HOW TO START COSPLAYING FOR BEGINNERS

Cosplay is an art that allows ourselves to transform from everyday characters to characters we love. Here you will learn how to start cosplaying and have your first cosplay ready for your next convention.

CHOOSE A CHARACTER THAT YOU LOVE

Cosplay is about cosplaying characters that you resonate with. Do the world and yourself a favor by bringing a character that you love to life.

RESEARCH THE CHARACTER THAT YOU WANT TO COSPLAY

There are four ways to research a character

a) Watch or read the character in action

Watch the movie, anime, manga or read the book your character is from and just watch or read about their personality traits. Get a true understanding of who they are.

b) Google the physical appearance of the character

Google search their hairstyles, outfit, eye color and just get an idea of their overall physical appearance and the things you need to bring to life when you cosplay the character.

c) Google search previous cosplays done of that character

See cosplays that other people have already done of that character and get inspiration of what you can do to make your cosplay amazing.

d) Google character poses

Research different poses that the character does and facial expressions and try to mimic them.

Doing thorough research on which character you want to cosplay will help you understand the character you are cosplaying, what fabrics you need for your costume if you are planning on making it yourself, contact lenses you need to buy and also what wig you need to buy.

CHOOSE A METHOD TO CONSTRUCT YOUR COSPLAY

There are four ways to get your costume:

a) Closet cosplay

This is the most budget-friendly method. Closet cosplay is generally made from items that are already in your closet. Select the items in your closet that have the same color as your characters and resemble the style of your character's outfit. You can also visit a thrift store and shop other people's clothing for a cheap price

b) Buy your cosplay

This method is a little bit expensive. The secret to buying good costumes is researching the best websites to buy cosplay costumes and ensure their ratings and reviews are great and ensure that there is an option for you to customize the measurements of your costume so that it fits you properly. Also ensure the color of the fabric in the costume matches that of the outfit of the character you are cosplaying.

c) Make your cosplay

It can range from budget-friendly to expensive depending on the materials you are using. If you want to design your own costume make sure you study your character's appearance especially the outfit color and type of fabric used in every section of the outfit. You can save photos of the character in your phone and show them to the people who work at your local fabric store and they can help you find fabrics that will work best for your costume.

You will also need to learn sewing in order to be able to make your own costume as well as how to create a custom sewing pattern. You will also need to buy a sewing machine if you don't have one already.

GET YOUR COSPLAY COMMISSIONED

You pay a fee to the designer of your choice based on your cosplay choice and you can get a costume sewn and created for you. They will actually do the measurements on you and then make the costume so you are assured that it will fit you properly. Look for cosplay commissions groups in social media for example. Facebook to find a designer to do this for you.

All you have to do to get started in cosplay is to research your character, plan, brainstorm materials to use, choose a method to get your costume and execute.