Glorious Purpose Part 2: Problem Solving
Once I know my purpose and motivation for a cosplay project, I can focus on problem solving.
This involves a lot of daydreaming. I like to think of my own ideas first before seeing what other people have done. For me this involves my own sketches and lists of props with notes about materials. I’ll do some reading about my character and get my own head canon sorted out. Then I try to distill my ideas and pick the most important components for the cosplay build.
I also make a list of what I want to achieve with the cosplay:
What’s the vibe I’m going with the overall costume? What traits to I want this character to exude?
How can I make the costume easy to get on and comfortable to wear?
What do I need to learn?
After I have that first round, I’ll do some research on what other people have done and posted online.
Then it’s back to the drawing board for an iterative brainstorming process again. I try to get a general idea of how I probably could approach a build, and then it’s time for trips to the craft store.
Things I think about when searching for materials:
What kind of patterns could I use as a starting point for this costume?
What fabrics are available? This one is a big deal for me as I’m really picky about how costumes move when I’m wearing them. It’s hard to describe but the weight and play of the costume materials matters to me a lot when it comes to cosplay. The components add up to me, so if I’ve got a less than awesome fabrics, I’m probably not going to love the results as much.
Are there any 3D printed props that I could purchase and save some fabrication time?
What other mediums are involved? This is where a lot of my learning comes in. I’m familiar with sewing and painting, but EVA foam and resin are two areas that I am working on gaining some knowledge. Also I’ve been playing with some polymer clay techniques too.
Other things I think about are quality and budget. I want to end up with a costume that looks great, but also one that lasts. I carefully think about which pieces of the costume will need more frequent washing too since that goes into my material choices also.
Lots of problems to solve for sure, but I just make a list and brainstorm solutions one at a time. That helps me break down a massive cosplay build into manageable pieces that I can knock out one at a time. Okay, enough blogging. It’s crafting time!
