It is a Sunday afternoon, which means for this blog something should be posted. At least once a fortnight, but for a while I wanted once a week! Which, in the blogging world is pretty average; so where the fuck have I been? If you follow me on social media, you would have seen that I have also been a little quieter on there bar reposts and retweets. The truth is, the past few months have been quiet difficult. I am currently a PhD student coming towards the end of my first year, which means that a good chunk of work is due in. I also have some home issues that I'm not comfortable to discuss here, but they have certainly taken a toll this year, although they have been present in my life since around 2011. So for the start of the year, up until now, I have emotionally been going through a lot, to the stage where I thought I needed to drop out of my PhD despite working towards it since my undergraduate third year in 2010. I've had some help, and luckily I have a great support network which I am so privileged to have. At times, it is sometimes hard to find the wood among the trees, and it is only now I am starting to realise how much support people will provide if I just open up rather than bottle away; hoping that it will just disappear by itself. In truth, it has only made it worse.
So I am now just working though everything. I'm hoping once I hand in some PhD progress work, that my cosplay passion will come back and I can find some time to work on it. I enjoyed a good few hours playing Horizon: Zero Dawn in March and April and again. Hopefully find some more time to progress on. I have an Aloy wig that I styled, but I doubt that will be finished for Manchester MCM. So just to ease up pressure on myself I'll probably just be taking Manchester MCM pretty chilled this year with maybe one costume for the weekend or maybe a rewear of my Egyptian assassin.
I have plenty of blogposts here that I can write, so for now I'm not saying when you can expect a post, but please keep an eye out. Writing out this now is cathartic and it seems a shame to just let this blog go. It was something that kept me occupied when I was unemployed and the fact that I didn't write anything last month, yet still received 4k views is unbelievable. Thank you whoever is visiting!
I also can't sign off without mentioning the incident that happened in Manchester last Monday. As someone who considers Manchester to be their home city and was due to go the concert, it has be an upsetting week. My thoughts have been with those who were involved all week and to see how Manchester has united over the past seven days has filled me with pride for a city that I research and live among.
Until the next blogpost, you can always find me online via Lady Scion and remember to appreciate your friends even if they are virtual connections or within a physical sphere (sorry, my geography is coming out!) because they certainly help you to be the person that you are. To all my friends, thank you.
In order to be fair, this is a response blogpost to my previous one detailing '5 Reasons why I like Reboot Lara'; if you haven't read it yet the link is the blogpost title you've just read. I made that one because the poor girl gets a bit hate and I personally quite like the overall design and embedded game play elements in her design. However, I grew up with classic Lara, starting with my Saturn and progressing onward with secondhand copies on PC (when it actually ran!). So naturally, I like elements of that version too! This isn't about one version verses the other in a battle to the death with the 'true' Lara reigning supreme; nah, I don't have much time or patience for that...
So here are five reasons why I like classic Lara:
1. Wit and humour
Wikiraider
Lara certainly had some corkers of lines during the classic period and all revolved around a good dose of British humour. Being witty in the face of danger altered the power dynamics between her and her enemy. It made sure the Lara could demonstrate her dignified control over a situation. It doesn't come across quite as wisecracking as Nathan Drake does in the Uncharted series, which overall just makes those moments feel all the sweeter.
2. Simplicity in design
Irishhips
In the previous blogpost, I suggested that I like the overall design of reboot Lara because as a cosplayer, it is more interesting to create and more comfortable to wear. However, the turquoise, brown and gold colour pallet is iconic to the character of Lara. Boobs aside, the simplicity is what makes it special and it came across well with the technology of the time. Even when new outfits were used in subsequent titles, the simplicity remained which helped to create the perception of Lara; rather than being distracted by clothing design. Something I found quite jarring in Legend from both the designs and the amount of clothing options that were presented.
I'll admit; I am not a fan of the 'daddy' stories or 'mummy' stories that have crept into Tomb Raider over the years. What I liked about classic Lara was she was doing it because she wanted to; even when approached by agencies *cough*Natla Industries*cough* she only took on the job if she felt it benefited her or it was a particularly important mission for the world as a whole. When Kurtis came along in Angel of Darkness, it was nice to see that dynamic of the woman who would often choose to work alone combined with the need to stick and work together. Was it romantic? Who knows, in my mind I say it might have gone that way, but the wonders of imagination means you can write your own narrative!
5. Backpack
Has there ever been a backpack that earned the title of a 'Mary Poppins Bag' as much as Lara's classic backpack? Found in Cambodia, lost in Paris and even then the nifty grey number held just as much stuff. It held artifacts, weapons, flares and medipacks galore. All in that lovely brown colour and solid shape that is damn hard to find a replica of for something that looks so simple!
So it is 2017 and it is time to start working on new cosplays! GLaDOS is my big build for this year, but alongside I want to make smaller costumes and improve ones I already have.
First of these is Ellie from TLOU2 trailer. I already have an Ellie cosplay from the first game (sorry, I don't have any pictures :(! Another 2017 goal!) and when I saw the new trailer I fell in love with the older, more worldly Ellie who has dirt and scars seemingly ingrained into her skin. Also there is blood, so of course I like it!
If you are doing an Ellie cosplay, I hope these images (taken from the trailer) and notes help you out. I will update when more information and/or the game is released. If you have noticed something I haven't, let me know in the comments or via twitterand I can amend :).
Full Body:
Face and Neck:
Shirt and T shirt:
Tattoo:
Hands:
Left Hand
Right Hand
Right Hand
Shopping/Making List:
- Petrol blue thick cotton or lightweight denim shirt. Looks to be more a male tailoring. Has silver poppers, fastens left to right. Was long sleeves, roughly cut to be short.
- Olive green crew neck t shirt. Typical 'Fruit of the Loom' style.
- Skinny mid-wash blue jeans. Ripped at the knees. Slightly longer than needed to push up at the ankle.
- Converse black (could be navy however) boots.
- All your favourite products for blood/scars/grazes and dirt. I'll be creating a make up guide when I progress further with the costume :)
YouTube is a treasure trove of cosplay videos and any cosplayer should definitely be making the most of what content is on offer. It can be overwhelming; however here a few suggestions of channels that cosplayers should certainly hit that subscribe button for!
Best for overall cosplay advice: Mango Sirene
You cannot go wrong with Mango Sirene. An American cosplayer who covers everything cosplay, and I mean everything! Her 'Cosplay 101' series explains pattern drafting, finding hotel rooms, wig styling and more. The convention vlogs are entertaining and beautifully edited and there are also the odd fun craft or challenge video. A well rounded channel that is both entertaining and educational for new or experienced cosplayers. If that wasn't enough, become a Pateron and there are addition live streams to see what Mango is making next! If only I could be half as productive as her!
Best for Prop Making Punished Props/ Bill Doran
The guy who knows the most about foam! If you are thinking of making armor or props, you should stop here first for tips and ideas. There are also tutorial series on resins, sculpting and metal casting. Bill also has 'Foamsmith' books available for any additional help you may need to create your foam creations.
Best for Varied Character Creation Axceleration Cosplay
A good proportion of cosplay videos on Youtube are anime inspired, so if you are like me and don't make anime costumes or fancy a change, Axceleration has a good variety of costumes that you don't often see tutorials for. Like Mango, her 'Introduction to Cosplay' series covers a lot of basics and is a great starting point for any cosplayer. Her enthusiasm certainly comes through which makes her a joy to watch.
The Best for Cosplay Music Videos (that isn't Sneaky Zebra ;) ) The 86th Floor
Okay, I know Sneaky Zebra are the kings of the CMV, but you are probably subbed already! So I'm suggesting 86th Floor, a British team who have produced some great CMVs in 2016 and have some great choreographed segments with my particular favourite being the Overwatch team from Manchester MCM 2016.
Best for Wigs Alexa Poletti
Anything you could possibly want to do with a wig, Alexa will know how! After collecting a following on Instagram, Alexa set up a YouTube channel which has grown at an unbelievable rate; and rightly so with her informative wig tutorials.
Best for Worbla Kamui Cosplay
What Kamui can't do with worbla, I'm pretty sure can't be done at all. All the videos are fairly short in length and presented in a lighthearted and fun manner. So it is easy to watch a full series at a time. The channel is especially useful if you are planning on making Blizzard characters. If you need more help, Kamui has a range of books including her latest, 'The Costume Making Guide' which has a collection of worbla armor and prop tutorials.
Best for MakeUp Emma Pickles
Although not a cosplay channel, Emma Pickles has a good mix of recognisable characters that you may be cosplaying in addition to general SFX and makeup tutorials that you could adapt for your own cosplay. For UK cosplayers it is great to see someone using products that you have access to!
So here are a few channels that if you are a cosplayer, you should be subbed to! I still have many more in my subscriptions so will probably do another version later on in the year!
