I feel so utterly frustrated. XD
So far every cosplay I want to do involves flowers.
The worse part is that these flowers don't come in the colors or sizes that I want them to be so I have to handmake them. Nah, actually the worse part is I don't wanna suck it up and compromise on the accuracy of the colors, shapes and sizes.
Let's say roses for example. Breeds matter. Breeds dictate the fullness, shape and colors possible. It may seem like they all look the same but they do not. Nope. NOOOPE. Also, there's the art style you have to consider. Artists draw their roses a certain way: realistic or cartoony, so you also need to take that into consideration. So there's really no one size fits all. You may have to engineer/reference procedures to create the flowers that you feel will work the best.
...so far, I've found that the flowers I've managed to work out for White rose won't work for Caroline and that saddens me because that means I will forever be on the trial stage it seems. 8')
Then when you’re there...Â
1. Candles matter. THEY FUCKING DO. The best candles for doing singed edge flowers is a low but steady flame. The slow burning and shorter your wick, the better to keep the flame constant. If you’re using cheap candles that burn quickly or have long wicks, you’ll have to keep cutting the wick short every now and then.Â
2. The kinds of fabric to work with matters much as well. THE THICKER THE BETTER. ALWAYS THE THICKER THE BETTER. The best fabric are those satin ribbons by the meter but meh, that’s expensive in the long run when you need to make like... 40-60pcs (THE MASOCHISM IT REEKS) and it’ll actually be cheaper if you buy them by the meter. Find satin that’s closest in texture and thickness with those satin ribbons. I’ve found that expensive satin =/= good satin. :/ The one I am most fond of using is the cheapest shit possible around here and it’s the satin I keep going back to for my projects.Â
3. TEMPLATE SHAPE MATTERS. Slight change in size can really make a diff. I’m still here, exploring the horrors of it all.Â
4. FULLNESS...is dependent on how many petals you use OR how you assemble your flowers. You’d be surprise one tute asks you to use 7-15 petals to achieve the same fullness as another that will require 30. 8D Sometimes both?
5. The core of your rose is very important. It dictates the final shape/fullness of your project. some roll/fold their center. Some use foam, styrofoam or aluminum eggs. (I use felt eggs personally...)
6. If you're anal retentive or with some OCD tendencies, bear in mind if you're aiming for a natural looking flower, there is no such thing as 'balanced' or 'even' looking. Only fake flowers are balanced looking because their petals are counted off.
In reality, most flowers operate like a spiral with weird petal counts so it can't be avoided that there will be a 'heavier' side'. The heavier side is where most of the petals are concentrated. If you want to 'balance' it out, you set it beside another flower with their lighter sides facing each other so the heavier side is facing out. In some tutes, you'll notice that there are smaller flowers or buds that compliment the largest flower. This is to 'compliment that heavier side. = w =
So if you ARE anal retentive and can't stand the natural/imbalanced look, go for those tutes that have fixed petals per layer (usually they're star shaped types) than a petal by petal style UNLESS you can keep each layer of petals consistent. (GL WITH THAT)
EDIT: The tutes I’ve found online in whatever language never tell you these. Maybe because it’s pretty obvious but yes these things do matter (at least what I’ve found out so far...) and really make a difference to the end product. While I suppose they’re like ‘duh’ facts, sometimes there’s a need to emphasize/show that this is the real case/deal.Â
On the bright side, I can brag about how I made them when asked by judges or onlookers rather than say I BOUGHT EVERYTHING.
Gods, cosplayers are giant masochists. HUGE BULBOUS AND PUTRID MASOCHISTS.
(Oddly enough, this 'masochistic tendency' doesn't extend to other parts of my life... Just cosplay. 8V)
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