Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm - Asuka's wig!

Wigs are defiantly something I would love to have more experience with. When I started out on cosplay I was actually terrified at the thought of even leaving a wig in the same room as a pair of scissors. All I had the guts to do was braiding, clipping in extensions and putting in hair ties.

Now one thing I have been starting to look at is what can I do to achieve certain hairstyles. I am not gonna lie, I still lack confidence to an extent with hair in general but I guess I just need to consider it with a similar mindset to working with fabrics. You just need to be careful to cut it in the right places for the right effect!

One thing I have learned over the years is that wigs are not usually ready to wear. In fact, there is a good chance you will need to give it a good trim and cut bangs as they are often around chin-length so they can be worn by different head shapes.


The base
I decided that Asuka would be a fun cosplay to put together and although the costume itself is still in the works, the wig is now done. I have ordered a 'Alex in Milkshake pink' wig from Coscraft. The bangs were cut and the sides were cut off just above the shoulders. The longer cut-off were kept to one side while I gave the wig a good spray for added volume and a slightly untidy look.


The extension
During the earlier stages, I just simply used a hair tie for the side ponytail to give me a better idea how the wig would look throughout the process. I felt that this made the wig look very flat but thankfully the cut-offs were the PERFECT length for the extension,

I looked online for various tutorials and read a large number of forum posts and decided to go for the caulking method. Sadly I don't have any process pictures but if you looks up 'Wig caulking' there will be a number of tutorials to help you out.

It is basically a process that allows you to make your own wefts. You carefully line your wig strands evenly on a line of masking tape and pop some watered-down decorator's caulk. I had made the mistake of using the type that does now clear but shush :P the hairclip covers it! I rolled them and sewed them together to create a chunk of hair.

The hairclip
This part was actually pretty simple. I began by getting some left over craft foam and shaped then cutting them into wings.I made 2 wings, 1 with the smaller part missing so they overlap and have more of a 3D feel. I took a artist license to this as the wings should have been straighter but I felt I would like to cover where the extension and clips are so thermoformed them to be rounder. I made a cup so the wefts could fit snuggly in it for extra security and scavenged a clip from a cheap child's hairpin to attach it to the rest of the wig! it is then painted white and varnished with PVA glue!

Lets cosplay! Fate Testarossa

Mein Gott! Is Ellie resurrecting this page from the dead?

Well...I had never forgotten about my own little corner of the tinterwebs. In fact, if you have read my more recent posts I can still confirm that I have been pretty busy lately. With me working many hours these days and spending much of my free time with my boyfriend naturally the time for cosplaying has been a little cut, both productively and blogger-wise. I still do my best to update my Facebook Page but even then I still wish I have more time into these things.

Without further ado, I am still yet to write about my Fate cosplay.

When I was still in school, I have came across an anime called Nanoha Strikers. It was back before I knew the Nanoha franchise also covered days when Nanoha and Fate were younger. As much as I loved the series it wasn't until last year I have watched the earlier seasons and felt there was a little void in my life that was finally filled.

I had some black and white fabric that was lying around, as well as some red PVC so I had decided to give Fate a try. I made a basic black leotard with a zipper in the back that happens to have been where the red straps were sewn into. The bows, leggings and gloves were made of black Spandex and the skirt had a nice Cotton twill feel to it. It was only a bit of scrap material so it was shorter than I would have liked but made it work with some gathering. The front part is attached to some elastic to make it easy to slip off when taking the costume off.

Day 1 of work

The cape is what makes this usually cold cosplay more cosy and this revealing one much less intimidating to wear. It has a nice sheen to it and it is lined with some lovely Maroon coloured Polyester fabric with interfacing inside the collar.

The belt buckles and yellow triangles were some left over Worbla that was painted silver. Perhaps surprisingly the most stressful part of the cosplay was waiting for the wig as I have never been blond before. When it arrived it was a very pleasant surprise and have plans to cosplay some other of our yellow-haired friends now I have the confidence to pull of that colour!

Fate is far from my more comfortable costumes as the red straps are very constrictive and I normally have to unzip the back a little so I can breathe. She is also among the very few where I get to wear heels. Placing the extensions to the wig can be a challenge within itself but the cape makes this costume somewhat nice to wear.

Fate was worn at J-con 2015, Namsoc Halloween night 2015, LAGC Winter 2016 and Alcon 2016. I wish to wear this as I am usually ill or tired when I am in this for some reason. In fact, on the day of Fate's debut I was up until 4am, had 2 hours before the con to sleep and had to rush home for an evening shift at work. Never again!

A basic introduction to Craft Foam

Craft foam is a popular material. It can be found easily in a number of arts and craft stores, is very cheap, lightweight, easy to use and comes in many colours. Many cosplayers use it at least once and it can be used to make simple accessories and armour. Although it might look like something that a small child would play with, when crafted right it can really bring jaw dropping results.

Pst! That does not look exciting at all!

Oh...my...God! (and this is just the basics!)

The stuff can be cut, painted, used to make patterns, glossed and even heated up to change shape. The possibilities are endless!

I have made several Sailor
Moon tiaras using this method! 

The only major downside I have found with Craft foam is that it requires some preparation if you plan to paint it. Being a porous, sponge like material, it would absorb whatever paint that touches it. The solution is simply apply several (usually more) layers of PVA glue (the type you played with back in your school days) that is watered down. About 2/3 water should do. If after applying several coats and the paint job still looks iffy then you can still always add more glue. I love adding more layers because it makes it so shiny shiny na no daaaa!!!!

Craft foam can be layered for added sturdiness but if you don’t what it to become too thick you can simply use some PVA glue to attach some fabric behind it. Should be nice and sturdy after a few coats. For my Sailor Jupiter tiara I have simply reinforced it with a layer of craft card onto the back as it can be quite flimsy without the support.

Scissors does the trick when you cut the Foam but for neater edges you may be better off using a cutting knife or scalpel.

One particularly neat thing about Craft foam is that it can be thermoformed. Although this term might sound intimidating it is actually rather simple and very handy technique to know. Like Worbla, it can be manipulated with a heat source, usually a heat gun, an oven stove or simply a hair dryer. Using my Justin (Grandia) armour for example, I have managed to keep it in shape by cutting the foam into shape before taping it onto a large drinks bottle and blasting it with a hairdryer! For the ‘bumps’ I have slowly dug a egg cup up from under the surface while keeping it heated from the other side. When done long enough it should maintain it’s new shape even when relaxed. You can also just simply fold something for a few days and it stays curved but I'd recommend the heat method for longer lasting results.

As you can see in the picture they are still unfinished as it will need several more coats of paint and then be glossed with several layers of PVA glue. In fact I would like to play around with different paints for a more metallic effect! I have heard good things about rub'n buff for a more finished look!