crimson omen buckle I found online. I used Velcro to adhere the delicate front piece to the belt, so that I could remove it and still access the buckle to take the entire getup on and off.

The drop-leg holster is made out of cardboard inserted into a pouch I made – again accented with the thick leather cording around the edges. I used the same method to construct the canteen – cardboard, foam, fabric, and paint.

The last bit of polish the costume needed was the Lancer, and Cliff was nice enough to lend me one for SDCC. At that point, I’d put $1000 into the costume and was tight on funds, so the gesture was a godsend. The team at Epic must have enjoyed the costume, however, as I was gifted the Lancer after the convention concluded. I was quite happy, as evidenced by the picture below!

<3 <3 <3

As for the convention itself, I was approached a few weeks prior to SDCC by CNN with an offer to highlight the art of cosplaying via a video feature. I was very, very excited about the opportunity, and it is part of the reason my costume turned out so well. The idea of debuting a mediocre costume on CNN pushed me to work extremely hard on it.

My boyfriend and I drove down to San Diego a few days early so we could record the feature, and I had a blast. As with every SDCC, I had my magic makeup artist Hydred Makabali on hand to help with beauty makeup, blood, and battle scars. She did a fantastic job making everything look dirty and distressed. Note – if you’re thinking of mussing up some clothing for a similar look, real dirt and mud doesn’t work as well as you might think. It eventually dries up and crumbles off. Instead, we used brown and black hairspray and it worked like a charm. You can check out the video from CNN here.

My favorite photographer Leonard Lee (Ljinto) also came down a few days early so we could take advantage of the perfect setting for a photoshoot. I’d been planning the costume long enough to have taken note of the U.S.S. Midway near the convention center the previous Comic-Con. At that time, the clips I’d seen of the game took place on a battleship, and I figured an aircraft carrier would do nicely as a setting for a shoot. The location worked perfectly and the staff was extremely helpful. They let us run around like we owned the place.

I ended up wearing Anya both Thursday and Friday at SDCC – a first for me as I’ve never worn the same costume to a convention more than once. Highlights from the show include attending the Gears of War 3 panel and taking photos with fans, chilling with the Epic/Microsoft crew at the Gears of War 3/American Chopper reveal, and attending the Microsoft event later that night.

The Epic Games Crew

I was also stopped by Entertainment Weekly and taken to the top of the Hard Rock Hotel for some professional photos. Additionally, Destructoid was nice enough to feature Anya, as well as The Chive and Kotaku. I couldn’t be happier with how the week went. I’m excited to put Anya back on later this fall.

Compared to costumes requiring high heels and restrictive fabric, Anya’s getup wasn’t particularly painful. That being said, I constructed the chest piece a tad too tight and I couldn’t fully expand my ribcage for the duration of wearing it, making it a breath of fresh air (literally) to take it off. I’m not entirely sure how long I’d last wearing it in a wartime setting, as my mobility was severely limited, but there is something to be said for looking intimidating, right?

Hope the above tips and tricks help if you’re looking to construct any of your own COG armor! Feel free to ask for clarification below, and take a gander at my WIP gallery for a better look at constructing the costume.

WIP Gallery

Anya Stround Portfolio

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