Crunchyroll Expo 2022: With these tips your first cosplay will be a success

If you too have ever toyed with the idea, create your own cosplay, the beginning may have been difficult for you. As part of the Crunchyroll Expo 2022 (CRX) in San Jose, two experienced cosplayers luckily gave some useful tips for cosplay beginners.

Pick a character you love as a template

Thanks to the well-attended panel Intro to Cosplay 101 led the duo SuncakeMooncakeCosplaywho made a more than ten years of extensive experience around the topic of cosplay. For a good 25 minutes they betrayed the spellbound audience some useful advice.

In the beginning, of course, there was the big question: How do I even start my own cosplay? Here they clearly said that you should first select a character as a template, who you really love. In this way, your motivation remains constantly high during your work.

First of all, you should ideally start with characters that have a rather simple design. The two cosplay professionals named them as examples One Piece hero Luffy, Super Mario or one of the My Hero Academia protagonistsas their school uniform could be replicated quite easily.

Three ways to your first own cosplay

The two moderators then gave explanations three ways how you can get to your first own cosplay. These differ not only in terms of the time you have to invest, but also in terms of costs: Buy, do it yourself, change it.

Instead of laboriously making your cosplay yourself, you buy a ready-made costume. This is a comfortable, quick way to get there. You can find what you are looking for at online retailers such as Amazon or MicCostumes. Alternatively, you can borrow or buy second-hand costumes from Facebook groups.

However, the second option requires dexterity. For homemade cosplays, there are two methods that are particularly popular: Crafts with foam work as well as sewing. With a little practice, there are hardly any limits to your imagination.

In the 3rd and last production alternative improved respectively change her clothes and other itemsthat you already own. You’re essentially upgrading your wardrobe, which is a good chance to improve your sewing skills. However, some changes can be tricky.

What should be considered with regard to wigs and make-up?

Of course, all these possibilities lead you to your goal, but ultimately It’s entirely up to you how much money and time you want to invest, how quickly you want to have your own cosplay and how high quality it should be. Think carefully before you begin.

Speaking of money and time: These factors are not only important with regard to your clothing, but also with other elements of your cosplay! More specifically, we mean wigs and makeup. These two topics were also explained clearly by the two CRX moderators.

With wigs you can YouTube Tutorials as well as the exchange with other cosplayers, for example via Facebook or other social networks. Good to know: there is Shops specializing in cosplay wigs have (ArdaWigs, EpicCosplayWigs).

Makeup is another option to get closer to your character’s look. For example, you can Use concealer or eyelinerto achieve the desired look. Also contact lenses were mentioned in the Crunchyroll Expo panel, but there are a few things to note here.

SuncakeMooncakeCosplay emphasized that contact lenses purely optional be. They could help put the finishing touches to the cosplay in a way, like the Kairi cosplayer in the picture above did. However, you should consult a doctor beforehand to let.

Let’s go to your first convention!

Once you have completed your first cosplay after a long, hard work, you can show your work to the world. This is of course suitable a visit to a trade fair like the Crunchyroll Expo is particularly good. Before you start, here is a small checklist of things you should pay attention to beforehand:

• Pack enough water and snacks
• Think of deodorant!
• Is your cosplay comfortable (shoes included) and does it fit securely?
• Do you get too warm/cold in your costume?
• If your cosplay includes weapons, are they con-safe?

Also think about it before you visit the trade fair a few poses, if asked to pose for photos. Conventions are also a great way to meet other cosplayers and exchange ideas with them and learn a few tricks from them.

Do you have any other tips for cosplay beginners? Feel free to tell us in the comments!