This Friday I have the pleasure of featuring the lovely @nighteyescosplay
Hello everyone Welcome Back to Feature Friday !This time I got a chance to speak to the lovely NighteyesCosplay, She was kind enough to “sit down” and do an interview with me about her experience in the hobby.
as I said before I hope this series inspires you to continue doing what you love.
Also If you don't follow NighteyesCosplay, you totally should she is super talented and sweet. So below I have include links to follow her below.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/nighteyescosplay
Instagram: nighteyescosplay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NightEyesCosplay/?fref=photo
Tumblr: http://nighteyescosplay.tumblr.com
When did you start cosplaying and why?
I started cosplay in 2010, after attending cons for a few years previous. I used to play Legend of the Five Rings, which is a card game kind of like Magic: The Gathering. That got me into the con scene, and after seeing a few people in costumes I realized it was something I really wanted to do. I’d always enjoyed reenacting my favorite movie scenes in costume in my backyard, so it wasn’t a stretch to move from Halloween costumes to making them for a convention!
What’s your favorite thing about cosplay? Now what’s you least favorite thing?
My absolute favorite thing about cosplay is the makeup. I love transforming myself into different characters, and seeing the results in photos, which is my second favorite thing about cosplay.
My least favorite thing is drafting patterns. I taught myself how to sew from scratch, and I also taught myself how to pattern. I still struggle with it today and it is something I dread with every new project. :P
What’s something you enjoy about cosplay besides making / wearing a costume?
As I mentioned earlier, I really love makeup and doing photoshoots. But one thing I’ve come to love about cosplay is storyboarding. I love planning out photos and how they are going to tell a story. I love practicing expressions and poses and really feeling like the character. That has also prompted me to start experimenting behind the camera as a photographer. I’m really new to it, but I love taking pictures so it’s something I see myself exploring more in the future.
Is there something you not confident in now? And what are you doing to try and overcome it? This can be something directly in the hobby of cosplay or something in daily life that carries over to cosplay.
I’d say the one thing I lack confidence in the most is my sewing ability. It really boils down to experience and practice, and I know I’ve improved tremendously over the years, but it is still difficult to see others’ work and not feel like I’m behind. But that’s all part of the learning process, and I focus on challenging myself with each new project and learning new skills as well!
Is there anything you haven’t done because you didn’t have the confidence to do it? This can be a outfit a prop, or anything else.
There are plenty of costumes I have yet to make because my skill level just doesn’t match up yet to do it justice. I have been putting off my Amaterasu cosplay from the video game Okami for almost 5 years now. It’s my dream cosplay, but the way I’ve designed it involves complicated props, armor, and sewing, so it’s something I’m saving for when I know I have the motivation and skill to tackle it properly.
Is there something you weren’t confident in that you are now. How did you overcome it?
I was not confident in my posing AT ALL for photos when I first started cosplaying. Everything felt flat, I couldn’t nail the expressions I wanted to portray for the character, and I often got photos back from photographers that I was extremely unhappy with. I realized that 90% of that unhappiness came from the way I was applying my makeup, so I started with that. Cosplay makeup is extremely different from everyday makeup, so I practiced and practiced until I felt I had a style that worked for my face and for the anime characters I love to cosplay. After that I focused on the posing, and a couple youtube tutorials later I had enough knowledge to apply to any photoshoot setting. Nowadays I spend weeks researching poses and planning photoshoots before I dive into them, and that has helped the outcome tremendously. I am much happier with the photos I get back, and the makeup I’ve been doing recently as well.
Do you have any tips for people who are not confident in maybe abilities i.e. Sewing or Prop making or are dealing with body confidence? Here are some example of topic you can talk about Sewing, Body Image, anything else ….
Whatever it is you aren’t confident about, write it down. In explicit words. Write it in a journal and circle it, make it big and bold. “I am not confident with my sewing skills.” “I am not happy with my body”. Write it down. And promptly throw it in the trash. Cosplay is for everyone. Cosplay is a hobby. Cosplay should always bring you happiness, and encourage you to be the better version of yourself. Now instead, write something like this “I will learn one new sewing technique” or “I will practice posing more”. These are goals, things that can be achieved that you can look back on and say “Wow, I did that. I accomplished that. I see the improvement.” That’s what cosplay is about. Learning to love yourself for who you are, and showing your appreciation for characters by dressing up and parading around a con with your friends. Whatever it is that you don’t feel confident about, make realistic goals pertaining to that thing, and go go go. Take tons of progress photos, no matter how unhappy you are with the outcome of something. Always document your progress. So in six months, a year, 5 years even, you can look back on those photos and marvel at how much you’ve improved. Cosplay has a way of lifting your self-worth and showing you how amazing you really are, you just have to work at it.
Is there anything you have wanted to do in the hobby but haven’t done because you didn’t have the confidence to do it? This can be a outfit a prop, or anything else.
As I mentioned before, I push a lot of cosplays back because I don’t have the skill level to do it yet. But confidence wise, there isn’t anything I’m not ready and willing to tackle. Confidence is relative. As soon as I step into that cosplay, I become that character, and I don’t care how many people have been the character before me, who has done it “better” than me, etc. The point is, I made this thing, I am proud of this thing, and I’m going to rock this thing. The only reason I choose to skip certain cosplays until I feel I can do them well is I don’t want to get too discouraged and quit when it’s just a matter of needing more practice and more experience. I don’t shy away from learning new skills, I hone them with repeated practice until I can say “alright, I know this now. Time to start on that dream cosplay”. You won’t ever truly gain confidence if you refuse to step out of your comfort zone. Go for it, whatever it is, and own it!
And Last but not least are there any cosplayers that inspire you?
In terms of skill and business ethic, Yaya Han and Kamui continue to inspire me every time they post something on Facebook. Those women are so talented and driven, and I aspire to feel the same way about my work. But at the end of the day, my biggest inspirations are my friends. The people I surround myself with in this hobby. Nina, (mangosirene) is my hugest inspiration, and also my best friend. She pushes me on the days when I can’t seem to find any motivation, and I am so incredibly proud of how far she’s come in this hobby. All of my friends encourage me and support me, and they’re all doing so many great things. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who strive to be the best they can while also cheering you on and pushing for your growth, those are the ones worth keeping. And I think you shouldn’t have to look to the stars to find inspiration; it should be no closer than that friend from anime club, or your tumblr pen pal. Inspiration is everywhere, and there are so many talented people in this community!
Now that we have reached the end I wanted to say thank you to Nighteyes for helping with the project and thank everyone else who has supported and helped this project move forward.
ellievsbear
romaincrisis
tangentwithtanner
2087
janainaart
turnnoffyourmind
vaporwave
dailybridgerton
