7 Cosplay Tips for doing cosplay
1. Always Wear Makeup
This is number one for a reason
Even if it’s just a little foundation, put some on. A small amount of makeup in the right places can make a simple costume pop (L from Death Note for instance). Also If you're wearing a fantastical costume with bright hair in any color, your face looks really washed out in photos without a little help.
This tip is for men as well. I know it’s embarrassing, ask your girlfriends for help if you must, I’ve seen too many pimply Could Strifes for me to abide anymore. You’ve got a cool costume, and usually a really awesome weapon, don’t let your skin ruin pictures for you.
2. Iron Your Costume
Many photos of amazing costumes are ruined because of wrinkles (Unless the character wears it that way, which is rare), I’ve been a victim once or twice myself. There are very few hotels now-a-days that don’t include irons with the rest of the amenities. Take the time to iron it before you wear it. You can even do it the night before if you hang it up or fold it nicely.
3. Check Yourself
Let’s face it, you don’t cosplay to blend into the crowd, you want your picture taken, so do yourself a favor and check yourself first before leaving the hotel room. Is your wig on straight, makeup look good, and go through a few poses in the mirror.
Next if someone does ask for a photo, look around, if you’re in the middle of a walk way, or there are too many people, find a better spot and just say, “How about we do it over there?”
Third take all the stuff that doesn’t have to do with your character off (i.e watches, purses, glasses, convention badge) and set if off somewhere you can see it. Or better yet hand it to a friend.
And last POSE, don’t sand there like a lump, if your from Naruto look up photos of Ninja and mimic them, if you’re a princess character ask yourself, “would a princess just stare at the camera or would they look dreamily off into the distance (again depends on the character).
4. Don’t Use Satin
It’s really ugly for photos, even really good costumers can’t make it look good. I do make an exception for low sheen casa satin, but I personally wouldn’t use it for a whole costume.
5. Wear a Wig
If you’ve got a costume where your haircut is similar but the characters hair is bright pink for goodness sake don’t dye your hair. A good wig (made of Kanekalon) is usually better looking than your own hair when it’s healthy, it will look ten times better than hair that’s been dyed within an inch of it’s life.
6. Bring a “Quick Fix Kit”
Several convention have places you can fix your costume if something happens. Some are free, some require payment, and some are specifically for the cosplay show only. So just in case, it’s usually a good idea to bring a scaled down version of what you would normally use to fix things. Your fix kit might include, but certainly wouldn’t be limited to.
Needles, and several different colors of thread.
Scissors
Glue (fabric and/or plastic)
Markers (great for covering up shoe scuffs, making fake tattoos, and using on your wig.)
Etc…
7. You’re too big to go in there!
I’m a big stickler about this, a lot of people who cosplay are quite young and forget that the world doesn’t revolve around them, or older and think they deserve special treatment,
If you’re costume involves large wings (Ah My Goddess), large unwieldy props (Trigun), or large dresses (Tsubasa), steer clear of heavily populated, or confined areas (game room, manga library, dealers room). It annoys people to have to circumvent your costume, there is also the very real possibility that someone could get hurt, which would mean more rules for the convention and a possible limit on the size and scale of props. Also these lovely items that you worked so hard on could be damaged and you’d only have yourself to blame.
