firehawk costuming

PTA meeting.

Embroidery Detail | Sansa Stark | 6.09 x

Here’s the process I used to weather my Abyss Watcher jacket.  This got rid of the glossy coat, darkened the color a bit, and also gave it a more worn appearance.  I’ll show the final result later this week! I recommend either doing this outside or wearing a respirator, as some of the chemicals release fumes that probably aren’t healthy to be breathing in.  Nitrile gloves are also a plus.  Rubbing alcohol and acetone in particular severely dry out skin (that’s why they work well for weathering leather :-P).   1) Apply isopropyl alcohol (IPA, aka rubbing alcohol) to remove the gloss coat.  I squirted it on liberally and then rubbed it off with a paper towel.  You’ll need to rub the leather quite a bit to remove the gloss coating, adding more IPA as necessary.  If you want a more harsh effect, you could use acetone (found in nail polish remover) instead of IPA.  Acetone tends to leave a residue, so you’ll probably need to use IPA afterward.  The leather should have a dull, matte finish after this step. 2) Use shoe polish to both darken the leather and to simulate dirt and grime.  Shoe polish comes in a variety of colors.  I used black, but what color you use depends on the leather.  Again, I rubbed this on with a paper towel.  I focused more around seams and areas that might accumulate dirt with use.  I also made random speckles and streaks.  Be careful not to buff the leather too much, since this will make it shiny again. 3) Lastly, apply a leather conditioner.  I used Pecard’s leather dressing, but there are a variety of different types out there.  This serves three purposes.  It moisturizes the leather again, since IPA/acetone dry it out, extending the lifetime.  It tends to darken the color slightly, and it also keeps the shoe polish from rubbing off.  Wipe on a thin coat, being careful not to buff too much if you don’t want a shiny finish.  It takes a while for the conditioner to dry, maybe an hour or two.  If, after that, it’s still feels kind of oily, you can wipe off the excess conditioner with a rag or paper towel. And you’re done!  You may want to repeat some of the above steps if you’re not completely satisfied, or it’s still too shiny.  I’ve also heard of people using sandpaper to scratch up the surface, but this damages the leather and didn’t quite give the appearance I wanted for my project.

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New tutorial: Airbrushing decorative patterns onto fabrics! FULL SIZE ON FACEBOOK An affordable and easy way to add patterns to fabrics when you can’t find the perfect fabric! I used this on the next Major costume I’m doing (because I can’t stop with her), from Ghost in the Shell, First Assault! FaceBook Instagram Twitter ~

Access to signal long enough to post about how my trip is going!! Shot Red at Grassi lake day before last, shot Sansa at Moraine lake this morning! Shooting Sansa later today at yoho park too :3 few more locations left for each to come! Here’s a pic at moraine lake my friend took as I was getting into place :)

“I play to win!” Cosplayer - Commodorekath Photographer - My boyfriend @uebiestudios

Mercy

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Ask for help from someone who has done it before. Find other cosplayers and read what they have shared about their own costumes. If you still have a question, get in touch! Many cosplayers will offer advice.

some super dramatic shots of me from omgcon by fisher jones 

I just HAD to share this technique because I’m pretty sure someone else can get some use from it!

Photos from our Tales from the Borderlands Cosplay Group can be found here