The 10 Best Videos for Improving Your Cosplay Game
Tutorial August 27, 2019Photo by gordontarpley.
There are hundreds (if not thousands) of videos out there about how to cosplay.
When I’m stuck on how to easily do something related to creating cosplays, I will often take to the interwebs to find out if anyone else has solved my problem. More often than not, they have. In an effort to become more efficient and re-invent the wheel less, these videos can be a great way to get up to speed on a new material or technique.
From creating cosplay armor to what to do at a convention, here are some of the best cosplay videos I’ve come across. Hopefully they will help you as much as they have helped me!
How to Build Cosplay Armor
If you’re looking for a good starting place, Adam Savage’s Tested has got you covered. This video goes through the process of using EVA foam, in detail. Even if you’re not looking at making a helmet, because of the curvature of the form, it can be a good way of learning about different materials and templating.
If you’re looking at how to make chainmail, this method is a little advanced, but I love how clever the idea is. It really makes use of EVA foam as a material to produce a light and eye-catching effect.
Of course foam isn’t the only material to make cosplay armor with. Looking to do some armor work with leather? This video has got you covered with tips and tricks about the intricacies of working with leather.
Getting Going with Sewing
Sewing can seem like a huge beast to tackle. For me, I started with templating and working with cardboard. Consequently, I can see how troublesome sewing looks to some. My recommendation, as with anything, is to start small. Hand-sewing, is the best way I’ve found to learn the intricacies of sewing (as well as what sewing machine to get/if you should get a sewing machine at all). I like this video as it teaches you the in’s and out’s of sewing by hand.
After getting you bearings with hand-sewing, you may be interested in sewing with a sewing machine. This blue-haired woman is awesome in teaching you how to use a sewing machine in an, almost, effortless fashion.
One of the more often looked over aspects of cosplay, when it comes to sewing is how to sew gloves. Probably because they’re one of the smaller parts of an outfit, they’re often tackled last. Gloves are still important for many cosplays to make the look. Here’s a good video I’ve found that goes through the process of creating a costume glove from beginning to end—note the 4-way stretch fabric part. ?
Where You Head-ing?
So let’s see, you’ve finished the armor. Maybe you’ve sewn a few things. What about a mask? Borrowing notes from some of the previous videos, I’ve found this tutorial to be particularly good in showing how to make a cosplay mask.
If you’re looking to make horns for your cosplay, foam again is your friend. With how lightweight the material can be, it’s great for using on your head—you don’t want to have too much weight on your head, especially over a long duration. This video shows how to make horns using foil to provide a basic structure.
How to Make Props
So many cosplays include some kind of prop. Even if you know the intricacies of creating foam armor or sewing, prop-making can be another hurdle to tackle. Because of how props can be used or how they appear, they often require considerations that aren’t often made in other aspects of cosplay creation like determining how to assemble and disassemble a prop best; or adding a rod to the inside of a sword to make the sword sturdy.
Many cosplays include some form of a gun. If you’re not apt to creating a gun from… foam, taking an existing toy gun and modifying it can be a quicker way to achieve a desired result. This video shows how to mode a Nerf gun in way that makes it hard to remember what it looked like initially. It also does a great job at showing how to weather cosplay parts.
Any other needs I missed? Let me know below.
Don’t forget to also check out the tutorials I created on this site, including ones for making your own geometric foam mask.
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