Any cosplayers still around?

The closest Ive come to cosplaying was making an Iron Man suit in 6th grade and aside from being a potential laceration risk to myself and others (it wss a different time), it was fun to make and everyone seemed to like it. The mask for it was atrocious, though. Looked more like a metal hockey mask than Iron Man. The helmet was worse, being a coffee can with the side cut out of it and the top wrapped in duct tape.

Ive been wanting to do something a bit more "real", though, and make some troll masks or busts. I was wondering if anyone had messed around with mask making, or had done any EQ cosplay. I know some of the community was involved in the fan-teaser a few years ago, but I cant remember who.

I have one of those styrofoam heads to model the positive, but I dont know what kinds of material are compatible. I remember that when I tried to make stop action models I used action figures and packed sculpy on them: the result was a reaction between the clay and the plastic that left the plastic weak and brittle after about a week. I know styrofoam is tricky, and many things degrade it, is there something I can seal it with? Ehat can I seal it with and temporary stick ??? (Clay, sculpy, silicone, latex, etc?) onto it to build up a model?

Any other experiences in making models, scupltures (that would survive making a cast of), or whatnot?

I've never done anything that required building a mask or using mold. I've only ever "cosplayed" as an existing character as Starlord (Guardians of the Galaxy) - and I purchased a cheap mask to pull that off (then the rest was easy - jacket, walkman, etc).

And I am not sure if dressing up as a pirate is really cosplay - since it's not a specific person I am dressing up as or a specific "fandom."

I think it is cosplay. Who should say it isn`t?
Nearly the whole summer i am a mer in the sea and feel like being someone else. It is more than just dressing up. Isn`t that with your pirate style too? I remember you being a pirate fan.

I do cosplay of the easy kind - just clothes and simple props. I've been Moonshade, the Dean of Unseen University (Discworld), Ysabell (also Discworld) Agatha Heterodyne (Girl Genius), and Elrond (Lord of the Rings). I used to larp too, and made many outfits for that. And I've made costumes for masquerade parties that don't quite count as cosplay (Little Red Riding Hood, a witch, etc.)

Sounds like so much fun, and though we used to have an SCA group here yeara ago, the only person I knew that did it isnt in contact with thst group anymore. I lost contact with the MTG and star trek card players 20 years ago as well, and there just isnt that big of this kind of hobbies anymore. I know there has to be someone around buying stuff at the craft store since it seems to always be out of stock of the things I want, but I never hear about any of it. There is supposedly a 405th group around you seen in the parades from time to time, bit other than like one fat stormtrooper and five obi wan kenobis, and an airsofter dressed in camo, there isnt many of them, and they are hard to run into to find anything out. I live in the middle of nowhere (no, not knowhere, unfortunately), and the community is becoming increasingly... Well, not the kind of people interested in cosplay or costume parties (unless you count foriegn cultural types of costumes of which Im clueless).

Anyway... *shrug* Id have to drive a couple hundred miles and know a bunch of people to have a reason to cosplay a whole heck of a lot, but I remember making masks of various kinds in highschool art and thought the kids might have fun doing it. I dont think either one would sit still long enough to make a casting of their face to do a prosthetic mask, but figured if I could work up a cheap way to do "rubber masks" like they do with halloween, or something, might be kind of fun. I might try to get some modeling clay and see if that melts the foam head (I want to keep the foam head for a robotics project with the kids, and while only being $6, I dont really want to ruin it if I dont have to).

Yeee wrote:

I think it is cosplay.  Who should say it isn`t?
Nearly the  whole summer i am a mer in the sea and feel like being someone else. It is more than just dressing up. Isn`t that with your pirate style too? I remember you being a pirate fan.

Yes. Love dressing up as a pirate.

Had a thought on the way home... My boys would be perfect for Cutter and Skywise, is there a place that has "eq style" ears or does everyone mske them from scratch? I know they are different than tolken elves and whatnot, just figured if theres a EQ friendly source Id ask before reinventing wheels. Also looking for a pattern for outfits but can probably wing it.

Looks like these could work well enough:

https://www.aradanicostumes.com/collections/elf-ears/products/sun-elf-ears

Thanks, I have that link saved now.

Pokng around I found this https://www.instructables.com/Using-Silicone-Caulking-to-Make-Molds/ and intend to try it out, maybe tonight. Have more than cosplay in mind, so hope it works, I have the stuff pulled together to attempt the 'cornstarch' method, planning to either do some clay or my thumb as a test.

good luck with your thumb. thumb up!