moonwildflower

Just a couple days! The group plans on leaving friday morning. Saves more money that way. Three nights is expensive enough as it is.  Kuno will be coming over the night before to get everything packed and ready for an early departure in the morning. There will be no relaxing when we get there though. Seems the walk ons are that very night! So we'll need to get unpacked and changed ASAP. The rehearsal is at 5 and the show is at 8. I'm really feeling good about what we've got. Especially Carl's. Some of the pictures we taken so far of him have been amazing! Seriously! I can't wait to post some stuff! I'm so proud of what we've made. (I saw we becasue he's been a good model and stood there while I've applied the materials to his body. Kuno has been a big help too.)

Been working on one of the new cosplays for Afest. The cloak is taking much more time than I had thought. I had to order four more rolls of organza. I hope that covers the entire thing.
The effect is turning out better than I had hoped. The cloth is forming a fluffy, featury texture that only takes forever to create. I should be done by the time I get to the hotel room in month....
Also sent out a request for possible use of a vacuumform machine from someone in the 405th. I really want to get the visor done for Tal'i. I feel like if I can get the helmet completly done, then the rest of the outfit will just fall into place.

Long time no post.
Been busy resting up from the trip to Peru. Finishing off my two week supply of antibiotics in case of malaria. Doing more concept art. And cosplay.
I've decided to add a third cosplay to what I'm bringing to Afest. I'll be using the Cybershade as my comfortable cosplay. I've already got the mask pepakura'd out and resined. My Tal'i legs have gotten the same treatment. Since they're form fitting and won't allow the passage of my heel, I'll be making a hinge of some sort using rare earth magnets.  Haven't figured it out all the way yet.
And that's just about it. So exciting.....

Well, we didn't finish yesterday. But we still have time. Kat gave me permission to post some of the WIP pics here of what we've been doing.

Just got back from A-kon 21 in Dallas. I really didn't think that I'd get to go to that con this year. Just a week before the con, my Dad told me to try and get a room. He'd pay for it. Sweet! Managed to snag a room for the two nights and shared it with my brother and Kuno. It was kinda lonely with just the three of us. I'm so used of at least seven people being in a room.
For cosplays, I took my armor, Skeik and my new Lurker. It was more of a test run for the Lurker than anything else. I still need to do some work on the transition of the hand pieces and the head piece onto the bodysuit to make it look better. Overall though, people were creeped out and that's all I wanted.
Got to meet alot of 405thers I didn't know, among a host of old con friends. Somehow, we got to go to the cosplay contest too. Not to enter, unfortunitly. Just to watch. The winner was an older woman who had created one of the wise mage creatures from The Dark Crystal. It was amazing. She deserved to win. I'll post pics when I can find them.
And.... I'm starting more work on my other cosplays now. Hope to have a bunch done by Afest... Oh! Remember the Ikkicion convention where my cosplay group won Best in Show and we didn't really get anything? Seems we might get free badges! Very exciting news.
On to art news... I'm starting work on my Special Problems class. All that will be in another blog on my site. And I'm doing personal stuff along with an upcoming Halo contest. Lots to do.

I got a bit more done on the Tal'i helmet, adding more smoothcast to the visor area. Planned on removing it and making the buck, but didn't find the time. I also got to start on the Lurker mask. The mask I ordered from ebay came in a few weeks ago, but I didn't start working on it because a friend was going to use it for a fetish report. She ended up not using. Oh well. I think it would have been hilarious... at a baptist college.
      I put the mask on a strofoam head and applied the latex and cotton balls, along with tissue paper. I've got a few more layers to add, but it's looking good so far. I actually like the color that the rubber is drying. I made the teeth from paperclay last night as well and they're drying right now. I'm still unsure if I need to add more around the rim... I'll be painting the interior as well, so it won't be reflective.

This wasn't really a planned cosplay, more of an experimentation with liquid latex in preperation for my next big cosplay. I saw the tutorial on youtube [link] and decided to try it. No reason for me to waste a bunch of latex if I don't know how to use it, right?
My brother is going to be the one using this. He'll be building a gun to go along with it eventually. With the way things look now, it will be another pepakura gun from a model that I create.
I've still got a bit of painting left to do before it's con ready. I need to find something to give it the slightly slimy look...

We're back from Ikkicon in Austin and couldn't be happier. For the last few months, my cosplay group and I have been working on a secret cosplay that we debuted that Saturday.
9!
And we were a bit hit, even going so far as to win the Best in Show at the cosplay contest! I'm so happy that all that work paid off. I can't wait to see what we create next.
Go to our DA page to see the pics.
http://Shinkastudioscosplay.deviantart.com
I'll post links to the videos soon too.

Looks like we made it. I'm sitting here finishing up my brother's flag from Halo and hopping that everything will go okay. I've still got to pack and even decided what other cosplays I'm bringing. No armor this time though. I do know that. The room won't be big enough with all of us in it and two sets. Carl already has dibs. He hasn't gotten to wear his suit at a con yet. Besides, I think I wore it enough at Haloween.
Our group cosplay is basically done. There will be some last minute stitching done at the room, but it won't be much. I'm so happy to have my portion done. I'm just worried about how I'm going to get the main head piece around without breaking it.
And we're going to enter in the cosplay contest... 'crosses fingers'.
I'll have lots of pictures after this...

Finished chapter 10 last night. Was is such a rush that I sent the confirmation email to my editor without the actual illustration! lol. Thankfully this has never happened before so he knows that it was just a small blunder on my part. Fic and art still got posted by friday.
Since school got out, all I've been doing is art and cosplay. Got most of my skull created, just have to attach the beak to the rest of the skull, then detail and paint it. Most of the hands are done, along with the eyes. The feet are still, ehhh.. Not sure how to create those. Maybe having everyone around will get the juices flowing. And I got my blade cut out. Will paint it tomorrow. So, it looks likes we might make it for Ikkicon.