A rather unconventional cosplay idea from Star Ocean 3...

[Radien]

I've been tossing about the idea of creating a costume for a particularly odd character from Star Ocean 3: Adray Lasbard. Here's a pic:

http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/so3/art-013.jpg

This costume is odd because he's wearing a very traditional Japanese garment that looks like a skirt, and very little else. O_o; However, it offers the interesting opportunity to mess around with a variety of cosplay items that do not require than needle and thread:
a fake beard, wooden sandals, and painted tattoos. You can't see it in this shot, but he also has an extremely ornate dragon tattoo on his back.

The beard could be accomplished with fake hair and liquid latex. I've worn a fake moustache in a play before, so I know how to make and apply it myself.

The biggest downside is that even though he only wears one garment, it's very ornate. The patterns are so complex that I'd have to paint them, unless I'm ready to spend forever and a day sewing it on. Also, the part at the waist could be tricky. In the profile art it looks like a large belt (think "pro wrestler") lined with brass. However, the fact that it belts above waist means no one would have to look at my navel. ;P

I could have a LOT of fun with the tattoos. There's this guy in Eugene who is a whiz with hennah. That's a Celtic-originated mixture of body paint that is semi-permanent. It lasts about ten days if you wash regularly. I'd have to pay him well, and it'd probably take an hour... but all of my other cosplays have sleeves, so I could wear it throughout the con and it wouldn't interfere!

I have a real samurai-style sword as well. It's not like the one in the picture, which is a nodachi, but it's similar enough to pose with.

What do you guys think? Is this an interesting idea?...

[Panda0_0]

wow looks like it would kick totel ass!

i think i need to get me another cosplay outfit...

[Irnogs]

yeah, I agree, that could be a very cool costume. I look forward to seeing it.

[Radien]

Well, I haven't decided for sure whether to do it, but thanks, I hope I'll get the chance. It might not be at this year's Kumori Con, though, as I can't afford the materials right now.... Maybe Sakura Con 2006.

[Nocturne]

Whoot! Star Ocean 3!

I'm thinking of doing Nel myself. You should totally go with your costume idea. Those tatoos rock.

[eerielunarose]

Aww, Radien, you sure you can't premiere it at Kumori?

Need more Star Ocean cosplayers....

I'll be bringing my Rena, btw, to Kc'05, and I plan to fix the two fixable things out of the three factors that make her difficult to wear. WHOO! Go me! (Darn weird cape-holding arm sash... thing. >_<;; lol)

[Radien]

Well, actually...

After showing it to Amy, the more we talk about it, the more interested she gets. Also, my friend Alex has woodworking equipment, and he got all fired up when I showed him the wooden sandals (he also offered to help me make wooden versions of my Ashton swords).

Since Amy really wants to help me with the lower body garment, and Alex is going to let me play with his bandsaws and stuff (eek), I may get to working on it in time for Kumori!  

I can handle the beard and hair myself, so all that's left is finding someone willing and able to do full-back and arms henna "tattoos" for me the week before the con...

<.<

......

>.>

[eerielunarose]

Hm. I could try. I painted Amanda with tribal-type designs for her Yuuhi costume last year. I can't say for sure though until I've seen how intricate the back part gets, but I did a pretty good job with messy real paint and the stuff I did on her was actually a little more complex than the arms seem to be. I've never worked with henna before now, but I do have a kit of my own I've never used that I could play with to practice, and I'm very detail-oriented. *shrugs*

[Radien]

Oh, really? Well, thanks for considering it.

...Wait a second. This would be a day or two before the con... and you're con chair!! It would take quite awhile, and I doubt you'll have time to worry about it then. Maybe for Sakura Con?... Well, such plans can wait.

By the way, have you gotten your own henna tattoos before? From what I've seen, it looks easier to handle than paint, because it goes on thick and doesn't run. If it weren't mostly a back tattoo, I'd try to do it myself, but those're the breaks. :?

[superjaz]

it sounds really cool, my younger brother was talking about that game but i have no idea what character he likes (i haven't had a chance to play it yet)

[eerielunarose]

Assuming I find I can work with the stuff, then, if you can bring your own henna stuff to wherever I am, I will do it. I doubt it would take more than an hour and a half no matter how intricate it is... depending on the time it takes to set. In all truth, Steve, I'd probably be grateful for the time away from the stress of my own work at that point, and if I plan on this, it gives me extra incentive not to procrastinate the hell outta my cosplay work this year. ^^;;;;;

[hikaru_maxwell]

That costume looks sooo cool.  I say do it!  It'll be great!  and you could always try applique(sp?) for the lower body part.

[Radien]

Hikaru:

I guess so, but isn't applique considered the "hard method that looks better" in the sewing world?... Well, we'll see.

Eerie:

Oh, really? Wow... that's really very generous of you! I'd be happy to give it a try, but you should probably see what it looks like before committing.

I couldn't find any screenshots or artwork that showed him from behind, so I had to draw it off of the screen during an in-game cutscene. I did the same with his arm tattoos. Here they are...

First, the back:



Second, the arms:



(Aren't they cool? :shock:)

I may be able to do the arms myself... we'll have to see about that. Also, it doesn't have to be quite as detailed as above; I just wanted to supply an accurate picture of what it looks like in-game. ^^;

Hiring a professional may be out of my budget range, so if you helped me out with this I'd definitely owe you a big favor. Perhaps I could make you a cosplay prop while I'm doing woodwork at my friend Alex's workshop? Failing that, I could owe you a lunch or dinner, the next time our gang goes out to eat.

[princessbunny99]

"This costume is odd because he's wearing a very traditional Japanese garment that looks like a skirt, and very little else. O_o;"

Those are Hakama...and there are many places that will custom make them for you online if you don't want to figure out how to make huge pleated pants >.< and then after you get them, you could paint on the design....

just an idea

and spirit gum is magical for fake facial hair

-pb-

[Radien]

Those are Hakama...and there are many places that will custom make them for you online if you don't want to figure out how to make huge pleated pants >.< and then after you get them, you could paint on the design....

Thank you for the name! I had been intending to look them up.

Hmm, thanks for the tip, too. I'll look into it, but this is actually something for which I could potentially find a pattern, so first I'll try looking for one...

Also, are you sure this particular garment is pleated pants?... I know traditional Japanese garb has pleated pants (Hakama, of course), but no matter how hard I look at Adray, I can't visually separate one leg from the other...

and spirit gum is magical for fake facial hair

Indeed it is... but... it also stings!!

I'd kinda rather carry a bottle of liquid latex on me and just fix it if it comes off. That would also make the beard easier to put on and take off in a hurry.

[eerielunarose]

Re: Hakama

Round Earth Publishing has a Hakama pattern. I have not used it myself, or any of their other pattersn, so I don't know how user-friendly/easy it is. It seems they do quality, accurate patterns for all sorts of authentic Asian clothes and accessories.

I understand wanting to do the costume exactly as it is, and maybe he doesn't wear Hakama, but the truth is, imo even if it does not separate either way of doing it would probably look pretty darn good, done properly. It's up to you, really, as it's probably easier to find Hakama pattern than something that does not separate. Go here to see: http://www.round-earth.com/patterns.html. They also have fitting instructions.

Re: Henna Tattooing

Yeah, most likely I can do that with no problem, as long as I find that wehn I experiment with my own little henna kit that it isn't a material I have a lot of trouble working with. In any case, the design itself is no more complicated in nature than the design on Kilik (yellow vest version)'s  shouldergear in SC2 and I did a pretty accurate job with those. I just need to be sure to have it there for reference when I do it. I'll get back to you on this when I've experimented with some henna and seen how comfortable I am working with it, to tell you how accurate I could be.

As for a reward... *gets an evil mazoku smile...* um, yessss, we should definitely talk about wooden props, as I do have a few props that need making and wood is just SO much more durable than foam and/or some of the other materials I've worked with in the past.

Props! Wheehehee~! *buzzes around the room in a joyful little blur*

[Radien]

Re: Hakama

Yep, Eerie, I see what you're talking about. However, if I were to do something without two legs, I would probably just find a long skirt pattern and alter it slightly. After all, aren't skirts pretty easy to make?...

A pattern is tempting, but that'd be another $17 spent, and I'm not sure I'd get any more use out of it after this project. :/


Re: Henna & Props

You sound like you've had some pretty good practice! Actually I don't anticipate henna will be hard to work with.  Because...

1. it can be applied by squeezing little lines through a nozzle, and
2. it is a thick liquid that is meant to go on excessively and then flake off (revealing dyed skin). So it probably won't run or drip at all.

So hey, if you'd like to practice, perhaps you'd like to come to the "Make It or Break It" party, and we can make a small batch of henna and practice with little designs on arms and hands? That'd be fun, and it wouldn't take long.

As for the props... well, Alex warned me that creating a wooden sword would probably take about 4 hours total, and I was going to make two of those AND a pair of sandals, so that's a full day's work right there.

If it's something that doesn't take any longer to make than Adray's henna tattoos take to be painted, I could do it on my own. However, if you want anything fancier than that, I might want to inquire with Alex and see if it's okay for me to bring a friend. Alex is married, and I bet you'd really get along with both of them -- they had a Rennaisance-style church wedding (sewed all the bridal party's clothing themselves), and both enjoy many types of costuming and craftwork.

[princessbunny99]

.
Also, are you sure this particular garment is pleated pants?... I know traditional Japanese garb has pleated pants (Hakama, of course), but no matter how hard I look at Adray, I can't visually separate one leg from the other...

That might go to the video game designers for cutting a few corners but as far as i know, unless they were robes, warriors didn't wear too many skirt-type-things. but i'm 99% sure those are hakama.....i had a friend who had a pair for Kendo and i swore he was wearing a skirt until he did the splits >.<

-pb-

[Radien]

That might go to the video game designers for cutting a few corners but as far as i know, unless they were robes, warriors didn't wear too many skirt-type-things. but i'm 99% sure those are hakama.....i had a friend who had a pair for Kendo and i swore he was wearing a skirt until he did the splits >.<

Okay, PB, I believe you... after all, during my high school musical I remember the female lead wearing something similar -- so it'd look like she was wearing a skirt, but be easier to move in.  In any case, I guess I'll shop around to see what kinds of hakama patterns I can dig up.

That's a little bit harsh on the game designers, though. After all, they only quite recently figured out how to make a skirt look right. The first skirt I've seen in a video game that actually moved like a skirt was in Chrono Cross. And if you think about it, for the purpose of game design, loose pleated pants are like two skirts in one! With fabric brushing against fabric, it'd be insanely hard to render perfectly, even on a PS2.

EDIT:

Hey, I found a free online pattern!! I'm not yet sure how good it is... what you do two think?

http://luxnova.home.mindspring.com/samuraigame/hakama.html

[princessbunny99]

that looks like a complicated pattern.....but if you sat down and calculated it all out, that would be a good resource, and if it doesn't work out, they pointed you to an actual pattern

-pb-

[Radien]

Yes, yes. And I could practice with cheap muslin... I don't like spending the extra time making a practice garment, but it's better than messing up on the real thing. Thanks for your opinion.

EDIT:

Hey, wait a second...! :shock: Look at this line at the top of the page:

"Andon-bakama is similar but lacks a division for the legs and is just a skirt."

Okay, now I've gotta go do a search on andon-bakama...

[eerielunarose]

Re: Henna & Props

You sound like you've had some pretty good practice! Actually I don't anticipate henna will be hard to work with.  Because...

1. it can be applied by squeezing little lines through a nozzle, and
2. it is a thick liquid that is meant to go on excessively and then flake off (revealing dyed skin). So it probably won't run or drip at all.

So hey, if you'd like to practice, perhaps you'd like to come to the "Make It or Break It" party, and we can make a small batch of henna and practice with little designs on arms and hands? That'd be fun, and it wouldn't take long.

As for the props... well, Alex warned me that creating a wooden sword would probably take about 4 hours total, and I was going to make two of those AND a pair of sandals, so that's a full day's work right there.

If it's something that doesn't take any longer to make than Adray's henna tattoos take to be painted, I could do it on my own. However, if you want anything fancier than that, I might want to inquire with Alex and see if it's okay for me to bring a friend. Alex is married, and I bet you'd really get along with both of them -- they had a Rennaisance-style church wedding (sewed all the bridal party's clothing themselves), and both enjoy many types of costuming and craftwork.

Well, as you ought to know, it's aaall about the scheduling with me. (I'm actually going to be playing with my henna kit over the next few days, looks like.) When's this make it or break it party you mentioned? And whenabouts are you going to be working in Alex's workshop? Cause it's basically that I don't know my work schedule for Sun-Sat until the Thurs before, so, if I'm free I can do stuff, and if I'm not I can't, since I can't go about requesting time off for every single thing. (Hence my absence this weekend from certain activities you are attending.)

As for the patterns and stuff, I only recommended Round Earth because I originally found them through Faerie Fingers. I don't really know much about traditional garb other than basic kimono, but yeah, it sounds like andon-bakama is what you're looking for. If you can find a free pattern for THAT, -then- you're all set.

Anyway, when you know that something's coming up as far as a work party or something, let me know. If henna is happy with me, I'll tell you what projects I'm thinking about wanting to make this year.

[Radien]

Scheduling? Well, as for the henna, I'm pretty certain when I'd need it: Friday if possible, Thursday if necessary. Since I can wear the henna under my other costumes, I figure it'd be best to do it right before we all leave for the con (or at the con on Friday night, if you really wanted to, but I'm antsy about attempting something for the first time while on-site).

As for "Make It or Break It," that's the name of the party I was hoping to have where we split our time between doing craftwork hobbies (Make), and either playing fighting games or actually boffer fighting outside (Break!)

I was originally going to just invite guys, because I and my guy friends have been relying too much on our sisters/S.O.'s to plan the social activities, lately. However, far be it from me to bar girls from attending... especially a crafting event. Just know that you may be outnumbered!

Right now, the scheduling of the party depends on the cost of materials for some of the stuff I want to make. I'm very poor right now, so I can't afford to spend much.

Re: Hakama

Well, from my searches I've only found two commercial patterns for hakama online: Round Earth, and Folkwear.com. And as far as I can tell, the Round Earth pattern is very tempting. It includes a lot of extra stuff that most patterns don't have, such as instructions for proper folding/tying. In comparison, the free pattern I found looks very difficult, because it has tons and tons of custom measurements, only a few diagrams, and no cutouts...

I'm fine with buying a pattern; I just want to be sure I'll get enough use out of it. After talking with Amy, we're thinking it'd be very cool to use it to make some authentic Japanese garb for the SCA. It's something I've been wanting to do for awhile, and Adray's hakama looks authentic enough to double as SCA garb (just as soon as I make a shirt to go with it ).