#pensacon2016

I made a quick mock-up of how I made the gems for Madoka's necklace and bow.

Here are the products I bought for the gem casting. All from Amazon: EasyCast Epoxy Mold Builder Liquid Latex Rubber Mold Release Conditioner Bow - I bought a large plank of wood from Lowe's and drew an outline of Madoka's bow. Cut it out with a jigsaw. Painted it with a dark brown acrylic paint. I found some cheap flowers from Hobby Lobby for the flowers at the top. I drilled little holes to stick the stems in (and secured them with hot glue).

Arrow - I sprayed some Great Stuff on a long wooden ruler. You can't really see in this picture because I had just sprayed it, but these stuff expands to a HUGE size. it's amazing.

When the foam expanded I shaped it with a box cutter to resemble an arrow with spirals like Madoka's.

Then I wrapped the entire thing with masking tape and paper mached it. After that I used CelluClay that I bought at Michael's to perfect everything and give the spirals more detail.

After that, it was painted with two different color pinks, a neon and a soft pink.

life lesson: princess seams are very difficult without a dress form

Making this blouse has taught me that I really, really want to buy a dress form before I do any other cosplays. Making Madoka's blouse was incredibly difficult to fit properly to the body without having one, and it involved a lot of taking off and putting on and getting jabbed with needles. Here's the yellow bib's detail work. I used a ruffler foot to make the ruffles, and I attached pink bias tape around the yellow bib. I cut out a 1.25" wide strip of white cloth, sewed it up and turned it inside out for the middle white stripe.

I sewed the yellow bib to the blouse. I found some pink buttons at Joann's that I hand sewed down the middle. Then, I installed my zipper into the side seam. ~~~~~*~~~~~ Sleeves ~~~~~*~~~~~ I was incredibly timid about the sleeves because I've never made sleeves before and I didn't think I was going to be able to achieve the look I wanted. But they turned out PERFECT. I fell in love and can't wait to make another cosplay with puffed sleeves. I just found a very basic gathered sleeve pattern on the internet. You can see the white elastic I have strapped on it now (second picture), as I haven't covered it in pink fabric yet. But I made the sleeve pattern I found online a little bigger (first picture) because I wanted to be able to use the elastic band to "push" up the sleeve into a bigger puff.

I sewed a little strip of pink fabric to the underside of the sleeve and sewed some pink cloth casing over the elastic band ~~~~~*~~~~~ Petal Skirt ~~~~~*~~~~~ For the petal skirt, I cut out one "petal" that I liked and made it into a bunch of aluminum foil pieces. Then i traced a circle skirt pattern into the fabric and taped the petals around it in a form that i liked.

I have a bad habit of not ironing before I cut,btw. Once I cut out the petal skirt, I used pink double-fold bias tape to encase the raw edges. I sewed the petal skirt to the bodice. I used pink bias tape to encase the raw edges around the petal skirt and then I attached the whole thing to my bodice.

In my last post, I did a recap of my first involvement in Artist Alley at my very first convention – Pensacon 2016. Not to backtrack, but I learned a lot, and I had great time. The people working the event as well as the congoers couldn’t have been nicer. It was a very positive experience getting my feet wet.

Now, since then I have been reading a lot about artists at these events, who do essentially what it was that I was doing – selling my original artwork of other existing characters.

In my research, I’ve learned what has become much of what floods Artist Alley(s) is people selling prints; prints of other peoples’ and other companies’ properties. While many say it’s a bit of a gray area, I do have the opinion on the matter from many industry artists that I admire and respect regarding the copyright aspect of it.

There are quite a few artists do not like it or respect it, but understand that people get away with it because the monetary gains of those artists are minimal in the grand scale of what it would cost a huge corporation like Marvel or DC to litigate. It’s easier for them to turn a blind eye – though it technically isn’t legal.

While that may be so, several artists in this field don’t like this practice – at all. I would love to quote some of the things here that I read on Twitter and Facebook regarding this topic, but without permission I hesitate to do so (I really don’t want to piss anyone off). Suffice it to safely say that most pros that I know are not a fan.

There is what conventions’ Artist Alleys once were vs. what they have become. I have learned from many pros that it used to be about artists promoting their own book, their own work, and themselves. An opportunity for fans to talk with their favorite artists. A chance to get an original commission from an artist you have always admired. And avenue for independent artists to endorse their own creations and their own work.

Again, speaking from the standpoint of various artists I know, it has morphed into something completely different. More than artists pushing their own book, or doing commissions for fans, it has transformed into people selling “cool” prints of existing characters for a quick buck. Surprisingly, many of the people at the booths selling these prints aren’t even the artists who drew them – in ARTIST Alley!

Not to take away from the talent of these artists who draw these prints, but what they have done is taken something special that existed in the comic convention arena, and converted it into a total flea market atmosphere. It is drawing prints of copyrighted characters (illegal) simply for the sale of prints. It has become more about the mad dash of chasing that almighty buck, in turn drowning the love of the art, the craft and creation of comics itself.

I feel like drawing copyrighted characters for fun and appreciation is fine, as in fan art. I do it, and I’ll continue to. But multiple prints of any given character for the sole purpose of selling at cons to make some money? Not the same thing as being a comic creator.

And I am guilty.

This is exactly what I did at Pensacon this year. Had I done the extensive digging that I have been as of late, I may not have gone the route I did. I hate to be the one to claim ignorance in this instance, but that is the truth. I didn’t know any better.

I do now.

In light of this personal realization, I’m not going to do it anymore.

Am I not going to get a table in an Artist Alley to promote myself, and my work again? NO WAY! Of course not! Don’t be absurd!

I am not going to be a “Print Peddler” of other properties. Not going to do it. It is a cheapening that I am now fully aware of, and sensitive to. Oblivious until recently, I now know how it hurts the business rather than helps, and I’ll be damned if I remain on what I deem the wrong side.

Instead, I am going to focus my efforts more on where I feel they should be focused: my original work. I have a lot of ideas swimming around in my skull, and I need to concentrate on getting them out.

I am going to put myself into my work, and my exceptional and distinctive thoughts into it. Sure, I could continue spitting out my spin on reproductions of my favorite characters, and turn them for a few dollars. OR I could emphasize on my own original story, imagination and art ideas, and create my own world.

Isn’t that essentially what I want in this industry for anyway? To make my own mark?

Sure, should I be lucky enough to be provided the chance to work on a Batman, Daredevil, Spider-man, Superman, etc., I would JUMP at the opportunity! I’d be a fool not to.

But to get that sought after landing spot, to get noticed by the right people, well, it doesn’t come from selling a really cool Incredible Hulk print at a convention.

It comes from storytelling. It comes from imagination. Original ideas and unique characters. And above all, hard work, patience, and the willingness to always continue learning.

If it’s good it will garner attention from the right people, and I’ll make my mark.

So, the efforts on my part have shifted. No more taking the easy way out, and seeking to capitalize on the success of others before me – to make a quick buck.

Nope.

I am about to put pencil to paper and digital pen to screen, and get to work. To work on something that is mine. Something that means something to me. Something that I love, and believe in.

Until next time, stay tuned –