Are you supposed to seal Rustoleum? I was told originally that EVA foam with plastidip + a rustoleaum primer+paint wouldn't need to be sealed, and by and large the colour has held up well, but over time a thin film does come off and is pretty noticeable on my fingertips etc. Should I be going over it with something else before I wear it the next time?

>>10911926
Always seal your paint jobs. Doesn't matter if it's cosplay, miniatures, or outdoor furniture. Sealing is just a better choice.

>>10911926 A clear coat is always good, but spray paint can always crack on foam. So for armor that you will wear multiple times a colored plastidip or flexible paints like leather paint are best.

Can I wear a wig if I have long hair?

Any recommendations for women’s shape wear? I just want to smooth things out a little underneath my cosplays so they look nicer.

What should I use for flat straps on a sandwich-board style costume?

I'm using corrugated plastic for the boards, and I was thinking of using d-rings and plastic hooks with either command strips or hot glue to attach them to the board. But I need something to actually go over my shoulders to the other side. I can use rope but I feel like something flatter would be more comfortable. Any ideas?

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I've been wanting to work on some tokushit cosplay for a while now, and I recently figured out the stuff all the Japanese cosplayers use to make the armor, but I can't find it online for reasonable prices and I'm not sure what a good alternative would be that I can source locally.
It's apparently called sanpelca or sunpelca (I think it's a brand name?). Its a weird half-way between EVA and polyethylene foam; looks like it has the rigidity of polyethylene but it doesn't have the texture that I see on regular polyethylene sheets since it's super dense like EVA. I've tried EVA before but getting precise and clean cuts is really hard to do, but the stuff I'm looking for seems to be way easier.
It's hyper specific, but I does anyone here happen to know what I'm talking about or know if there's any options here?

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I really want to recreate the belt she's wearing. it's a studded belt with a layered pleated skirt on only one side. just glue? I've never tried to "sew" anything onto a belt before, definitely never worked with studs either.

>>10912004
Yup, you'll just need to be specific about how you pin up your hair and the wig nets you use. There's some great tutorials on youtube. Buying from manufacturers who make wigs for larger heads might help too.

>>10912065
In my many years of being a woman, I haven't really found that the brand matters. I'd just find some on amazon with good reviews or your local clothing store and try them on.

>>10912325
Nylon/polyester webbing. It's the same thing the straps of a backpack are made of. More to the point, you can also just cannibalize a backpack. The straps would be more comfortable.

>>10912345
My guess is that the pleated part is actually sewn over the belt like a casing (and not actually attached to the belt at all) and the studs are pressed down into the leather on top of the fabric. Or it's just glued either underneath the leather or in between the studs and leather. It's hard to tell because the rest of the belt appears to be the same color/pattern. Tbh I'd just go with what looks best to you.

>>10911926
Yes ALWAYS clear your paints. The usual clear coats are fine, or you can get automotive 1k gloss clear if you want it to be really shiny unless there's a metalic.
Second, do NOT use rustoleaum metalic pants at all. Always go for a lacquor metallic, specifically testors extremes if you can. Always do it as your final paint layer though, especially if you're using an enamle paint at any point.
And also make sure you're using a normal primer as your base, not a paint+primer.
>>10912335
Yeah unless you find a way to import it there isn't a clean alternative.
Poly is close, san is more an inbetween of that and plumbing insulation foam. It's really more for being easier to bend into place and hold for contact cements then for any other reason though.
All in all you'd be able to do the same with EVA foam you just need to heat and form parts after they're glued.

But if you're in the US like, printed helmet kits are an option too. Then that's just spot putty filling and sanding.

How do people find cosplay photographers at cons? I'm cosplaying for the first time in years and deciding to go all out with everything (commissioning someone to make part of the costume, weight loss, practicing makeup until I'm happy with the results, etc.)

I really want to get good photos of the costume when it's all done, but I have no idea how to go about it.

I have been 20-30 lbs overweight my entire life, but I have a lot of natural muscle mass and the frame to support it. No one has ever shown me how to start going to the gym or pushed me to get in shape and I don't know where to start.

How do I start? Or how did YOU start? I have all the other skills to start doing really great cosplays but I'm a fat, lazy fuck barely motivated to get up and go to work.

>>10912461
In my experience, they usually find photographers before cons on social media and book a time slot with them. You might get lucky prowling a con for a person holding a camera and offer to pay them for their time, but you can't guarantee quality or even a return investment honestly.

>>10912474
Go to fit, read the sticky. Learn how to count calories. And start using YouTube to build your beginner routine.
If you have no drive you are fucked. Weight loss takes drive and motivation. If you have neither then just be a fat fuck the rest of your life.

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>>10911890
Right I'm new as fuck to this board so be gentle here. I'm planning on cosplaying Gadem from Mobile Suit Gundam for a con this July.
>pic related
I already have someone working on the cape since they offered but the rest is very much up in the air. I have a rough template for the helmet being cooked up, but with the uniform I'm torn on trying to go for military surplus or try to make a basic pair of matching green pants and a jacket, since I doubt I could find surplus in a green that looks right, let alone that both match. I also don't know how I'd go about doing the collar, since there's a decent bit of detail there. Note I have a old sewing machine but I've never used it. Also I saw a lot of guides and recommendations for wigs but is there anything similar for facial hair?

Any tips to try and achieve all this would be very much welcome, thanks.

>>10912701
There are endless amounts of nerds with 3d printers who can do the helmet and other hard goods
For soft goods you usually have to talk to a woman, though there are also nerds with embroidery machines for the collar
Pick a high quality fabric that looks like uniform material, not the first cotton you see

>>10912474
A lady I knew was overweight her whole life no matter what diet or exercise... turned out she was allergic to milk protein, and living in Europe it was put in everything. So even lactose free stuff would make her balloon up and retain weight. She moved to an Asian country that didn't put milk in everything and got skinny without any effort. In my case, when I went on meds that changed my serotonin and dopamine levels I gained weight. So it could be something you are already ingesting is changing how your body handles fat.

Real advice:
>Your body wants to stop eating when it gets the nutrients it needs, not necessarily when it swallows a certain amount of solids. Always eat nutrient dense food, ideally the most dense you can find, which usually means homemade fermented items (pasteurization kills nutrients) - don't eat salad, eat fermented salad (kimchi, saurkraut). Don't eat white bread, eat fermented bread (sourdough, fermented pancake batter, overnight oats). Replace onions sauce with watered-down dark miso. Replace yoghurt with home-made milk kefir.
>Cut out as much table sugar, corn syrup and other syrups as possible, and don't replace it with aspartame or other artificial sweeteners. You'll need to look at food labels - be prepared to see your 1 tiny packet of ketchup being 50% of your daily sugar intake, and expensive "healthy" food really being a ton of junk. If you want something sweet, add whole fruit (not smoothies). After 3 weeks your body will adjust to your new eating style and what was sour or bitter to you before will now be neutral or sweet.
>Don't envision going to the gym every day. Instead build exercise into the routines you already do, or find out a way to get paid to exercise. For example wear leg weights all day, replace your chair so you have to exercise at your computer desk, get a job like housekeeping or teaching that makes you move all day.
>Use a pedometer all day, track which activities/days are high exercise.

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Hey /cgl
I'm working on getting my Ono-Michio head finished up and am now on trying to get the fabirc layered in the least painless way possible. Im looking at using a larger swath of felt to just overlay the sphere and sew at the points where it was bunching. I don't sew but am willing to learn. Are there patterns for just sewing over a sphere that's made of foam?

Any tips on keeping cool in a mascot head?

>>10912734
>There are endless amounts of nerds with 3d printers who can do the helmet and other hard goods
While true I'm fairly deadset on making the helmet myself, it may look a bit meh, but I need to start somewhere.

>For soft goods you usually have to talk to a woman, though there are also nerds with embroidery machines for the collar
What do you mean by "talk to a woman" here? Just try to find someone with the tools for the embroidery on the collar or something else?

>Pick a high quality fabric that looks like uniform material, not the first cotton you see
I did plan on grabbing a cheaper fabric to see if the template actually worked before getting something better, but regardless of that, I'm still unsure on most aspects of the uniform.
Like, idk if I should just run out to a thrift shop, grab some clothes that look similar to what I'd need, take them apart and use them like a template, search for something online, or pray I find something in a milsurp store.
Again I'm very new to this so wanted a smidge of guidance here.

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Got a few general cosplay questions and questions related to cosplay of pic.

What advice/tutorial would you recommend for doing basic make up? I just need something to make my skin look paler and cleaner for the sake of cosplay.
What do you do to stop yourself from rubbing your face while wearing foundation?
Any good recommendations for eye contacts (preferably under $30) that would fit Hatsune Miku?
Anything I should consider while having darker eyes?
Any basic advice/tutorial I should look at for eye contacts?

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Planning a D'Arby cosplay for my local con this August but I'm kinda stuck on how I wanna approach the weird face tattoo/pattern he has going on. I live in a fairly warm climate, so I'm worried makeup is just gonna slog off during the day. Any advice on how to achieve this?

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I'm looking to do a Kurisu cosplay.
Should I buy an outfit off amazon or should I buy a jacket and belt bracelets?
If so, what jacket should I buy?

Is it weird to see the same people wearing the same cosplay multiple times a year at your local anime events?

>>10913415
Imo you should buy the main outfit anywhere reasonable to you. If that's Amazon, then so be it. They're all basic pieces. No sense in paying out more for really cheap shit that may or may not fit. You should buy the jacket off a cosplay store though unless you can find a similar one for cheap.

Also, next time select a picture that shows off the outfit. The one you picked has almost her whole outfit covered by her leg. Not everyone knows the character you're talking about or cares to look up the outfit.

>>10913440
That's assuming anyone keeps track of what you're wearing in the first place. Even if you post online, no it's not weird. Some people have whole accounts dedicated to one character and costume. And even if they did: fuck 'em, they didn't pay for it.

>>10913376
A good primer, setting spray, and a matte long-stay body paint formula. Touch up throughout the day, oil blotting sheets or powder to keep the oil away. Alternatively you could make it a temp tattoo. I don't have a link on me rn but there's tutorials online.

>>10912962
Hello based Miku stan.
>basic makeup
A foundation that's your "winter shade" or slightly lighter than your usual shade. Alternatively, you could mix a little white bodypaint into your usual foundation. As for "cleaner", I'm assuming you mean less textured and smoother? That's all about your makeup application and base. Skin care goes a longer way than makeup, but a good primer and pore minimizer doesn't hurt. Honestly the youtube mua's could do a better job explaining that than I could.
>stop rubbing my face how?
You foundation should be set so that it isn't easily rubbed off regardless. Hit it with a good setting spray and carry a little powder foundation with you for good measure. In general, it's kind of unavoidable until you train yourself. I still accidentally rub my eyes when wearing eyeliner.
>eye contacts
Pinkyparadise or Honeycolor.
>Darker eyes
There might be a ring around your eyes where the contacts have to give your iris some wiggle room to see. It's hardly noticable, don't worry about it.
>Advice/tutorial on eye contacts
Yes, youtube. Cosplay contacts are VERY different than normal wear contacts. You can hurt your eyes irreparably if you don't do it properly. tbqh eye color is hardly noticeable in cosplay irl and easily editable online. I personally don't see a need for them.

In short, we've come a long way and Youtube is your golden guide to all. You can always come back here with more questions if you're confused though :)

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>>10913443
Does this help?

>>10912873
It's do-able but it's not going to be fun or easy. Essentially the way you make curves with fabric is by cutting out little triangles out of the fabric and then sewing the sides back together so that the fabric contorts. You'll have to do this a lot to get the fabric to lay right.

>Are there patterns for just sewing over a sphere that's made of foam?
Probably. A little google search wouldn't hurt. I don't have any specific resources to give you, but a furry has probably made some.

>Any tips on keeping cool in a mascot head?
Ask the furry overlords. Likely answer is a fan and time with the head off every once in a while.

>>10913447
Yes. I truly didn't mean it in a snarky way, just info for the future to get you help faster

>>10913449
What kind of jacket is she wearing anyway? I tried looking for cardigans but no apparent matches

>>10913450
It looks like a cardigan, but the material also seems a bit stiff to bunch up the way it does. Cosplay websites seem to be interpreting it as a jacket. Could just be some anime clothing nonsense.

>>10913446
I would recommend a white foundation mixer instead of bodypaint. Bodypaint tends to be super heavy and might not mix with foundations