Finding the perfect character to cosplay can be exciting yet challenging due to hundreds of characters, styles and cosplays! Here's a step-by-step guide to help you discover your next cosplay project:
Reflect on Your Interests and what you enjoy!
- Favorite fandoms: Think about what interests you have. This can be from movies, TV shows, anime, comics, video games, or books you love and enjoy!
- Genre: When coming to genre, what do you like the most? It can be anything from Fantasy, sci-fi, historical, superheroes, or horror! There's many types of genres when figuring out what you do like and dislike.
- Character traits: Do you relate to any characters? Maybe its a strong hero, witty villains, quirky sidekicks or characters with blonde hair? Starting to form a cosplay idea off a character you relate to is a great way to become attached to your cosplay and find a love for your new creation!
Exploring Character Options
- Browsing for ideas! Cosplay isn't about just cosplaying a character and a specific outfit, it about doing the thing that you yearn and want. Try looking up official artwork, screenshots, or concept art of the character or series you want to cosplay from. Make sure to CREDIT any artists or cosplayers that inspire you.
- Research popular cosplay characters within your fandoms. Some fandoms have extremely well known characters while some have rare cosplays of. Are you looking forward to making a cosplay that is super recognizable that everyone else is doing? Or are you looking at creating a cosplay that is so rare and unique that no one else has?
- Look at cosplay communities, social media, and convention photos. Lots of people have created cosplays already, there are times where you will explore new cosplays you never would've seen before if it wasn't for them inspiring you!
Consider Your Skills and Resources
- Skill level: Choose characters with complexity suitable for your crafting skills. Are you just beginning with cosplays? What are some things you want to challenge yourself with and learn from?
- Budget: Consider costume, prop, and makeup requirements. Every cosplay deserves to have a budget where you decide how much you are willing to spend on it. Every attribute to the cosplay should be documented so that you don't have any surprises with budgeting and having to go outside your limit! Use the app "Cosplanner" to help organize your budget, the items of your cosplay and a deadline.
- Time commitment: Select characters with manageable construction time. We are all guilty of concrunching atleast once! Concrunching is Convention Crunching, where you basically rush yourself to finish a cosplay with a strict deadline. When planning out your cosplay, plan out the timeline you'd like to get it done by. Make sure to be realistic!!
Ask Yourself Questions
- Which characters resonate with your personality or values? Cosplaying characters that you relate to are a great way to bond with the character and finding a love for cosplaying. Maybe it's not their personality or value, its the love behind the character.
- Do you want to portray a iconic look or create a unique interpretation? Creating an iconic look can be followed with several others doing the same thing, however creating a unique interpretation can help get your name out there and differ you from others!
- Are there characters with skills or abilities you admire? Are you looking for a character that uses heavy props or LED lights? Or the character is obsessed with tinkering? Learn how to use their skills to challenge yourself to create their cosplay. Prime examples are Spiderman, Assassins Creed Gauntlets and Tinkerbell!
Tips for Choosing
- Start with recognizable characters to build confidence. Starting off with a character that isn't well known is not a bad thing, however it can be disappointing when no one knows where you are from. It can be discouraging at times, so maybe focus on a more popular character to build up your confidence!
- Select characters with versatile costume options. This can be from shirts, belts, pants, and wigs. You can make or find items of a character that can work for several cosplays!
- Consider group cosplay opportunities with friends. This can help push your confidence to the next level and learn how to act in character with several others.
Take your time, and have fun exploring! What's your favorite fandom or character archetype?