Entering the World of Cosplay

Many people all over the globe love to dress up as their favorite comic book, movie, cartoon, or game characters and escape the harsh realities of life. Entering into the world of cosplay seems pretty exciting and fun filled.

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However, there are many underlying fundamentals which have to be kept in mind before taking the leap. In this article, we go back to the basics. If you are a new fan of this amazing cosplay craziness and have a knack to dress up and flaunt your costumes, then this article is a must read for you!

Today, cosplay is not just limited to dresses made of a common fabric incorporating a character’s face as a mask. It has grown into an industry of huge potential and thousands of artists, creators, designers, painters and technicians are now linked with this. The cosplay industry is not bound to a single country or continent, it has been absorbed into almost every country.

There are few primary steps, which are necessary to embrace cosplay in its full glory. Let’s get to know each of them one by one:

1.      Understand the cosplay culture

Cosplays all around the world are bright and fun. Cosplayers tend to embrace the true meaning of characters that they choose to dress up as. Before you dive into the ocean of dress up and performances, it’s important to understand that cosplay means much more than that. Cosplayers aim to personally relate with their chosen characters and they do not just act like them – they step into the characters’ shoes and become a part of the fantasy world for a short while.

It is important that you enjoy this culture and want to be a part of the exciting lives of cosplayers.

2.      List down the characters that suit you the most

Many people define cosplay as a practice of dressing up as a movie, book, or a video game character. Over recent decades, dressing up as a famous character has become a mainstream trend. Cosplay events, live shows and comic cons are becoming increasingly popular each year and now thousands of people are linked to the cosplay industry directly or indirectly. Picking and choosing the right character to play is imperative. You have a myriad of options and it may get overwhelming to pick your character. Give extra thought to this step and other things will streamline easily.

3.      Understand the misconceptions

People usually link cosplays to dressing up in a skin-tight, vulgar or sexy attire. Women in particular are accused of sexualizing the characters through their costumes. The media has become severely critical of cosplays due to this reason. This has led parents to think of cosplays as a non-constructive and morally negative thing for their children and hence they like to keep their children away from this.

However, the truth is entirely different from this as cosplay can be leading the way of developing creativity and imaginative skills among the kids. It includes the aspects of sketching, designing, color fusion and makeup skills which can immensely help in growing the inventiveness and artistic skills of a kid. Make sure you are ready to deal with the misconceptions surrounding cosplay and just focus on enhancing your own creativity and encouraging others to do the same.

4.      Get a costume made

Cosplay costume designing involves a vigorous process. It starts from an initial design which is usually done by a digital designer using a computer software. The second step includes the right selection of fabric required for the body suit and mask. Next comes the selection of shoes and accessories that complement the character. A makeup artist works on the required hair wig that mimics the character’s hair and finally a worthy tailoring team is needed to put together the whole outfit.

There are many characters in movies who have a signature weapon or armor. Similarly, their cosplay also incorporates that signature feature of the character. The designing and fabrication of this feature is a completely different process.

Modern cosplays require graphic designing and illustration to give a trendy look. The graphic designers and digital creators who used to struggle with their skills and finances are now finding immense help through this industry.

5.      Making your own costume

Putting together a cosplay based on your favorite anime, video game or movie character can be very fun. Many cosplay fans are interested to learn the art of making their own costumes. Designing a costume gives you the liberty to choose your own colors, modify the fabric and size according to your needs and most importantly, design whatever you want. After all this hard work, undoubtedly, not only will you flaunt the dress, but you will love yourself.

6.      Practice to play the character perfectly

Cosplays reflect immense creativity and hard work. Once you have mastered creating the outfit, it’s time to flaunt it. However, before that we recommend you to dress up and practice to make the best possible appearance in front of fellow cosplayers. Know your character well so you can walk, talk and act accordingly.

7.      Last but not the least, have fun!

After all the hard work that you put in, you deserve to have FUN! Cosplays are all about style, creativity, confidence and fun. All the planning, crafting, sewing, designing, and flaunting will be of no use if you do not enjoy yourself. It is important to be yourself and let your confidence flow.

Cosplay events and conventions are so much fun. You can meet dozens of like-minded people and even celebrities. Interacting, networking and making new friends is one of the most amazing things about cosplaying. 

Conclusion

Cosplaying is an amazing hobby and a very creative, refreshing and enjoyable activity. Putting your mind to work in selecting a great character to portray, recreating its outfit, and embracing its personality is an invigorating process. Being able to see through the eyes of a fictional character really helps you increase your confidence and boost self-expression.

Hence, we totally recommend trying out cosplay and revealing your creativity and confidence. We hope the tips and tricks help you out!