#darklilies

[the-font-bandit]

darklilies replied to your post:

Really? I've found non stretch a little bit easier. I hope it doesn't give you a lot of trouble. You should check out the OUAT version of Anna. looks like they may have done the same :)

It might have been the velvet I used? It had kind of a longish pile and it kept wanting to creep in weird directions when I sewed it. This one is thinner, almost kind of halfway toward a microsuede (my other love-hate fabric relationship).

And yes on OUAT! I'd actually planned this cosplay months ago, so I kept finding myself analyzing every detail of her outfit when she was on-screen, lol. My cape will actually a bit less saturated in color, but I was checking out a lot of the details on her costume while I watched the show. It's a good example of how to translate it into real life and make it look like real clothing.

[the-font-bandit]

darklilies answered your question “I kind of want to enter the Dragon Age Fan Celebration contest...”

I like all of your stuff. if you don't want to enter cosplay I think your recent artworks have been really beautiful!

Aww, thank you! *hug* You are so sweet. :)

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heartsofruin answered your question “I kind of want to enter the Dragon Age Fan Celebration contest...”

Not getting to do a dedicated shoot of your architect (or any of your cosplays really) is one of my regrets. but to answer the question, i'd say the tabris zevran piece, it has the most interesting lighting of the three imo

Yeah, I really regret not doing a full photoshoot of the Architect when I could. I got a few really good pics at the group shoot, but since it was kind of a hectic group setting, there are a few things about the pics that bug me. (Nothing that's the photographer's fault, just stuff like my skirt piece not being layered right, or my persistent double-chin, stuff like that).

If you'll be at DC this year and are willing to do a quick photo shoot on Saturday, I might send you a message closer to DC to hire you to take some decent photos of Corypheus. I really plan to take my time and do this costume right, fixing all of the stuff I screwed up with the Architect. :P

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shadowdrac answered your question “I kind of want to enter the Dragon Age Fan Celebration contest...”

GIRL, enter your Architect cosplay RIGHT NOW. Pleeeeeeeease. It is amazing and I'm sure the Dragon Age team would love seeing it. If you're set on art, I do love "Lavellan". That piece came out beautifully.

Thank you! I really do love my Architect cosplay, but in the few high-quality photos I have, there are things that make me reluctant to enter it (the stuff I mentioned above). Also, I'll admit I'm hesitant to enter ANY cosplay that will be posted on the Bioware FB page, after the nasty comments the plus-size cosplayers received back in 2011. (Bioware posted our group photo from Dragon Con, and there were a lot of "eww, disgusting fatties" comments. To BW's credit, they shut that stuff down pretty quick, but it was still hurtful).

I'm still proud of the cosplay, but I know the FB general public can be harsher than some forums, and I don't know if I want to open myself up to that.

Thank you very much for the compliments though. :) I really wish I had taken the time to do a dedicated one-on-one photoshoot of the Architect, but hindsight is 20/20. :P  

[the-font-bandit]

darklilies replied to your photoset “I am a big fat cheater when it comes to cosplay...”

stretch velvet is a trap.. a beautiful, evil, tear inducing rage quitting trap. ....do it. XD

I knoooow... I went with non-stretch velvet for this one (in the hopes it'll help maintain its shape better). But my only experience sewing non-stretch was even worse than the stretchy stuff... *sobs*  Still, it will be worth it!

[the-font-bandit]

darklilies replied to your photoset “So I may have started doing some preliminary research on cosplay for...”

Oh my. I feel obligated to remind you of the DC + Full Make up combination. Because I care about you. lol

Yeah... I remember. :/  But I've been doing a lot of thinking about this, and if I really plan it the right way, I think I can actually make Cory much more comfortable than the Architect was. For one thing, his skin tone is a lot closer to a normal human's, so I might be able to get by with just some shading over my own skin, rather than a full layer of body paint.

Also, part of the problem with the Architect was the absolute lack of any ventilation... between the hat/headpiece not allowing any heat to escape through my head, plus the way I designed the costume, it was like a people-oven. (Cheap plastic upholstery vinyl over synthetic stretch velvet, encasing my entire torso, was so not a good idea).

I plan to build this one out of more breathable, natural fabrics, and build the armor bits in a way that allows some gaps between them so heat can escape (probably using lightweight EVA foam). Same with the headpiece - the design of Cory's will allow me to make it in a way that isn't creating a solid dome of hot air encased over my head. I'll use a fabric swim cap as the "base" to cover my hair, then place the headpiece on top - the way his is designed will allow for some small gaps in the add-on pieces, where heat can escape through the swim cap. :P I'll make the fur/feather shoulder thing entirely separate and just snapping on with metal snaps, so I can take it off relatively easily between photos or in panels. 

Also, drywall stilts are actually way more comfortable to walk in than the giant platform boots I used with the Architect (I know it seems weird, but they are). I plan to engineer a way to "bustle" the bottom part of the robe/skirt so that I can take off the stilts and walk around in a shorter version for the non-photo parts of the day.

I really do think I can pull this off and still remain moderately comfortable... or at least not miserable like I was with the Architect. Plus it'd be really, really fun to goof off with people in their Inquisition cosplays, which will make it worth it.

[the-font-bandit]

heartsofruin replied to your photo “Ok, no more late nights staying up and drawing. This is how desperate...”

lol, all that tea and soda... Don't fall asleep on the toilet XD. hang in there, may the day go quickly

Yeah, the day isn't really going quickly, but at least it hasn't been too stressful or hectic on my sleep-deprived brain. :P And no unexpected naps yet!

darklilies replied to your photo “Ok, no more late nights staying up and drawing. This is how desperate...”

hang in there! Besides you totally know your going to stay up late again. Embrace the caffeine. XD

Sadly, you're probably right. :P When I get into the zone it's just so hard to stop...

rihouston replied to your photo “Ok, no more late nights staying up and drawing. This is how desperate...”

And you realize that instead of going to bed early as you right now are planning to do you will have renewed energy and be up later than expected after you return home right? At least that is how it works for me!

I may have to cheat and take some melatonin tonight. Otherwise, yeah, it's just a vicious cycle where I stay up late again hopped up on caffeine, then I'm even more tired the next night. Until the weekend when I crash and sleep in until like 11am.

Total count today so far just to keep the energy going:

3 mugs of tea

1 can of Mountain Dew

1 medium Dr. Pepper with lunch

About to head to the break room for tea #4...

[the-font-bandit]

darklilies replied to your photoset “So when my new order of BPAL imps came in, I decided I needed...”

pretty! I have a similar set up for my sephora samples.

Great minds think alike! :)

[the-font-bandit]

darklilies replied to your photoset“I scoured the internet for gray lipstick for my Yavana cosplay,...”

oh that is pretty! I am still looking for a good one for my costume. I got one from Stila that I love.. but the heat might make it a bad idea because its more of a dark lipglass style don't think it'll hold up nice.

I think you actually have a harder task! Is this for your Morrigan? At least with gray, there are really only so many options... with purple/wine/burgundy colors, there are a bajillion lipsticks to choose from. Eep! Good luck!

thetrollingwife replied to your photoset“I scoured the internet for gray lipstick for my Yavana cosplay,...”

Love the nails! And can't wait to see the cosplay. :D

Thank you! The nails turned out rather nice, I think. And this one is easy, woohoo! :) I will be sure to get more photos of Yavana than I usually do at Dragon Con! :P

shadowdrac replied to your photoset“I scoured the internet for gray lipstick for my Yavana cosplay,...”

Heavens, I don't think I've ever seen a more solid color concerning lipstick. They all look divine~ -wants them all; doesn't even use lipstick-

I know, right? Yeesh, this color is solid. I really don't wear lipstick except for cosplay (on the rare days I wear anything, It's usually just a tinted gloss), but I really want to try to rock the blue anyway. :)

[the-font-bandit]

darklilies replied to your photoset “Nostalgia and 90’s Nail Polish and how grateful I am that nail polish...”

ooo the pretties! I love it! Sally Hansen did away with my favorite green color, I think it was called Ivy League. Don't feel bad. I've had strangers ask me what I do and when I say graphic design I've gotten "I could tell" most of the time.

Ha! Yeah... that kind of makes you want to ask, "What's that supposed to mean?" :P

thetrollingwife replied to your photoset “Nostalgia and 90’s Nail Polish and how grateful I am that nail polish...”

Younger me would be SO PSYCHED about holographic polishes instead of boring ass old lady pinks that my mom liked...

I know, right? I have some standard reds, pinks, and mauve colors, but they're probably the least-used ones in my collection... I kind of had enough of those when they were my only option. ;)

I honestly get distracted when I wear really pretty holographic polishes - I find myself stopping now and again, and just smiling at the pretty sparkly nails. That Enchanted Polish you sent me is the worst about that. ;) But it does cheer me up throughout the day!