A great place to look at photos and reference sites for contacts is this thread on Cosplay.com:
http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=125245
Having brown eyes, I have to use opaque lenses. These are really hard to get in the U.S., or are very expensive and you have to jump through a lot of hoops to get them, like paying extra fees to get your eyes checked. I have great vision, and so I’ve always risked it and ordered from Asian sites, which are cheap and great at making vivid colored contacts for people with dark eyes. While not approved to sell in the U.S. as an extra precaution, they are still safe enough to sell in their own countries and pass their own safety laws. I’m not recommending you follow my footsteps. There is a risk involved. However, I only wear colored contacts for a few hours at a time, and if they every irritate me, I remove them immediately and figure “hey, that’s what Photoshop is for.” There have been photoshoots where I’ve not bothered with contacts at all, because I knew that I could edit the results afterwards.
I always start a pattern I drafted myself on the large side so I can trim down as much as I want. Nothing is more irritating (and material wasting) than having to recut a piece because I cut it too small, so I err on the side of largeness. As for fitting it properly, I put on the pieces inside out and pin it as needed. Then I take it off, draw a smooth chalk line connecting the pin ‘dots’, and sew from there. I always use wide stitches when fitting a costume because I end up ripping LOTS of seams.
I learned on a public access TV sewing show that commercial patterns run large so that you have room to adjust the pattern, and that if you know your size, it is okay to cut a pattern 2 sizes smaller than what your measurements are. I have been sick of using commercial patterns for YEARS knowing that they were too loose on me, and even though I knew I should just use smaller sized patterns, it took that old lady on TV telling me it was okay to try it out. And it works great for me. So now I just go ahead and cut my commercial patterns 2 sizes smaller and it saves me hours of fitting time!
I stay away from the really cheap Halloween brands because like you said, they tend to suck a lot. For bright crazy colors, I usually use eyeliner pencils. Mostly because I don’t want to waste a large amount of money on a crazy lipstick that I’ll only use once or twice, and I know I will use it again as eyeliner. I just fill in my lips with the pencil, blot it, and cover it (carefully) with a lipgloss. The same rule applies to buying eyeliner, though – don’t go for the cheap waxy brands! Choose something on the higher end of the drugstore brands at the very least. Sephora is a great brand that isn’t too expensive but has rich pigments.
Woah, a mini interview. Yay!
1. Do you consider yourself a “cosplay celeb” or at the very least realize some level of “popularity”?
Yes, I suppose I’m known within the cosplay community. Wait, let me play the modest oblivious card. WUT? ME? Oh heavens, you think so? Gosh, I’m flattered! Exclamation points!!! Stop looking at me! *bashful* ….no. Well, kinda. “Celebrity” is a goofy word with snobby connotations, but I suppose it fits the definition of “famously recognized” …of course, within a very, very small community. I also realize that I’ve been doing this for many, many years so eventually someone was bound to notice. Right? Right???
2. How do you think celeb status/recognition befell you? (luck, hard work, talent, publicity, aid from others, etc?)
I began cosplaying with limebarb in 2003. That is when both of us began being recognized. She had cosplayed years before that, but I feel that both of us working together helped her get her name out there, as well as mine. I’m still occasionally mistaken for her, because I was always pimping out her name at cons and we used her name for our cosplays. Only recently have I begun to cosplay with other talented cosplayers that I have admired over the years. I just emailed people whose work I loved and begged them to cosplay with me, lol.
Any recognition I have is owed to the gifted people I have learned from and worked with over the years. I know it sounds incredibly cheesy, but I think my greatest cosplay skill is being able to surround myself with people more talented than I am. I think my sewing skills are decent, as are my photo editing skills and I have a website. In a hobby that is internet driven, good photos and a vehicle to show them are in some ways more important to “fame” than the costumes. However, I don’t have a blog or livejournal or anything. (Uh, yet?) I love constructing costumes as a hobby and don’t want it to become the center of my life and drama. Cosplay is where I go to escape. However, now it’s hard to escape, because cosplay is kind of my life. I began working for Cosplay.com in 2010, so yeah. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.
3. Do you get recognized often? How do you react to Fangirl/boyism? when its you not the costume they are fauning over?
I actually don’t get recognized as Jia too often in costume. When I am, I’m elated! I mean, who wouldn’t be? That’s pretty neat. Out of costume, I am never recognized except by friends. I don’t post many out of costume pics of myself and I look VERY DIFFERENT without all the fancy clothes, good posture, and makeup. I like to keep the focus on my cosplay and not on my everyday life. I suppose that has indirectly weeded out potential stalkers because I don’t post much personal info i.e. stalking fodder anywhere. I just talk about costumes. Kinda boring, unless you like costumes, too!
I use startlogic.com for hosting. I designed and maintain the website myself with Macromedia Dreamweaver. It is very ghetto; one quick look at my code from someone who knows what they’re doing will tell you I do things the long, hard, inefficient way. UPDATE: I now use WordPress for my site layout. So much easier to update! Glad I did it!
I have used an airbrush machine with a separate generator that cost hundreds of dollars. I have also used airbrushes hooked up to compressed air cans. I find the hardest part is keeping said airbrush parts clean. I don’t think I was properly informed, nor could I find excellent online tutorials about how to take apart and clean and maintain airbrush parts. Therefore, I now exclusively use the poor-man’s airbrush: the can of spray paint. If anyone out there can give me (and the cosplay world) some tips on how to unclog my expensive airbrush tools, HELP A GAL OUT. Sorry this wasn’t much help! I might add though, the spray paint works rather nicely with some practice! (I’m so cheap!)
No, this is not futile. GENERALLY (and exceptions run rampant) girls are more cerebral in their attractions while guys are more physical. I could find some data to back up this genetic anomaly but I’m not writing a school essay and I’m lazy. Go google it. So thus, you have the advantage, given the assumption that you have some “skills” in the Napoleon Dynamite sense. Girls want guys that have skills. At least, that is true with me. All of my boyfriends have had/do have exceptional proficiency in some arena. I have dated a sponsored inline skater, a graphic designer for a major Chicago company, a gifted musician, a sculptor, etc. (And not all of them have been considered good-looking to the masses – but at least to me!) The “awwr” factor for me is that they are knowledgable and talented in their field. In addition to that: if there isn’t an immediate physical attraction, as you are implying, I would suggest being friends first. I know there is some sort of manly movement against getting in the “friend zone” with chicks, that totally prevents you from scoring. But that is just it – you will just be “scoring”. The best long-term relationships evolve out of friendship, but the crappy part is that it takes a buttload longer to do that and there is more risk involved. I suppose I might be atypical and not the best girl to ask this question. I am not attracted to guys on looks alone. There’s gotta be substance. I am always looking beyond the surface and I never “hook up”. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!) So if you’re looking for advice on one nighters, don’t ask me! I’m just not that type of gal.
But if I were to give some generic tips as to how to talk to a cosplay girl at a con, it would be this: don’t tell her she’s hot, because she’s already heard it 3427089 times that day. Don’t try to strike up an intimate conversation while she’s getting photographed; she is preoccupied. Wait until you see her taking a break, then go up and talk to her like she’s not wearing a costume at all. WAIT, that sounds bad. That is, wearing normal clothes – you know what I mean. Keep in mind that most cosplayers have been asked “HOW DID U MAKE UR COSTUM” more than they have been told they’re hot, so think of a very specific, unique question or comment. Any person that shows genuine interest in my hobby, and goes beyond the generic questions, gets an A+ and my full attention. :)
Are you insinuating something by asking me that? o_O I have a diastema and I am quite proud of it, THANK YOU. Madonna has one, and she’s pretty rad. Actually, I had extensive orthodontic work as a teen, including braces, a palatial expander, and headgear. If you feel sorry for me and my awkward childhood, you can send me money through my paypal jia@jiajem.com. Your sympathy donations will help the painful memories go away!!! I jest. But really, if you do, I will send you a courtesy “before” pic that I know you’re dying to see now! I have a retainer that I could wear to get rid of my tooth gap, but I find it rather distinguishing and so I choose to keep it.
So you want to smile with your bad teeth, and orthodontics and/or long hours in photoshop aren’t an option? How about cosplaying badass characters and smirking only on the good side of your teeth? Or cosplay only sexy characters, and lick your teeth in every picture, covering them up. No, don’t do either of those! Well… you could. My half sarcastic tone doesn’t come through very well over the internet. Or, you could embrace your snaggletooth/teeth and make it your special cosplay feature! Warning: you must have a sense of humor about yourself to take this approach, as teasing is inevitable. Stupidly, it’s a cruel, judgemental world. It’s either that, or a lifetime of close-mouthed smiles, which seems sad to me.
I avoid the computer after getting back from a con. I’m usually hyped up and happy on a con high, and don’t want bad pictures of myself to bring my mood down. After a week or so I’ll go looking for pictures and stuff. I do collect them all, good and bad. I generally am with you and think I look like crap in most photos. Basically I post only the good photos, pray no one finds the bad photos, and whenever I start feeling cocky about myself I look at all those ugly photos to put things in perspective. :P Seriously, I think that’s a normal feeling; or at least one that you and I both share. You’re not alone!
I am always on the lookout for neat places to take pictures. Parks, historical landmarks on off days (fewer tourists), playgrounds, forests, beaches, churches, interesting textural buildings; your town is your oyster. Don’t think your town is boring. Of course it is boring to you, because you’ve lived in it forever and see it every day. But to someone else, the scenery might look exotic. For instance, I am in Illinois. I think rolling wheat meadows in the summer and snow-covered trees in winter are are about the most unsightly, boring backgrounds imaginable, but that’s just because I live here. To someone who’s never seen snow, or never seen off into the horizon a smooth farmscape as far as the eye can see, this might be the sweetest view alive. Likewise, mountains and palmtrees look like Mars to me. Junky alleyways and doorways work, too.
Make a fieldtrip, drive around town with your cosplay buds (or friend you’ve roped into photographing you), and see what you can find. Generally, your driveway is not far enough away. And especially not your messy bedroom. Maybe you’re embarrassed to go in public in your costume, or are afraid of being told to leave. I generally fall back on the “I’m a student doing a school project” excuse and most passersby find it interesting and eventually leave. Most people think it’s cool, and unless you have broken into private property, you aren’t going to be arrested. Don’t overlook interior spaces, as well. Maybe you have a salon or retail store with a cool lobby. Or some quaint bed and breakfast, or mom-and-pop diner. Go in and talk with the owner, explain your project, and if possible bring a portfolio of your work with you. Ask if you can come in during some non-busy time to take pictures for 20 minutes. Sometimes they say no, but you never know unless you ask! You’d be surprised how many adults will receive you positively, seeing that you are a young person doing something constructive with their time.
If you’re at a convention and want to take some nice photos, get away from the crowd. Look in stairwells or in less-frequented hallways for interesting paintings or sculptures, etc. One of the first things I do when I arrive to a convention, and before I change into a costume, is walk around the entire hotel and scope out places for photos.
![Jia Jem as Jack [Alt Version] from Mass Effect 2](http://jiajem.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2694-106x150.jpg "Jia Jem as Jack [Alt Version] from Mass Effect 2")
