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How to Make Quick and Easy Tattoo Sleeves

Got a cosplay idea but the character has lots of arm (or leg) tattoos? Don’t feel like painting on yourself with body paints or hunting down that horrendously expensive temporary tattoo paper? Here’s a quick tutorial for making tattoo sleeves using nylons and sharpie markers!

Upsides:

- Supplies are cheap! You may even have many or all the supplies you need right at home.

- Quick and not very messy! No paint is involved, and sharpie marker dries instantly.

- Easy! Great artistic skill not required.

- They move with your skin! People have legit thought these were real tattoos. From a distance, yes, but I had guys at cons with actual ink on their arms come over to compliment on my full (fake) sleeves.

- You get to eat pringles! More on that later.

Downsides:

- They are delicate. Nylons get holes in them super easy and forearms run into stuff, lean against things, and generally make it hard for the sleeves to survive. But if you only need them for a weekend, that’s ok.

- I haven’t experimented too much, but unfortunately this technique probably doesn’t work for wearers with darker skin tones. Sharpie ink is transparent, so any color it rests on just multiplies and the tattoo won’t show up very well. You’ll want to go the fabric paint or body paint route to get the best bold, bright tats.

- Can’t do white sections, because sharpie ink is transparent and doesn’t come in white. I leave them blank and they read OK, but the white areas will always be pink, tan, brown, etc. unless you dab in a little fabric paint, which will not be covered in this tutorial.

- Sharpie is supposed to be permanent marker, but on skin…it’s not. The ink will most likely wear off onto adjacent clothes. Not that big of a deal for me, as I tend to wear my tats with white shirts that can be bleached, but other shirts may not survive as well.

OK, let’s go! Here are your supplies:

You’ll need a pair of nylons, scissors, tape, a set of sharpies, your designs printed out on 8.5 x 11 paper, some bracelets, and a can of Pringles. You can use any design you want, of course, but Here is the link to these fine Newt Kaiju tattoo designs.

If your nylons have an undies part, cut the legs off and wear the undies on your head for the rest of the tutorial, if desired. Put the legs on your arm like so, and cut the toes off so you can slip your hand through. You can cut some of the top of the sleeve off as well, but don’t cut too much because you can’t put it back on if your sleeves are too short.

Here are my creepy sleeves. Now for the pringles.

Tape your design template to the Pringles can. It doesn’t reach all the way around but eh. The Pringles can gives you a nice stable surface to draw on that is roughly the shape and size of an arm. It’s a little short, so just roll up the rest of the nylon above the workspace and adjust both template and nylon down when you get to working on that part of the sleeve.

Color with the markers! I recommend doing the colored areas first and then doing the black outlines on top of it, to avoid the black ink contaminating the ink pads of the lighter markers. Remember how that always happens to the yellow ones? Eww. Nylons are thin and slide around a bit, so it’s best to use short strokes and dotting to get the ink on.

Take the template off the Pringles tube, flip the paper to the blank side and put it back on again. The paper collects the extra ink, so it’s hard to see any missed spots. Now you can see any bits you may have missed. Fill them in for completion. Also, the paper doesn’t manage to wrap all the way around the Pringles can, so now is the time to free-hand a bit of the design where the template doesn’t reach. For Newt tattoos, that’s the back of the arm.

When you’re all done coloring, put them on!

There’s a rough end to the tattoo right at the wrist, of course. Disguise where the sleeve ends and your skin begins with some pretty bracelets:

There we are, much better!

Now…you’re done! Have some Pringles!

shinierchrystal

SLAMS THE REBLOG BUTTON

That’s awesome!

that’s really neat.

vague post

eh y’know just kinda

y’know

Some Allen walker costesting

#Allen walker #dgreyman

Theme update!!

hey guys i am going to get a lot more active on here, feel free to check out my page so you can see what i’m going to be getting up to!

#gonna be more active on here danget #especially as con season 2017 approaches #and i have a LOT of plans

i also promised @sedirktive a suga test, so even tho im shit at male contouring still, here it is i guess?? I didnt do my brows this time because its fucking 3am rn and im not about to cover my brows at 3am, and i need a binder still but you gotta start somewhere right?

#my cosplay #sedirktive #suga #sugawara koushi #kōshi sugawara #haikyuu!!#haikyū!!#haikyuu!! cosplay #plz forgive my shitty first attempts

its been a while since i posted anything, and i’m doing a lot of stuff tonight so! a Vris test uvu

#my cosplay #vriska #vriska serket #humanstuck #human vriska #homestuck #homestuck cosplay #yeah i know i'm still going at it #this was entertaning though #and i worked rlly hard in that lip

cosplaytutorial

EVA Foam Breastplate Tutorial

Tutorial by Kinpatsu-Cosplay Tutorial Link: http://kinpatsu-cosplay.deviantart.com/art/EVA-Foam-Breastplate-Tutorial-503414337

#help

zifelline

Sorry this isn’t super pretty, I’m not used to making tutorials! I’m also not very experienced with wig styling. This was my first time doing something like this. I could be breaking a bunch of weird wig rules. You can find more helpful how-to’s if you search for “foam core wig” or “foam armature wig” tutorials. There are some really detailed ones out there. I hope this sheds a little light on the process!

#help

weeablo

Tips for working with foam!

So for cosplay, one thing commonly used to make armor, weapons, etc. is foam sheets like these ones (usually find these at the hardware store)

or thin craft foam like these (easy to find at almost any craft store)

now i realize we talk about these a lot and that it’s pretty common knowledge to cosplayers around the world that this stuff is great but hey i figured i’d show you exactly what i’m talking about

ANYWAY here are some easy tricks that it took us a while to figure out when using foam for cosplay crafting

1) USE HEAT GUN! IT’S SUPER EFFECTIVE!

(this one here is a regular craft one but you can also buy the ones that are more industrial power tools)

these are great for working with foam for a few reasons. first, they gently melt the top layer of the foam to make it less absorbent and less textured (it melts all the little teeny bubbles in the foam, making it smooth). this is important for if you want to paint your foam and/or make it look metallic. second, it also works great for bending foam and having it keep its shape. if you run your heat gun over it for a bit and then hold it in a specific shape until it cools down it will hold the new shape but still be malleable (this works especially well with regular thin craft foam; the thicker you go the more times you have to repeat the process to get it to stick.

2) GO CRAZY WITH THE POWER TOOLS

we’ve found it SUPER useful to use our bench grinder

and a handheld dremmel tool with a sanding tip like this

these are a great way to smooth edges and shape foam. box cutters and x-acto knives tend to leave a really rough edge so to clean that up you hit it with either of these to smooth it out and shape it (**or round edges**). the dremmel also was great for helping weather things by grinding and denting it.

3) PLASTI-DIP IS BEAUTIFUL!

this stuff works great to give your foam a smooth, hard surface. it makes the foam less squishy and gives it that authentic metallic texture. AND its a great way to prime pieces for the real paint (especially if you’re using colored foam).

edit: also this plasti dip stuff helps a lot to keep your pieces more resilient. this way when your wearing/using them, and you knock into something, it wont dent as easily.

And the great thing is all of these (excluding the bench grinder and besides a dremmel works just as well it’s just smaller) can be found at a local craft or hardware store no problem so enjoy your beautiful creations :)

#help

aicosu

What kind of paint do you guys use to repaint props to look like metal? Every paint that I've tried so far flakes off of everything!

MONTANA GOLD SPRAY PAINTS ARE MY LORD AND SAVIOR

THEIR METALLICS ARE THE BEST METALLICS!!!

ALL MY PROPS ARE THISSSSSSS

#help

lunaticcosplay

Multi-Wing Tutorial

So this past Anime Expo, I was constantly asked how I made/rigged up my wings for my Seraphim cosplay. I thought I’d write up how I went about making it for cosplayers who’s characters have multiple sets of wings, such as Angewomon, Lilith from trinity blood, and the like.

(photo source x)

These are the supplies you’ll need (*will vary; this is what I used for 6 wings):

*x6 3/4″ PVC pipe

12″x12″ 6mm sintra board

1 flag pole bracket

*1 roll of packing foam (mine was 12″x50′)

thin/cheap fabric or whatever you want to use as a skeleton

super glue/epoxy

hot glue gun and loads of glue sticks

heavy duty fishing line

6″ seperating zipper

canvas/duct fabric

heat gun

dremel tool with a drill bit, rotary saw attachment, and sanding bit

screwdriver

exacto knife/box cutter

self healing cutting mat/cutting board

scissors

fray check

zipties (I used 10 of the 12″)

reference pictures!

***I would like to say ahead of time that these are literally my first set of big wings and that they were made with loads of mistakes. I hope you will take this rough design and improve on it! ***

The very first thing I did was cut out hundreds of feathers. I made 4 templates of varying sizes, and cut the entire roll of foam into feathers. It took a lot of time, but I think the result was totally worth it.

^ I had an entire packing box full by the time I was done, this was tray one.

I forgot to take photos of heat forming my PVC to shape, but it’s pretty straight forward. I matched up the ends of the pipe that would fit into my flag pole bracket, and drilled 2 sets of holed in each pipe. The first set towards the top of the bracket, and the second at the base. I did this so that at the end when I ziptied everything together it would be super, super sturdy.

After the frame was shaped, I laid it over some cheap fabric and traced out the basic shape of the wing. I cut 2 of each shape, glued it to the PVC frame with hot glue!

I also apparently forgot to take photos while gluing on feathers, but this is the diagram I used as reference.

I tried to do a mix between what’s anatomically correct and the design, so the feathers are actually overlapped in the reverse of the above image. If that makes sense?

Now onto the harness for your wings. Because I had so many wings, I wanted the weight to be distributed to my hips instead of my back. However, the costume design wouldn’t allow for a typical corset harness. I opted out for a sort of belt harness instead. It was actually really comfortably and you honestly didn’t feel the wings at all.

I took a 12″ square of 6mm thick sintra and cut it into a 5″ width band diagonally. I also trimmed the sharp corners.

Find your center, and line up the end of your bracket. I traced it out with a pen, and also marked where I’ll be drilling holes for the screws (included with bracket)

Now, taking one of the corners you cut off trace the bottom of your bracket a second time. I felt doubling up added extra support, and also helped the screws lay flush with the board. At this point in time you should have 2 pieces of sintra and your bracket.

Drill your holes, and glue your smaller piece of sintra to your band. Take extra care in lining up your holes, the super glue bond is ridiculously strong so take your time. Then screw in your bracket.

Next you’re going to heat up your sintra and form it to your hips! If you think you need help, get help! I didn’t have any trouble doing it by myself though. When you’re done, you should end up with a little something like this.

You’re almost there! Next you need to make a casing for your sintra/bracket combo. What is a casing? Well in this case it’s a band of canvas that encases your sintra and allows you to wear it as a belt!

Measure the width of your sintra and double it, add 1″ for seam allowance. As for the length you’ll be using your waist measurements, add another 1″ or two as you’ll be sewing in a zipper. Sorry I did this all very last minute and forgot to take photos of this part. You’re going to align your bracket with your casing and cut out a notch for it. Go over the cut with fray check. Place your casing over your sintra, fold in the raw edges, and sew! Do a test fit before sewing in your zipper to determine how tight is tight enough, remember you’ll have a little bit of weight pulling it back. When you’re done it should look like this.

I don’t have any picture of when I ziptied each wing in but this is how it went down: 4 of your PVC pipes are going to fit in the bracket. It’s going to be a very tight squeeze, but you’ll get them in there. The other two will be straddling the side of the bracket. Do not fret though, thanks to the holes you drilled prior, they will be on there and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Now here is a word of caution, I trimmed the ends of my zipties, but two or three ended up digging into my back and I ended up tearing myself up pretty bad. So, if you’re going to trim your ends be sure they are 1″ or shorter.

Here is the other thing, my wings were a hot mess when I got to the con. They were dropping and darn near the saddest thing I have ever seen, ever. After stopping at the repair center the problem was fixed with cord, but I would suggest using fishing line.

(photo source)

The green line is where the harness is, the blue dashed and straight lines are the cord. Blue dashed lines mean it goes under something else. Basically, the top set of wings got holes punched under the PVC frame, so that the weight is supported. It’s then strung around my shoulders, and tied around the bracket, then back over my ribs, and again around the bracket, and tied off. It didn’t cut off any circulation, and was surprisingly comfortable! However, as this was an emergency fix I wasn’t thrilled. Looking back I wish I had fishing line, but that’s what I’ll use the next time.

That’s about it, sorry for any typos/grammatical mistakes. If I missed something or you have questions please feel free to ask. Hope this was helpful, and good luck cosplaying!

#help

nimbus-makes-shit

Using Chrome Vinyl automobile wrap for Cosplay Armor

It’s called Chrome Vinyl, and it’s a metallic wrap used for automobiles.

There’s a cosplayer who’s already made a basic tutorial for what it is and how to use it here: http://calgarycosplay.deviantart.com/art/Cosplay-Metallics-SOLVED-FOREVER-464151191

…though she’s not the first one to figure it out. Chrome wrapping is actually a really popular method used in Asia for covering armored costumes, it just hasn’t really taken hold in western cosplay yet.

You can look up youtube tutorials for how to apply the vinyl (all the demonstrations will be on cars) to get you started.

To add to Calgary’s tutorial, I would say that if you buy a cheaper, no-brand-name vinyl wrap, it’s not going to give you the same results as buying a known brand of vinyl wrap. I have a sample of generic wrap I bought off of eBay, and then a sample of Avery chrome vinyl wrap, that’s advertised to have a nice bit of stretch to it, and the Avery definitely works better because the stretchiness helps go around those curves. Generic brands tend to be less stretchy, the adhesive less sticky, and more prone to dents and wrinkles when you apply heat. As with all things, you get what you pay for.

Generic

Avery

In addition, whether you’re using foam or worbla-coated foam, or wonderflex… it’s a good idea to stiffen it up a bit before applying the vinyl so that it can retain its shape. Applying heat to the vinyl helps it stick and stretch, and you don’t want the heat un-shaping the foam/worbla/wonderflex underneath. I find that using a few light coats of wood glue helps a considerable amount (don’t worry, you don’t need to go get yourself a gallon of epsilon or anything). At the same time, don’t use your most powerful heat gun when applying your vinyl. A hairdryer works fine, and the lighter heat will also contribute to keeping the shape of the foam/thermoplastic you’re wrapping.

And of course, the more time you put in, the better the results. Go slow, experiment on scraps first… if you’re using worbla or wonderflex, I do actually recommend smoothing it out a little bit first. Stretchier chrome vinyls will hug a little bit to the grooves of the rough exterior. For the smoothest possible finish, take that wood glue or wood filler or gesso to your worbla and just apply 2-3 coats to help even it out. Not as much as you would need to if you were painting it, but just enough to give the vinyl a helping hand.

If the adhesive seems to be losing its stickiness or just isn’t holding well enough (and you’d be learning this through your test scraps that I know you’re taking the time to do), I’ve been using contact cement.

You can find this and various other brands at Home Depot or Lowe’s, etc… I find that using contact cement also reduces air bubbles and creases, especially as you wrap the vinyl around the edges so you get a nice cleeeeean finish.

If you don’t know how to use contact cement, google is your friend.

Obviously armor has a lot of pieces, and the unfortunate bit about vinyl wrapping is that you have to do it with every individual piece BEFORE assembly, as opposed to painting, where you can assemble everything first and then paint.

The back of Kuvira’s armor has 10 pieces, and I need to wrap each of the ten plates before I can attach the plates. The inside tends not to look very pretty, but nobody’s looking there anyway.

Worbla scraps are GREAT for assembling those wrapped vinyl pieces btw.

…aaaaand that’s what I have to share about what I’ve learned in using chrome vinyl to make my shiny Kuvira armor! Look forward to pictures of the complete armor and cosplay, and hope this helps!

#help

atelierheidi

Tutorial time: How to sew inset corners! A really useful skill that a lot of people have trouble with. Mastering this technique will enable you to piece together seams with difficult angles, and also help improve your precision and dexterity overall.

There are probably multiple ways to do this, but here is the method I learned from God Save the Queen Fashions when I was her intern.

1. Start by marking the seam allowances on the back of your fabric to find the exact point at which your corners intersect. On the piece which will be the outer corner (blue in my sample) I have marked the entire length of the seam allowance for clarity. I sometimes do this when sewing complex shapes. On the piece which will be inset (pink here), you can just mark the corner itself.

2. This is just three different views of how the pieces should be pinned and positioned. With the right sides of the fabric together, push a pin through the exact corner of your outside piece (blue) and then through the exact corner of your inside piece (pink) so that they are brought together face-to-face at this point. Pivot the fabric pieces until edges line up along the first side you will be sewing, then prepare to feed it into your machine. When sewing, it will be easier to keep the outside piece (blue) on top.

3. Stitch along the first side, removing the pin before you reach it. On the final stitch, make sure that your needle lands in the exact corner where the pin was. With the needle still engaged in the fabric, lift the presser foot. This is now a pivot point.

4. Pivot the fabric around so that you are looking at the inside of your corner. With a pair of very sharp, narrow snips, clip through the top layer as close as you can possibly get to the needle itself.

5. Pull the other side of the top piece around until its edges line up with the other side of the bottom piece. This opens up the cut you just made. You should be able to fold down the excess fabric fairly neatly if your corner is clean. Once you are in position to sew the second side, lower the presser foot.

6. Stitch along the second side and tie off your thread. Once you remove it from the machine, you should have something like this. The blue fabric is still folded up in my hand in this image so that you can see both sides of the corner.

7. Unfold your fabric, lay it flat, and enjoy the excellent corner you have sewn. If yours isn’t as crisp as you’d like it to be, press it flat with an iron or consider top-stitching, as shown in the first image.

Practice will make you better at this. When I first learned, Cathy made me sew like ten in a row until they looked better than the one in this sample (sorry, Cathy). If you’re having trouble, be patient and keep trying and you will end up an expert.

Now show me all of your beautiful inset corners!

#help

- this blog’s them is under construction -

wondertriosews

Foam Wig Tutorial

I wanted to remake my Rhys wig in a way that would compliment the cel shaded style of Borderlands, rather than fight it the way wig hair does. While I was moderately happy with how my first wig turned out, it still wasn’t what I was going for:

It’s fiiiine I guesssss, but it looks sloppy, it didn’t fit quite right, and it’s not as stylized and chunky as the rest of my cosplay.

I turned to the internet, but I found surprisingly little about making wigs out of foam. I know it happens all the time. But why was there no tutorial?? So I winged it (wung it? no), and now I’ll share what I think was a successful experiment with you all. At the very least, I think it makes a good starting point.