tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80752124891413111872024-02-02T10:39:29.409-06:00Lonan CosplayLonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075212489141311187.post-31598109435781754422011-11-02T01:41:00.005-05:002011-11-02T10:26:12.706-05:00Blizzcon 2011 Post-con Writeup<span style="font-family:courier new;">Another year has come and gone already! I made so many new friends and learned so many new things in the process of creating my costume. I had a blast with everyone at the Cosplay Dinner sponsored by <a href="http://tripleacosplay.com/">Alice, Mario</a> and <a href="http://theoriginalpocket.com/">Pocket</a> on Thursday evening, </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">and t</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">he</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> food was pretty g</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">ood too!<span style="font-family:courier new;"> </span></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">The cosplay community at Blizzcon is seriously amazing, I am so glad t</span></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">hat I am able to participate ev</span></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">ery year.</span><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcAwy0z1NfdF_gEmeZ7QapNqdCL-35Hzw5ee1ccn3aeFU1szaQmPYup0IMbRbC9eCvLwbNAuOYdqirjC370Zpaz8T_y6BivGsGn5TTV-E2wem4qSaHhp7NzFRv8eGs1nTBl7rFT-3aJnu/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcAwy0z1NfdF_gEmeZ7QapNqdCL-35Hzw5ee1ccn3aeFU1szaQmPYup0IMbRbC9eCvLwbNAuOYdqirjC370Zpaz8T_y6BivGsGn5TTV-E2wem4qSaHhp7NzFRv8eGs1nTBl7rFT-3aJnu/s400/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670264133331379906" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">I made sure to have some breakfast before heading out to the convention.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />Day 1 was spent almost entirely in my Tyrande Whisperwind costume. I didn't get many panels, gaming, or shopping in that day until after the costume contest. Moving around in costume can take a very long time depending on what you're wearing. A note to new cosplayers at Blizzcon - make sure you allow plenty of time </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">to get around. People tend to stop you and ask for photos quite often, even when you're trying to eat your lunch!<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gy8fjPtTapKCPEeGMCHZFJEWMirj0XcodCd3hEs-_xvQbAEJsMVFqDM_y26EPgNqC4N8K1ObXjtzFLqkI9_QoodVnzjUpOEkJ9vv1EVXJx673iI9HiFvh4HHEfT3jERyehKCzP0wGEAe/s1600/2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gy8fjPtTapKCPEeGMCHZFJEWMirj0XcodCd3hEs-_xvQbAEJsMVFqDM_y26EPgNqC4N8K1ObXjtzFLqkI9_QoodVnzjUpOEkJ9vv1EVXJx673iI9HiFvh4HHEfT3jERyehKCzP0wGEAe/s400/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670268001144882466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">Once I made it to the convention center I saw some peo</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">ple whose progress I</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">'ve been following through the year and was able to get photos with a few of them. I al</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">so saw some people who I hadn't seen any progress from but</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> ha</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">d met last year (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/WingedWarrior-Cosplay/283994294952685">WingedWarrior Cosplay</a>, as Lady Nozdormu). It w</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">as great fun roaming the convention</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> floor </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">and seeing all of the aw</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">esome work by everyone in costume.<br /><br />I made the mistake of taking a trip to my room before the group meetup and photo shoot, which resulted in being late due to poor time management. If you think it'll take you half an hour to fix that busted attachment point on your armor or get back into your corset, add an extra 15-30 </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">minutes to that estimate. You may miss more panels that way, but you will have so much less stress about your costume and getting to appointments on time.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZo1xbtCvkjWHZmm_y8cJwjBd1Ie5kLcvCCw64BPRPZRIlpjg0dYgtTxzjUa6Q_aapsBI1CA5fQWXmHgCKJIXtJG1DA2PtSk2ZiaadOqv6Btlr0UgVus5WqSvG5aDVpiogtNBkmwqLVDZ/s1600/3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZo1xbtCvkjWHZmm_y8cJwjBd1Ie5kLcvCCw64BPRPZRIlpjg0dYgtTxzjUa6Q_aapsBI1CA5fQWXmHgCKJIXtJG1DA2PtSk2ZiaadOqv6Btlr0UgVus5WqSvG5aDVpiogtNBkmwqLVDZ/s400/3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670266877520859394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">The fountain photo shoot is also a really great oppo</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">rtunity to see everyone's costumes and it happens every year on the first day, usually a few hours before the costume contest is scheduled. I sa</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">w the end product of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Auto-Cosplay/197901113611455">Auto Cosplay</a>'s hard work on her Tier 11 Undead mage, which turned out wonderfully. The undead fingers and toes really added a nice touch to the costume and made it extra fun.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcEtVXp_oJLnAYGLZbv9fK3dLfCCOVEO0yHYySOFdJGXq9DGKQMco6ly8VuayVRTPHtYIz-3Uevg-zmxSdmGG6QfzCyUJzaioCUyKj-YPQG49SHFyn9q8LAv-p5Pf5D7wnoqPwBSE0N1c/s1600/7.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcEtVXp_oJLnAYGLZbv9fK3dLfCCOVEO0yHYySOFdJGXq9DGKQMco6ly8VuayVRTPHtYIz-3Uevg-zmxSdmGG6QfzCyUJzaioCUyKj-YPQG49SHFyn9q8LAv-p5Pf5D7wnoqPwBSE0N1c/s400/7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670407854890313362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">The group meetup and photo shoot is a wonderful chance to see friends, make new ones, as well as a chance get some epic photos. I snagged a good one with <a href="http://www.cosplay.com/member/162570/">Pouncival</a> in his Matt Horner costume. It seems there aren't as many guys that get into cosplay at Blizzcon, but it's a ton of fun! If you want to wear a costume but are nervous about the reception from other con-goers, just start with something small. People are typically very enthusiastic, enjoy the costumes, and at the least will just leave you alone. Don't be afraid to join the fun!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;">The group shoot was a </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">little large this </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">ye</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">ar, there wer</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">e a TON of cosplayers and photographers. The photographers had to swap rows several times to let everyone get a chance at being in the front! <br /><br />The fountain photo shoot time and date specifics are typically announced every year on the Blizzcon forums as well as the Cosplay.com forums. It is an unofficial event organized by cosplayers and photographers, but it happens every year.<br /><br />I didn't have time to get business cards made, but a lot of other people were handing them out to photographers. This is a great way to get in contact with photographers, other cosplayers, and new people you meet after the convention. <br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGl5z7BZeB4hVZ9cqPOnk34BszcP_GOUkUGqlqO09n4l6GEu6N0vBnwTaxY-zdclJmenzkx1g98oIKvbahYAdZAy1XSuy9r_uBVnG03oFp6shJ9dZjP57jijPBMveejTTd-aBTKa0Ie6J/s1600/4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGl5z7BZeB4hVZ9cqPOnk34BszcP_GOUkUGqlqO09n4l6GEu6N0vBnwTaxY-zdclJmenzkx1g98oIKvbahYAdZAy1XSuy9r_uBVnG03oFp6shJ9dZjP57jijPBMveejTTd-aBTKa0Ie6J/s400/4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670267579667886050" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">I </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">was also able to get a photo with </span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Synariel-Cosplay/260180970687728">Synariel Cosplay</a> and her Druid Tier 4 armor </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">set, which is one of my favorite sets.</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;">Next year, if the group is as large as it was this year, w</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">e may n</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">eed to do more </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">than just one big group for all the photos. I heard someone mention the pos</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">sibility of breaking down into smaller game-specific groups for some of the photos if the trend continues, which I t</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">hink that is a good solution.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVS90ikzkQov3dp0twszIwplyfdibmspfUk1It8YOk0JdTyZBavgI_eWA3bX0h9HYMwXq9gfbTP1Do2C46EazNWGFKAe2rRmqghUm9Zn7l3zEd69gaz2zVwbm4CBrRmu2wUENb01fa__TP/s1600/10.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVS90ikzkQov3dp0twszIwplyfdibmspfUk1It8YOk0JdTyZBavgI_eWA3bX0h9HYMwXq9gfbTP1Do2C46EazNWGFKAe2rRmqghUm9Zn7l3zEd69gaz2zVwbm4CBrRmu2wUENb01fa__TP/s400/10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670284350903719810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">There were moonkin and rogues and all kinds of things roaming around at the fountain during the photo shoot.<span style="font-family:courier new;"> I wish that I could include photos of everyone, but I think that might make my blog explode. I will, however, provide a link to the photo gallery at the end of all this.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I was impressed with the level of quality all of the costumes had this year, which makes the prospect of next year a bit intimidating. It is definitely a great feeling to know that everyone brings their best to Blizzcon and strives to do the characters justice. I was also impressed at the sense </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">of community I felt with everyone else in costume. I haven't had much of a chance to attend any other conventions in costume besides Blizzcon (and that one Wizard World this year, but that was for work) but I am impressed regardless. The people are all amazingly talented, as well as awesome in general.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWDEV6NRrp_yTh60PjbwudbmW3ziWFhbNVy3cBVTqhd044WlrMmeZA8wb6t4wjWO2Nmg61luWQ2j1PzUfVaOc7V-DR4QLiWNCerhFHom5pQv7RVTvBUY9TMspkuwDnL_DeV-5sR_HGNcK/s1600/6273028018_6ce3c633ed_b.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWDEV6NRrp_yTh60PjbwudbmW3ziWFhbNVy3cBVTqhd044WlrMmeZA8wb6t4wjWO2Nmg61luWQ2j1PzUfVaOc7V-DR4QLiWNCerhFHom5pQv7RVTvBUY9TMspkuwDnL_DeV-5sR_HGNcK/s400/6273028018_6ce3c633ed_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670277663436044962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">The "line-up" at the stage side curtain (which is actually more of a blob) allowed me to see some of the costumes I had missed in the</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> morning. I met a couple of moonkin and a nymph to name a few.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;">This was my </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">second Blizzcon, and I was very impressed with the cost</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">ume contest this year - especially the backstage setup. There were benches! And water! And everyone got their photo taken! Blizzard staff really nailed it this year, in my opinion, as far as the costume contest organization was concerned.<br /><br />As always, walking the stage was a blur of nerves and adrenaline. I think I may have nearly run across the stage this time. Fortunately, next year I will probably have a harder time with moving quickly.</span> <span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/muggles/">(Photo by Mr. Muggles)</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">-------------------------------------------------------------</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZCvc9bgd5KwoucZS3AJwLtBe6YQIO4qBEwV_pw2XKJ16-zfidbeC8hv63aTz72Ku_EM4KcLa5Lfj4d8bZVbc-PRlZqRi-wNBBOruRlBdUFj0AQo1ivdSOlwnI_MzcMEVFmdi_cqVsU75/s1600/11.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZCvc9bgd5KwoucZS3AJwLtBe6YQIO4qBEwV_pw2XKJ16-zfidbeC8hv63aTz72Ku_EM4KcLa5Lfj4d8bZVbc-PRlZqRi-wNBBOruRlBdUFj0AQo1ivdSOlwnI_MzcMEVFmdi_cqVsU75/s400/11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670282485054260706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">Day two was much more relaxed, but there was still some cost</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">ume fun to be had thanks to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TonksceratopsCosplay">Tonksceratops Cosplay</a> and her organization of the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AspectsofAwesome">Aspects of Awesome</a> burlesque/steampunk group.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;">Here's how it worked: everyone chose a character (the group initially started with dragon aspects from World of Warcraft but it </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">branched out) and created a burlesque/steampunk costume inspired by that character. The group turned out to be more burlesque than steampunk (with the exception of Pocket's awesome goblin).<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxgmEZtrdD_uLFP3DIbgg2omNyKZLg2XQAiqJ0lR2Nkalq3nyC6nu16S00PolzMpHm4z59IS1fvI0RDthRSl1kUVHeV6bA7GuGW7CtIkj4oFWVqPdwytP0NVpFgIH-l1T6ay-BdaLAV1E/s1600/9.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxgmEZtrdD_uLFP3DIbgg2omNyKZLg2XQAiqJ0lR2Nkalq3nyC6nu16S00PolzMpHm4z59IS1fvI0RDthRSl1kUVHeV6bA7GuGW7CtIkj4oFWVqPdwytP0NVpFgIH-l1T6ay-BdaLAV1E/s400/9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670282654820579506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">It was lots of fun and a great way to challenge our creativity by creating a costume based on a character's existing design. Unfortunatel</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">y, I do not have a photo that has everyone in it all at once. You will just have to <a href="http://www.ultramaticorange.com/all.php?dir=..%2Fweb_images%2FBlizzCon+2011&quality=85">visit the gallery</a> to see the rest of the costumes!<br /><br />G4TV also did a feature that included a fair number of our Aspects of Awesome group, as well as a few other individual cosplayers. <a href="http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/717657/blizzcon-2011-cosplay-galleries-the-sexy-ladies-of-cosplay/">Check it out!</a><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Overall, it was an amazing experience and I hope to be able to do it again next year<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">All photos by Alastair Drong unless otherwise noted. Full gallery can be found <a href="http://www.ultramaticorange.com/all.php?dir=..%2Fweb_images%2FBlizzCon+2011&quality=85">HERE.</a></span><br /></span>Lonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075212489141311187.post-84608093490749710012011-07-26T21:20:00.016-05:002011-07-26T23:08:04.569-05:00Blizzcon 2011 Costume Progress - GO!<span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >It's that time again! I've been rather slow to get going on this year's costume, but progress photos should trickle in steadily from now on. Let the Blizzcon 2011 costume progress updates begin!</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> </span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" ><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: courier new;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88eKz54-FePX1KySuWcFHYQemcJBy41KoqPPDoq4lfKaDE04tlVQw-ZVR90UBHZuxECxgSF3axE3Kfh96IVLj51nZxGpH0Y_0zCGLH0T08al7E2S566nbDwlykV1yNAgxVS9WMdW-IAji/s1600/steampunk_tyrande.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88eKz54-FePX1KySuWcFHYQemcJBy41KoqPPDoq4lfKaDE04tlVQw-ZVR90UBHZuxECxgSF3axE3Kfh96IVLj51nZxGpH0Y_0zCGLH0T08al7E2S566nbDwlykV1yNAgxVS9WMdW-IAji/s400/steampunk_tyrande.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633867496878158274" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >One of the costumes I will be wearing this year is part of the Burlesque/Steampunk group for day two. I chose to do a burlesque-ified Tyrande Whisperwind.<br /><br />The design to the left was made near the beginning of the year, when the group initially started brainstorming on the Cosplay.com forums. I based it on the artwork featured on one of the loading screens added in Cataclysm (I believe the art itself is by Wei Wang). </span> <span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >So far I've only got the corset</span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" > patterned/half put together and the top draped.</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> </span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" ><br /><br />The corset pattern I used is from </span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://katafalk.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/underbust-pattern-tutorial/">Katafalk's blog</a><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >. Her tutorial has specific instructions on how to create your own custom underbust corset pattern using only your measurements, a ruler, writing utensil, and some math. It's pretty snazzy, and extremely useful for those of us who are too lazy to draft our own patte</span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >rns. Ahem.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: courier new;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgha1vQbyUI3LHBXt-T_q6XlTfLMy_tLmLuvwakL-tuGZyFP5_z5cpjm6mThieXk0tTtQmpDmwlrRSsUSuqMHin4voQeWbT5-oB9V-LuygLfNpUx3jlutx6aEcr_5Ks5zh_H24MhXz1ql/s1600/muslin1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 348px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgha1vQbyUI3LHBXt-T_q6XlTfLMy_tLmLuvwakL-tuGZyFP5_z5cpjm6mThieXk0tTtQmpDmwlrRSsUSuqMHin4voQeWbT5-oB9V-LuygLfNpUx3jlutx6aEcr_5Ks5zh_H24MhXz1ql/s400/muslin1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633872701257622498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >It did take me two attempts to get the pattern correct, but that was most likely due to my poor math skills than anything else.</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"> </span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >The top I draped from scratch, which took </span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >tome trial and error, and I think it should turn out well with the actual fabric.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >Transitioning from the top to the skirt should prove interesting, as I plan to avoid a seam along the underbust.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;">I started sculpting the jewelry and gems this evening, and am planning to do a better job of casting this year. I learned a lot last time around, and sprung for a silicone mold kit to help make the process a bit easier.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: courier new;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25HpeetPgOWVCb24P2hSWgON4Vz7xppdGUermdl71yW1CaVXDIilbBDGfbvSTHvyqLQEZs3l5ITXrubT3wksT7xESCXWWafZG-s0ZZx_qOox6CcnAeCgXoHtKgCvc8164dsX1xaxV7M07/s1600/jewelry072611.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25HpeetPgOWVCb24P2hSWgON4Vz7xppdGUermdl71yW1CaVXDIilbBDGfbvSTHvyqLQEZs3l5ITXrubT3wksT7xESCXWWafZG-s0ZZx_qOox6CcnAeCgXoHtKgCvc8164dsX1xaxV7M07/s400/jewelry072611.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633874461686792514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">I'm using <a href="http://www.avesstudio.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=28&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1">Apoxie Sculpt</a> because a prop maker I greatly admire, <a href="http://volpinprops.blogspot.com/">Volpin Props</a>, uses it. The clay is workable for two to three hours, sandable once it's dry, and can adhere to just about anything. I am looking forward to seeing how well the clay does with a mold. I'll just have to wait and see for myself how it fares with being sanded and covered in silicone.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: courier new;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJlFH1h_zqT6D7nvU_5dQPQ91lzqWKCc20hto4V_Gaib_8kyVcBCgHZSXfgE60CVaNPsWfTOXAaYjSBM_R1GKK3XqcKcvcckF61c-u_263W5Q5Qv78Z4h_deV0BK7ng5ekzp2C_tWyY9D/s1600/jewelry072611.jpg"><br /></a>Lonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075212489141311187.post-35668002960590700122011-05-26T19:02:00.022-05:002011-05-26T20:02:32.413-05:00Blizzcon 2010 recap<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxR3fgVui6Fot9TB-9B-Wo5mNscFxuos8f-RDPPPQaRSwrW7gcLsCIjNpnMqTIwtLMglCINS7CSs_mGCkEYdb75Or5er8seMYmYyzeWUc8K_B_axbjjJZXXV7Q_xhQ0fffqQl58z0myH2p/s1600/IMG_8548.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 272px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxR3fgVui6Fot9TB-9B-Wo5mNscFxuos8f-RDPPPQaRSwrW7gcLsCIjNpnMqTIwtLMglCINS7CSs_mGCkEYdb75Or5er8seMYmYyzeWUc8K_B_axbjjJZXXV7Q_xhQ0fffqQl58z0myH2p/s400/IMG_8548.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611183803169404674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >A lot has happened since I started this</span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" > blog. </span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >I successf</span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >ully </span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >completed my first cosplay and attended my first Blizzcon. I</span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >t was a blast, and I am </span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >definitely </span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >looking forward to this year's costume build and spending some quality time with the other dedicated</span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" > cosplayers at Blizzcon this October.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >I unfortunately did not end up with any more progress photos after what I have posted already. My camera </span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >died and I was w</span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >orking </span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >long hours after work every night to get my </span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >costume completed in time.<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: courier new;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0G95XgtmcEdOTbowXph9uHW3f3ZB_51RjPrmeuXzbL6ZBgUEHGzTJoYKG0CozdWjb3Bm-GedR4QU4XwjoZ76xqm2LUjPnijEF3VeZlwYKcx53AzOMWzDL1pk9-xAHiEDKYq2-ktjIJ7Yx/s1600/IMG_8522.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0G95XgtmcEdOTbowXph9uHW3f3ZB_51RjPrmeuXzbL6ZBgUEHGzTJoYKG0CozdWjb3Bm-GedR4QU4XwjoZ76xqm2LUjPnijEF3VeZlwYKcx53AzOMWzDL1pk9-xAHiEDKYq2-ktjIJ7Yx/s400/IMG_8522.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611182776060824066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I do, however, have photos of the end product as well as some of the people I met at Blizzcon 201</span><span style="font-family: courier new;font-family:courier new;" >0.</span> <span style="font-family:courier new;">I met a lot of amazing </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">cosplayers, many of them druids. Here's </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">a photo of me standing with one. I remember following her cosp</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">lay.com thread about building Atiesh, and was excited to see the final product in person.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family:courier new;">It's really amazing to be</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> surrounded by such creative people who love making costumes. These are my people, and Blizzcon was such a blast</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">.</span> <span style="font-family:courier new;">The community </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">there was really something special.</span><br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3jI-pVBMgXW4-7EYbl59SPVy5uv2XN7T2AX8kTYUnSg4hOjRr90MvFTNzyMk3CO5R0XTnXEE4BaxdLPhzjVxAakuWg3ovhd_K8lhxqLQCesIhOB7iXwCQv7nzXKNSTVfVmsrjHniv5DL/s1600/IMG_8694.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 272px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3jI-pVBMgXW4-7EYbl59SPVy5uv2XN7T2AX8kTYUnSg4hOjRr90MvFTNzyMk3CO5R0XTnXEE4BaxdLPhzjVxAakuWg3ovhd_K8lhxqLQCesIhOB7iXwCQv7nzXKNSTVfVmsrjHniv5DL/s400/IMG_8694.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611184852785488066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">A huge photoshoot was set up (I believe by Pocket of <a href="http://theoriginalpocket.com/">http://t</a></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><a href="http://theoriginalpocket.com/">heoriginalpocket.com/</a>) and we all </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">crowded together for a group picture. There were several photographers and it was a great chance to see all of the costumes I didn't get a chance to view in the main hall.<br /><br />I got a few good photos with Auriaya and the troll I met earlier, and spent some time hanging out with a few druids.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">After </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXF_zlUHv9-4NtdNjXUvgORfnXz3j3PgWsTDrf5mPS2FZo5HrCZAzxhSYhcjs8RAqHfZaDdOKMXiIS0qp45y2ayp797GCLdMnhgVgWWPwHNFr1pZSY3AV_cqKiw5XU9Z46haqNCEHM-jVp/s1600/IMG_8563.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXF_zlUHv9-4NtdNjXUvgORfnXz3j3PgWsTDrf5mPS2FZo5HrCZAzxhSYhcjs8RAqHfZaDdOKMXiIS0qp45y2ayp797GCLdMnhgVgWWPwHNFr1pZSY3AV_cqKiw5XU9Z46haqNCEHM-jVp/s400/IMG_8563.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611187530784433298" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">the photoshoot, I ran into another druid! I can imagine how hot this costume must have been, but mad props to whoever built/wore that Tree costume. Poor thing was mobbed any time I saw him/her, with requests for pictures.<br /><br />The costume contest/parade was a lot of fun, but sitting backstage for hours was not something I had prepared for. This year I am definitely making a costume that is properly weighted. I had issues with my shoulder armor being too heavy, large, and awkward which made the whole ordeal much less fun than it could have been.<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJy3RdPlCw3_yOHwbnh6N2qwMLCSOqAeb1O9y9K4qBAsvd7hAdAWhOPv9KHeJKocJ_2ZZB7H4TbMR1YJiXoBKZ-TslIeuLLyRv_4u1sbfTbriSyTdCijnv8YG6-xOp3SLdtqLtm6hnneK/s1600/IMG_8844.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 251px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJy3RdPlCw3_yOHwbnh6N2qwMLCSOqAeb1O9y9K4qBAsvd7hAdAWhOPv9KHeJKocJ_2ZZB7H4TbMR1YJiXoBKZ-TslIeuLLyRv_4u1sbfTbriSyTdCijnv8YG6-xOp3SLdtqLtm6hnneK/s400/IMG_8844.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611190591288755154" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">So</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">, if you are planning to enter the </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">costume contest for the first time - Be Warned! You will have to do a lot of standing in one place.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">While in line I met a bunch of people who </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">had not been at the fountain photoshoot, including the contest winner D3 Monk <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ZerinaCosplay">ZerinaX</a> as well as a Diablo Barbarian. It was a great experience, and after the contest I ran into one of my favorite costumes I'd seen the whole day. Professor Putricide! Seriously, how awesome is he? Only the awesomest.<br /><br />Blizzcon was super fun times, I got to meet some of my guildmates and a ton of amazing cosplayers, and I get to go again this year!<br /><br />I will be updating here more often with progress now that I've started working on my day 2 costume. If you're thinking about wearing a costume to Blizzcon, I highly suggest you think about joining the Aspects of Awesome burlesque/steamy dragonflight/NPC group for day two.<br /></span>Lonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075212489141311187.post-79068009227684587632011-05-23T17:18:00.004-05:002011-05-23T17:21:26.428-05:00Blizzcon!<span style="font-family:courier new;">Well, I still owe you the rest of my Druid Tier 5 progress (which will be posted in the near future) and a Blizzcon 2010 writeup (which will include many photos).. but I will be starting again soon on a costume for Blizzcon 2011! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I just wanted to say that I'm not dead yet, and I am looking forward to a rockin' time this year. Last year was a blast!</span>Lonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075212489141311187.post-13048483471413455532010-09-27T20:13:00.015-05:002010-09-27T21:23:53.939-05:00Wildfury Greatstaff - Complete! Shoulders progress and more.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBoMBP-TlY-MPPRYCiMxM1HVGArs2dwir1k614-XVbd9KRWAB2XPssXDfvOU9KOCEoMHawvk_QzEW8P1oDMUf3mFoxdxEaiovxfTFy7i_uJqKLTuNFRGItKpDNgjGfhF-r01ZSGvWMn5z/s1600/staff44.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBoMBP-TlY-MPPRYCiMxM1HVGArs2dwir1k614-XVbd9KRWAB2XPssXDfvOU9KOCEoMHawvk_QzEW8P1oDMUf3mFoxdxEaiovxfTFy7i_uJqKLTuNFRGItKpDNgjGfhF-r01ZSGvWMn5z/s400/staff44.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521783412547630178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">It's been another month since my last update, although I have been getting a lot done in the past week. The staff is finally finished! I may go back and add a leaf to hang with the straps, if I end up having time for that.</span> <span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /><br />The straps are made of cotton strips that I sewed together to make tubes, which were ironed flat along the seams. They are attached by hand, and sewn to the unpainted green band.<br /><br />The design is painted on with acrylic paint. I do not recommend painting acrylic onto cotton, it takes several coats and can be difficult to keep fluid and consistent.<br /><br />There are fabric paints available at most craft stores, don't be a baddie like me.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">==================================================================<br /><br />The next big </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">item I have to build is the shoulder armor. I am using a similar process as the staff - build it up with a foam base and cover in paper-mache.</span> <span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZ-nkPmFy6qWRdiXMqAEVRIRHnhVmFS1wqkD_uOVsvANSHf5LtVEbpJ6Ry5S6hbRCcCJfTqmGYpFW64G9C1OavEdV2T-Nwl-01WR7RTyzwJfkzDC5U5O5kuo_OyvsjEWeN0wVcUeojCQp/s1600/shoulders14.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZ-nkPmFy6qWRdiXMqAEVRIRHnhVmFS1wqkD_uOVsvANSHf5LtVEbpJ6Ry5S6hbRCcCJfTqmGYpFW64G9C1OavEdV2T-Nwl-01WR7RTyzwJfkzDC5U5O5kuo_OyvsjEWeN0wVcUeojCQp/s400/shoulders14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521768685616516674" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">Here you can see them with the </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">first layer. I'll have to go back over once o</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">r twice more just so there's enough to sand without going through to the foam underneath. </span> <span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /><br />The raised area in the middle of each piece will have a gem inserted, with an LED and battery pack so it glows.</span> <span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /><br />My first attempt at casting gemstones was Friday night, and they didn't turn out too badly considering the fact that the mold is made out of paper and tape.</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">I used theproplady's </span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/theproplady#p/u/5/3a7VVHJ6Jhw">resin gemmaking tutorial</a><span style="font-family:courier new;"> over on youtube</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">, which are quite helpful. She has several videos about casting your own ge</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">ms, so check them out!<br /><br />The tape I used must have not been the right kind of plastic, or I must not have added enough catalyst into my resin mixture, because the resulting gems were still tacky after several hours drying.<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLGnR0j0sUTr1VYtL38nDyUCYWfo_hk2U_QmG08xwUYtoa0Zmru9yDwCcFGETk0Vzv8xkVbOv2PlgD0uiEEvTdU2L-uU7OYhloz-zE45ktgAY0dKAdzf8iKKmZ1sRBliV2VH9I-go9bkL/s1600/gemcasting_collage1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLGnR0j0sUTr1VYtL38nDyUCYWfo_hk2U_QmG08xwUYtoa0Zmru9yDwCcFGETk0Vzv8xkVbOv2PlgD0uiEEvTdU2L-uU7OYhloz-zE45ktgAY0dKAdzf8iKKmZ1sRBliV2VH9I-go9bkL/s400/gemcasting_collage1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521772499850145602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;"> I used 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper to sand the gems in the hopes the left over tackiness will disappear. I will probably still need to use a plastic polish to hide the sandpaper scuffs and make the gems shine.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">The large gem in the middle is the only one that has been sanded so far, the other two feel like Jolly Ranc</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">hers. Ick!<br /><br />I may also end up re-casting them if I can get a decent mold out of either alginate or plaster-of-paris.<br /><br />Making your own mold out of paper and tape is incredibly tedious and difficult to do well if you have difficulty making patterns for geometric shapes.<br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />==================================================================<br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />I started working on the ears I'll need to go with my costume. I could have bought a pair of ears and saved myself some time and effort, but this is something I've always wanted to try. They'll fit better this way, too (in theory).<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLLi9JVEwJqIgststU2xmUPJLv_cvROugJX5WreF7_CRbmDz5n3JrS2ED7VqOFgRvyXDK-GCI_dKEe2Z1uMB8hZHKJyTKskgz7gt8OSXNyKP_NjtMIW2zQ66WXvbowag6vB0ijcph5D_3/s1600/ears_collage1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 365px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLLi9JVEwJqIgststU2xmUPJLv_cvROugJX5WreF7_CRbmDz5n3JrS2ED7VqOFgRvyXDK-GCI_dKEe2Z1uMB8hZHKJyTKskgz7gt8OSXNyKP_NjtMIW2zQ66WXvbowag6vB0ijcph5D_3/s400/ears_collage1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521774301511607442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">I found the <a href="http://www.scendan.com/lotrears.html">How to make Hobbit Ears</a> tutorial and have followed their instructions up to the sculpt step.<br /><br />I used alginate mold material and plaster-of-paris mix from my local Dick Blick. Both have worked well so far, although the dental-grade alginate has been damp to the touch, even after it has hardened, like it sweats. I have no idea why the alginate does this.<br /><br />Regardless, I was able to get nice plaster casts from the molds I made.<br /><br />I cut two lengths of wire, one for each ear, and rigged a wire support/armature to build the modeling clay around. I will likely add a wire into each finished prosthetic ear, to keep them from sagging.<br /><br />There is still a bit of work to do on sculpting the ears to my satisfaction and making them as symmetrical as possible, but they are fairly evenly proportioned and decent enough for about 5 hours of work.<br /></span>Lonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075212489141311187.post-78815972970277918302010-08-03T02:26:00.023-05:002010-08-03T03:29:02.965-05:00Wildfury Greatstaff [So close!] and more!<span style="font-family:courier new;">There has been much painting over the last week, but the process has been slow-going due to high humidity (sidenote: there needs to be an acrylic paint that dr</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">ies the same no matter the humidity *shakes</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> fist* as I am tired of waiting 15-30 minutes between coats).<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: courier new;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7fjRnl4z7Cn6HQza01xL1lQnZcjJ1E8q-Z6FI9qtfolY9b-KZ5rOGBcbpzic0o20VMsxaPCgHtXIpMIR8T8FaohTxMdcUTV_LC00mPM89XUzqObsQSUprnw2_FSzvx1F39v3-5GcWbLn/s1600/staff_collage7.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7fjRnl4z7Cn6HQza01xL1lQnZcjJ1E8q-Z6FI9qtfolY9b-KZ5rOGBcbpzic0o20VMsxaPCgHtXIpMIR8T8FaohTxMdcUTV_LC00mPM89XUzqObsQSUprnw2_FSzvx1F39v3-5GcWbLn/s400/staff_collage7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501083320532940162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">I finished putting on </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">the g</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">esso primer and painting the base green for the staff ends, as well as adding most of the details. Looking back, the most challenging part of this was the gradient green-to-light-green on the crest. That was a royal pain, as I have not worked with ac</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">rylics seriously for about 6 years. Here are the results!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;">The left image is a rough</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> lay-in of where the gradient should be, and I worked with it for what seemed like hours until it was to</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> my satisfaction. </span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />The image on the right shows the top and bottom sections, the top with runes painted on (I may end up going back in to give them more depth; a carved-in appearance, but only if I end up with extra time) and the bottom before runes.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">The bottom was much less of a headac</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">he because </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">it did not </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">require any difficult painting technique, just one solid color for each design.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QVrQyNRycn936RDFpzBBvFF2uY-F1XHen4AZmQ6pSjMU7379UDL9ZOpW0f7Pm-TH-gbTyh8LCQhZuSvbPMYdDLRIMUZ3_2P6Dl_fPYljYodYWKKxgR0HAikz0UDGX1IGqDWUQbKrxiFe/s1600/staff_compare1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 472px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QVrQyNRycn936RDFpzBBvFF2uY-F1XHen4AZmQ6pSjMU7379UDL9ZOpW0f7Pm-TH-gbTyh8LCQhZuSvbPMYdDLRIMUZ3_2P6Dl_fPYljYodYWKKxgR0HAikz0UDGX1IGqDWUQbKrxiFe/s400/staff_compare1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501088523403122418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">Here it is in all its wonderfully difficult to photograph glory!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;">I still need to decide whether I want to paint the last green band on the staff's head and attach a feather separately, or attach a fabric band so I can include the feather that way. I also still need to sew the two fabric loops to attach on the head of the staff as well - but that requires fabric hunting - and that will need to wait for a few more weeks until I no longer require a boot on my nearly-healed foot.<br /><br />Fortunately, the bulk of this prop is complete. I just n</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">e</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">ed to finish up those tidbits and give it a nice matte clear coat and I can mark the Wildfury Greatstaff off the to-do list! I will be glad to have it finished so I can focus on the massive amount of work I have yet to complete before this costume is ready to be worn.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />====================================================================<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeaZmLuXjWF__xzJWYOokqvrbTX1W17U2Zx7hJW3SFp25FdndRspH1RiwQelYxd-r2CBi_-hL0YKW9-3vpgMJaJ-mdhOjfF-u0BA-aUiG6rzYkP4DE_vfdQ-f7-2Pn9NpCKBts4uO7xUS/s1600/nordrassil_mantle.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 342px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeaZmLuXjWF__xzJWYOokqvrbTX1W17U2Zx7hJW3SFp25FdndRspH1RiwQelYxd-r2CBi_-hL0YKW9-3vpgMJaJ-mdhOjfF-u0BA-aUiG6rzYkP4DE_vfdQ-f7-2Pn9NpCKBts4uO7xUS/s400/nordrassil_mantle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501091940063496258" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The next item up for construction is the Nordrassil Mantle, or the costume's shoulder armor. These will probably be the most time-co</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">nsuming items I have to construct </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">due to the nature of armor found in World of Warcraft (the bigger the shoulders, the more important the character - ha).<br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /></span><a style="font-family: courier new;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/dream_of_crows/Druid%20Tier%205%20-%20Blizzcon%202010/shoulders_collage1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 605px;" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/dream_of_crows/Druid%20Tier%205%20-%20Blizzcon%202010/shoulders_collage1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">I started with a cardboard base, cut and taped until I got a shape that fit the item's base model, and covered it in a few layers of pap</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">er mache</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">. I then filled it with expanding insulation foam (so it would not just be hard cardboard against my shoulders. I may also add additional soft foam later if they end up being too hard still, or uncomfortable). Once the foam had dried, I cut away most of the und</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">ers</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">ide.<br /><br />The most time consuming part of this, so far, was making the pattern for the top. Patterns might take a while to get right, but they go a long way toward making your costume awesome. A bad pattern will ruin a costume, promise.<br /><br />Once all the patterning was done and to my liking, I got out the wire mesh. This item is very easy to find in art stores and craft stores, I got mine at Dick Blick. You -can- use the stuff found at stores like Home Depot, but the craft variety is just as expensive, and a heck of a lot easier to work with. I used my crappy scissors to cut the mesh; Please do not use fabric scissors or nice scissors with this stuff - it will make nicks in the blades and turn them into garbage scissors. I bent the sides over to give it shape (and so my fingers would get stabbed less).<br /><br />Cue the expandy-foam, yet again, and you end up with something Cthulhu would likely be proud of (yeah, it's that scary).<br /><br />After it was completely dried I got out my knife and carved the foam to look like my reference image. The best part about using wire mesh with the expanding foam is that if you get to it before the foam is rock-hard you can still bend it! And so I did, since the prongs weren't looking exactly the way I wanted.<br /><br />I'd like to thank masking tape, who has been awesome today, for keeping things where they need to stay and even playing nice with foam. You are the best friend a girl can have.. well, almost.<br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> </span>Lonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075212489141311187.post-24209813176610545362010-07-28T01:41:00.010-05:002010-07-28T02:04:12.719-05:00Wildfury Greatstaff [I'm covered in paint!]<span style="font-family:courier new;">I have been steamrolling right along on this staff, and I am glad to say that the major construction portion is complete! There has been much frustration over getting the faux wood grain to look realistic (because, yes, everything must be perfect and I am a masochist - my back can vouch for that one). Fortunately, I have had success with this endeavor, and have moved on to painting the green top portion of the staff. There was much rejoicing.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: courier new;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKY2goMeboy-h8L0HbGZNUfXvIRmrx-gST3dTDEMJRfrihHGD4k8M7wuaaCHmnOWNM92D6ujbhpKXRfkcq3it9NjIhH_NFWTyUmqwCMh6SmfavSigV2H1W4GuKhjMY_ofneb9YoZv7-xcl/s1600/staff_collage6.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKY2goMeboy-h8L0HbGZNUfXvIRmrx-gST3dTDEMJRfrihHGD4k8M7wuaaCHmnOWNM92D6ujbhpKXRfkcq3it9NjIhH_NFWTyUmqwCMh6SmfavSigV2H1W4GuKhjMY_ofneb9YoZv7-xcl/s400/staff_collage6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498844578142341410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">I pre-mix my (acrylic) colors in recycled tubs - lids are your best friend if you plan to reuse a mixed color. I will be using the same paint on other pieces, so I mixed a lot of paint. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I ended up using 4 different browns to get a wood grain I liked. There were two medium tone browns for the base and basic grain layout, one light honey brown for the highlights and a black-brown for added texture illusion.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I used a mixture of wet and dry brush techniques. Fortunately, I spent my college career in the art and theater departments/classes so I have a lot of experience with painting. This helped immensely, although I know that anyone with enough patience and determination can achieve a nice faux wood grain.<br /><br />The key here is following the brush's lead - don't try to force patterns that the brush isn't interested in executing. It is especially important for 3D projects! The surface isn't flat, it is usually much easier and looks much better if you just put on some good music and go with the flow.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I started with the darker of the two base colors, waited for it to dry, added another layer (the gesso shows through if your paint isn't very opaque), and then started using the side of my brush to lay in the lines. I repeated with highlights, added some medium brown back in where the highlights stood out too much, then went in with the dark brown last to give it some depth. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Another important thing to keep in mind when painting faux wood grain is that you should try to avoid going over highlights with your darker colors. Ideally you want to put darker colors next to the highlights in order to give the texture the illusion of depth. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Once all the wood was painted on I went back over the mess with gesso where I needed to paint in the green, so I would not need as many layers of green paint to cover the wood grain. Currently the crest is painted green all around and tomorrow or the next day it should be getting the shading and pattern painted on.</span>Lonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075212489141311187.post-81756160402395161932010-07-22T17:07:00.015-05:002010-07-22T18:13:41.447-05:00Staff Progress [almost time to paint!]<span style="font-family:courier new;">I swear, I'm not dead. I just broke my foot, so progress on the staff was stalled for about a week. I left off with adding layers of paper mache to the staff, and that's where I continued for another good one or two days (If you happen to be in a dry area, you will have greater success doing more layers of paper mache, but I'm in Illinois and summer gets decently humid so I only got about one each day)<span style="font-family:courier new;">.<br /><br />Once the layers dry completely, it's time for the fun - sanding! I bought three different weights: 100, 150, and 200. I spent a lot of time sanding, and it does make quite a mess, so I was sure to put down a large sheet of paper to catch the dust. I did all of my sanding by hand, as most of the spots are not accessible with an electric sander.<br /></span></span><br /><a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/dream_of_crows/Druid%20Tier%205%20-%20Blizzcon%202010/staff_collage3.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 652px;" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/dream_of_crows/Druid%20Tier%205%20-%20Blizzcon%202010/staff_collage3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">If you remember the reference image, there is an attached crest portion at the head of the staff. I wanted it to be lightweigh</span></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">t but sturdy, so I used leftover soda case cardboard and masking tape to construct the crest.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">I cut out the basic shape and taped a smaller strip of cardboard along the underside. To keep the rigidity of the shape I cut pieces fit to each end and attached them securel<span style="font-family:courier new;">y</span> with masking tape. <span style="font-family:courier new;">Tape is your best </span></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">friend!<br /><br />Once the shape was to my liking I added the tabs (that I later use to attach the crest to the staff head) and went through the paper mache process yet again. After everything was dry I trimmed down the tabs and taped the crest in place on the staff.<br /><br />I bet you can't guess what comes next.. if you guessed paper mache you'd be correct! Oh yes. I am up to my eyeballs in paper strips and flour-paste. The cats love it - they chase the paper all around the house and try to eat the paste when I'm not looking, much to my frustration.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBINtTSqWRdOH-ym3NZ6rgTi8V2DZKBUITU5dtMF4TmYXdjwwAHxK1dxA1TDDocCCE1E4EsdPw0cYqzc7HeTJojmkKpv1W6VukGSTav-sNHLQKHkvH1tcEaRqN828NP30yD9nuXpU6_wkK/s1600/staff_collage4.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBINtTSqWRdOH-ym3NZ6rgTi8V2DZKBUITU5dtMF4TmYXdjwwAHxK1dxA1TDDocCCE1E4EsdPw0cYqzc7HeTJojmkKpv1W6VukGSTav-sNHLQKHkvH1tcEaRqN828NP30yD9nuXpU6_wkK/s400/staff_collage4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496862051992871314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">More layers of paper mache are placed on the staff to cover the tape and keep everything stuck together. Once that task has be</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">en completed, the next step is more sanding. It is important to make a smooth surface for painting on later in the process, so I was sure to be thorough with my sanding.<br /><br /><br />Once the staff was free of paper mache lines and creases, and shaped to my liking, I went back and cut through the joints. For ease of use while building and attaching the crest, I didn't cover over the joints until after I had attached the pieces. Finding the right place to cut through was half guess and half luck; I'm going to say I was rather lucky on this front. I did miss the first time, but since I used a very thin blade, the spot in which I attempted to locate the metal screw is not very noticeable. I had very few rough edges from using such a thin blade, but I did one pass with a fine grain sandpaper to make sure I had not missed anything.<br /><br />That is where I left off until this afternoon. Today I am in the process of priming the staff to be painted. </span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFYxPTrvm0wiEF3J1v9qsLSuRMHl6OnY8Z-j3LUjnGx-L_s0YRR3to4W3cjgOQLYmlBvqyI7FZTgYNNthaP03PizctLldm8LAyCYTt5InE8EYPNSM11ZoOA62uwkorAFwN0-7VTfEIvQK/s1600/staff_collage5.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 351px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFYxPTrvm0wiEF3J1v9qsLSuRMHl6OnY8Z-j3LUjnGx-L_s0YRR3to4W3cjgOQLYmlBvqyI7FZTgYNNthaP03PizctLldm8LAyCYTt5InE8EYPNSM11ZoOA62uwkorAFwN0-7VTfEIvQK/s400/staff_collage5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496865030650866402" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">Before I started, I sanded the staff once more time for good measure. </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">One thing to be careful of, however, is over-sanding. If you sand too much, you risk pulling up a layer or layers of paper. I had a couple small spots with this, but they were easily trimmed off and sanded smooth.<br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />After the surface looked smooth and free of rips, wrinkles, or tears I got out the gesso.<br /><br />For anyone who is wondering what the heck gesso is; Gesso is a painting supply which can be found at most art stores. It is basically a primer. One does not necessarily NEED gesso, but it is definitely recommended. It gives a nice solid base on which to paint and it helps to keep some paints from bleeding through. I am not sure how well the paints I plan to use will work on paper mache as a base, so I opt to use gesso.<br /><br />That is all the progress I have to share at this point, but I do hope to start painting soon. The staff will probably end up with two coats of gesso before it gets any paint.</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /></span></span>Lonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075212489141311187.post-59159004953386369002010-06-15T15:27:00.013-05:002010-06-15T16:58:44.318-05:00Staff Progress<span style="font-family:courier new;">I have been blazing right along with the construction on this project.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Yesterday </span><a style="font-family: courier new;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/dream_of_crows/Druid%20Tier%205%20-%20Blizzcon%202010/staff_collage2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 450px;" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/dream_of_crows/Druid%20Tier%205%20-%20Blizzcon%202010/staff_collage2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">I left off with filling in air bubbles.<br /><br />The </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">next step is to decide the length of each segment. I am flying out to Blizzcon, so my props and costumes need to fit into my luggage. The standard for carry-on luggage is 45 linear inches, and I know my suitcase is 21 inches in length, so each section is approximately 20 inches without hardware.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Once everything has been measured I cut and sand the edges, then drill pilot holes for my bolt hangers and insert nuts. These will be used to attach the sections into one whole, sturdy piece.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">After the hardware is installed, I glue cardboard platforms onto the ends to keep foam from covering my connectors. I cut these into the desired shape, they are useful as a guide while carving as well as a way to keep your hardware from getting covered with foam.<br /><br />The next step is to paper-mache over the foam base. I used brown butcher paper torn into strips with 3/4 cup flour and about 1 cup water for the paste. Be sure to only do one layer at a time, and try not to have too much overlap. You must let each layer dry completely before moving on to the next, or your project will risk molding and becoming ruined.<br /><br />I am still in the process of adding layers of paper-mache. It is a slow process, I recommend putting a movie on or listening to a sweet playlist while you work!<br /></span>Lonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075212489141311187.post-78349254967040345022010-06-14T14:04:00.004-05:002010-06-14T18:55:53.675-05:00Wildfury Greatstaff construction<span style="font-family:courier new;">Here are some progress pictures of my Wildfury Greatstaff.<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: courier new;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/dream_of_crows/Druid%20Tier%205%20-%20Blizzcon%202010/staff_collage1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 372px; height: 650px;" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/dream_of_crows/Druid%20Tier%205%20-%20Blizzcon%202010/staff_collage1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:courier new;">I started with a cardboard base for the curved shape of the staff head. One piece of thin cardboard was not enough, so I attached another with masking tape.<br /><br />The staff needs to be sturdy, so I cut into the dowel rod with a dremel tool and a hand saw to get a notch deep enough to put the tab into. I secured it with wood glue and put more masking tape on to reinforce the base.<br /><br />Next is the fun part - I used HILTI expanding insulation foam to cover each side of the template. Note: wait for the foam to dry and harden completely before you turn it over to spray the other side.<br /><br />Once the foam is completely dry and hardened, you can begin carving the basic shape. I started off with flat surfaces and then carved into that to give the top a rounded look. I want it to look like the curved section is part of the dowel rod, so I was careful to keep them around the same size.<br /><br /><br />The foam ended up with a few air bubbles, so I went back and filled in the empty spots. Once that is dry I will carve back down to the correct shape and move on to the handle of the staff. As you can see in the reference image at the top, the handle is not straight, so I will be using the insulation foam to imitate the structure.<br /></span>Lonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075212489141311187.post-20079343704275048042010-06-14T13:40:00.002-05:002010-06-14T13:58:01.277-05:00Hello!<span style="font-family:courier new;">Welcome to my blog! I'd like to start off with an introduction. My name is Rachel, I am 26 years old and live in the United States. I have always had an interest in costuming, but this is my first foray into cosplay - and where better to start off than Blizzcon 2010!?<br /><br />I will be keeping track of my work and progress here, and I hope that the information and photos will be helpful to others interested is using similar methods to construct costumes and props.<br /><br />If you have any questions about any of my methods or materials, feel free to leave a comment.<br /><br />And with that out of the way, off we go!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/dream_of_crows/me2009.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/dream_of_crows/me2009.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Lonanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17154904822480732192noreply@blogger.com0