How to pick a character to cosplay

How to pick a character to cosplay

Cosplay is a lot of fun. It also happens to be quite an art form in which the costume and makeup can take up just as much time as preparing for a theatrical performance. Choosing what character to cosplay can be difficult; there are so many characters out there that it might seem like you have no idea where to start! This blog post will give you ten different ways that you could go about choosing your next cosplay project, starting with one of my personal favorites: asking yourself why you want to do it.

Most of this advice is for people who want to be a cosplayer. When you pick your character, there are a lot of things to think about. For example, do you have the time and money?

Choose a character you feel comfortable portraying.

If you are a cosplayer, then you need to pick your character carefully. There are so many out there that it can seem like an impossible task! But don’t worry- we have some advice on how to make this process easier. The first thing is to figure out why you want to do the costume in the first place. Is it because of a particular show or movie? Do think one day might be fun? Are you trying to represent someone else’s art? This helps narrow down what kind of characters will be good choices for your needs and interests.

You should also consider if you feel comfortable portraying them. If not, then maybe they aren’t right for you at all! You’re going to go through hours upon hours of preparation and then you’ll have to put in time at the convention and still get through your day. If this is too much for you, then it’s best not to do a costume that will make you upset or frustrated.

Attention

Another thing to think about is how comfortable they are going to be with all of the attention that comes along with being someone iconic. This can also affect whether or not they’re good for you as a cosplayer! The last major point of consideration before choosing someone is their availability- both on Wikipedia and in real life! It may seem like an easy enough task but there are so many characters out there that we wanted to give some advice on how to find one that suits your needs!

Consider the costs involved in creating your cosplay.

Cosplay can be done on a budget however it will require some creativity on your part.

Make sure you’ve done the research and gotten a rough idea of how much it’ll cost before making any commitments.

Costs range from $40-$2000 depending on materials used, what method was utilized (handmade or bought), labor hours involved in the creation process.

This is where cosplaying gets tricky because not only do you need someone that looks like the character exactly but also has availability so they’re going for this exact time frame with no conflict.

Better likenesses tend to get a better response

If you already look a bit like characters they’ve done in order to achieve a good result;

– try searching for real-life locations where photography could happen so there’ll be something unique about your style;

– purchase an old piece of clothing for any character, this is the time to accentuate those features with more makeup like a costume.

– research what specific material or props would be needed for your chosen character;

– find tutorials on YouTube and follow them step by step (this will work better if it’s from someone who has created the same thing as you);

– ask other cosplayers for advice/recommendations on similar characters

Remember that you will be photographed

People love to share pictures on social media websites.

In order to have a great experience, you should create something that will bring your own personality into the character and make it more authentic for yourself.

– try searching for real-life locations where photography could happen so there’ll be something unique about your style;

– purchase an old piece of clothing for any character, this is the time to accentuate those features with more makeup like a costume.

So what are some other ways I can choose my cosplay?

Well here’s how I did it! It wasn’t easy at all – but don’t worry if finding out who or what you want to represent seems difficult because we’re going over ten different things that might help get started and maybe one of

Don’t try to change your body dramatically in a short period of time to fit a character.

Assess your artistic strengths, and pick characters that play to them.

You know your best artistic strengths, so use them to pick your characters.

Know the source material of who or what you want to represent, and how it has been portrayed in media and overtime if applicable.

KEEP IN MIND: not knowing every detail about a character doesn’t mean that you can’t cosplay them! Remember that there is no shame in researching into something beforehand – because after all, this will be YOUR version of the character!

Try different styles until one fits like a glove for you; don’t worry about copycatting someone else’s costume idea right away- eventually, everyone starts with copying others’ work anyway.

Like Your Character

You should like your character. It is important to be connected to your character in some way. I made my first cosplay (a costume) because I love the character and I wanted a connection with them.

I liked the character’s story. I like who she was and what she was wearing. The minimum you need to do is like their costume.

If you don’t like anything about the character you’ve chosen to cosplay, then it’s going to be hard for you. You will resent every second that you spend working on that puzzle. Find a character that you love and enjoy and work on them instead

Do your research

Do your research, not only research your character the character’s backstory their mannerisms their entire thing that’s important but also research the materials you’ll be using.

Are you going to make something or buy it? Are you going to commission someone else? How will this all come together? Half of the journey is getting the things that you need.

When you are doing a cosplay, ask some questions. Answer those questions. But remember that part of cosplay is finding things for yourself from your own research.

No obligations

Do not feel like you need to make your cosplay from scratch. It is ok to buy it or make parts of it from different materials. The community can be mean, but don’t let that stop you from doing what you want to do.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help from people who are more experienced than you. You can learn from them as you go, but it is important that you always stay dedicated and work hard. You can learn all the crafts involved in cosplay. But for things like makeup, sewing, and making props, there is a lot of work involved.

Social Media

My biggest tip for social media is to prepare yourself to create a cosplay dedicated Facebook and Instagram page.

When you go to conventions and meet other people the same way, they will want to follow you on social media. I had no idea this was a thing until I went to my first convention.

When you make a cosplay account on social media, it is important to give yourself a name. Most people in the community do not use their real name or their first name.

I would suggest not using a name that you know. It is better to choose something that suits you and reflects who you are.

Don’t be bullied. And don’t bully other people. If you are not sure what to do, just block them and delete them on social media.

Be safe on social media and be careful with what you post who you talk to, who you decide to meet up with outside of social media.

If you meet someone at a cosplay event and they have their phone number saved in your phone, it’s okay if you meet them somewhere else. It is not okay to randomly contact them at their home or in a studio by yourself because you met them online. You should always be safe when using social media.

Making friends

Don’t be afraid to make friends in the same cosplay community as you. Once you start meeting other people who also like cosplay, it can be nice to have friends who share your interests and talk about favorite characters, costumes, photographers, and posing tips.

I’m not telling you to make connections. I’m just saying that it is a good thing where you can meet people with the same interest. 

Costs

Be careful with how much money you spend on cosplay. It may be expensive. You can try to do cosplay on the cheap but most of the time if you want to do high-quality cosplay, it will cost some money.

Conventions

Don’t expect everything to run smoothly every time you walk into a convention or you show off a new cosplay outfit. There are so many variables that are going to affect what you perceive in your head, so to speak. You can’t control all the outside factors so you just have to be prepared and don’t expect everything to run smoothly and the way that you think it might go.

Accuracy

ou don’t need to worry about how close you are to the screen character you are. You should have the freedom to be creative and not worry about it.

If there is something that you can’t find or it’s not working, there are so many ways to make your cosplay.

It does not matter what race you are, or how you look. It doesn’t matter if you’re fat or thin. As long as you are having fun that is the most important thing.

Have Fun!

If you’re not having fun, then it might be time to stop doing it. Cosplay is a hobby and if you’re not enjoying it then maybe this isn’t the right hobby for you.

People like to cosplay. They enjoy it. They have fun. They meet new people and they can be the characters they like. All of this is healthy fun!