Hey everyone! Long time no chat! This is actually the first time that I've been on my laptop in roughly...6 weeks(?) or so. This is kind of the explanation for why I've been so MIA regarding my blogging, but if you follow me on any of my social media you can tell that I'm 100% always active, if not more. This is mostly because it's really difficult to find a decent mobile application to use Blogger with large numbers of photos...but that can't be helped I guess. Moving on~
This post is going to be about my prep work for my cosplay! If you have been stalking me on my social media you would have seen my cosplay lineup featuring the above characters--
Friday: Hanon from Mermaid Melody (Later changed to Chocola from Nekopara due to fabric getting lost)
Saturday: Leafeon from Pokemon (Little Paper Forest's Design)
Sunday: Sango from Inuyasha (fighting outfit)
Monday: Amulet Clover from Shugo Chara
So, I've been working my hardest to recreate the props and costumes as best as I can once I had made my decision! Here's what little photos I had taken (sorry) due to the thought slipping my mind. I'll do my best to describe my process properly throughout the post. If you're interested, definitely head on through the read more!
So starting off, I had put out a tarp in order to prevent any of my drywall or paint from getting all over the floor. I decided to start working on the sword that Sango has. Unfortunately I forgot that it was a MEDIUM size sword...making it a longer one when it really shouldn't have been. It's not that big of a deal, but unfortunately I am a perfectionist.
Here's how I went about the sword:
Once again I'm so sorry for not having any photos for this, but I'll try to be as descriptive as I can.
1. So for the base of the sword, I had used foam core! Like the type that you can get in order to make science project poster boards. I used this item specifically because it'd be the easiest to cover in what I needed.
2. Then I had covered the foam core in a shaped aluminum foil coating. I do this because it's easier to get the shape that I want it to have, while it being a reasonable weight in the final product.
3. I had taken the handle top that you see in the photo from a broken katana umbrella that my brother had purchased a while ago in Little Tokyo, painted it white accordingly, and then further painted the purple detailing on the handle.
4. I had taken wooden chopsticks (the disposable kind) and I had taped them together using a sturdy tape and used that as the dowels to connect the handle to the makeshift sword.
5. I had used Tacky glue, Super glue, and E6000 to secure the pieces with one another.
6. I had covered the base in a light coating of drywall as it was a cheaper alternative to air dry clay and was much easier to work with.
7. Sanded everything down.
8. Filled in all the cracks.
9. Sanded a final time.
10. Coated the entire piece with paper mache.
11. Painting starts here!
12. More detailing ~~~
And then we're done! Sword was finished huhuhu.
As for these here, I had gone to the nearby Home Depot and purchased some supplies for my hiraikotsu and for my staff. The pvc pipes I had gotten cut in half in order to get them to fit inside of my car. As for the insulation foam, I decided to use it rather than my original ideas regarding foamcore and air dry clay / dry wall.
As for the whisk for Amulet clover, I took an okay amount of photos showcasing my progress with them. For the pink whisk top, I had originally made the foundation using industrial wire, and then I had used a thin silver wire to keep it in place.
I had then started sculpting the handle using some green air dry clay from Daiso Japan overtop of a thin roll from some packaging. It may not necessarily be the best material to work with given the qualities and the effort that is required to get the desired look with it...but it worked decently well. I worked with the clay the same way that I'd work with ceramic clay with water to help better shape and smooth the clay to my desired shape.
To attach the two, I simply put the air dry clay overtop of the wire and continued to attach both. Constantly adding more and more clay while smoothing it out to match my heart's desire.
So fast forward to this photo of the props so far.
At this point, I had finished covering Amulet Clover's whisk wire frame with pink air dry clay. Later I am going to cover it with paper mache and then paint overtop of it with acrylic paint. I also sculpted a clover shape for the top of the whisk. For the extra detailing, I had attached white pom poms around the part where the two different sections of the whisk meet, and finally I had attached the giant bow that I made using the same fabric as my actual cosplay.
For the sword, it's in the process of drying prior to the final sanding and paper mache.
As for the hiraikotsu, I'm starting the carving process for the piece.
Here are my steps for the hiraikotsu:
- trace the shape desired onto the foam
- cut out the desired shape liberally in case of error
- carve the shape to better suit the intended look
- cover in paper mache
- do a base coat in white paint / gesso
- paint overtop of the base coat using an ivory paint color
- repeat process 6 three times
- sculpt the beads for the handles
- use faux leather-like fabric to create the wrapped look by the handles
- attach them using super glue/e6000 (or hot glue if you like to gamble)
- next you need to attach the handles, I used leftover tassels that I had from some fancy gift wrapping
- cover where you glued the handles/tassels with more leather fabric to cover the look
- and you are done!
Moving onto this next aspect, I had sculpted a lot of the pieces for Hanon's jewelry. Using Apoxie Resin Air Dry Clay, I had sculpted the main jewelry pieces. I had then used polymer clay to sculpt the beads and the star shapes to better suit my tastes.
After I had baked and waited for all the pieces to dry, I had strung them on a line and painted each one individually.
And I continued to do the same thing with the rest of the main jewelry pieces, all of which that I had later continued to assemble.
AAAAAAND..here are the final product shots for Sango's props!
This isn't including her armor pieces, as I have shots of that coming up next.
I had also purchased a couple of styrofoam balls for the pokemon staff and for Amulet Clover's eggs.
Amulet Clover's eggs are covered in an air dry clay, and then were later painted by hand. I mixed colors accordingly to achieve the proper look. I had then made U shapes with a sturdy wire that I used to wear the eggs.
The staff wasn't too difficult to create. I had painted the smooth foam styrofoam ball in a base coat of white paint, and then I painted the top after it was dry in green acrylic paint. Then I had taken some glossy black paint and painted a line around the pokeball after doing the detailing of the ball's top design.
As for the staff's actual detailing, it took around 3-4 coats of paint to get the proper look that I wanted. I had used a metallic bronze colored paint overtop of the pvc pipe. Next, I had molded some shapes using air dry clay for the main "bulb" like shape where the leaves come out. As for the top part where the pokeball sits, and for the bottom part of the staff (where it rests), they are molded using polymer clay and were painted soonafter.
I had then attached all of the pieces together using E6000 and hot glue. Later adding in the foam shaped leaves that I detailed with hot glue and painted over with acrylic paint.
Here's the clay I used!
I had repeated the process once more for my friend Bianca's staff. All she had to do was do the main painting job, and then glue the pieces together.
Here are the pictures of the armor pieces for Sango too! I had used a high density foam to make these armor pieces. I had cut them out and carved them, later covering them in many layers of paint and then a modpodge coating. For the white detailing around the armor pieces, I had glued a white bias tape strip around the armor edge. For wear, I had attached red fabric that can be seen throughout the outfit also.
And here are some fun shots of Bianca spray painting her staff! She's first priming it, and later she can be found spray painting it in a luxurious gold color.
Aaaaaand~ that's all! Til' next time folks.
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