So this is a costume I have been constantly updating and touching up on for over a year, and it has been a real adventure, so I thought i may as well share it with everyone.
Cortana is a character I very much love and admire, and even look up to for her intelligence, wit, and sass (and of course beauty), so deciding to emulate her seemed like an obvious decision for me... once i worked up the courage to step into a bodysuit... I am still not totally comfortable with, but now i have a very compelling reason driving work out more!!! >,<
There were alot of times when i wanted to give up on this project, but I'm glad I didn't. The reward of seeing it completed, and the joy of putting the entire thing together for the first time was well worth the frustration I felt in the process. So a message to anyone working on a costume (especially all you talented people here working on intricate armors that takes months to build, I shall forever admire your work) always stay with a project, the rewards are worth the effort.....But i digress....
Bet you can't stick it....
Finding clear references for all parts of her body (back, sides, arms) was rather difficult, so i based my suit heavily on halo 3 Cortana mixed with abit from the animated shorts.
(my work space)
I started out with a basic blue zentai suit, which i cut off the hands, feet, and head (though looking back i wish i hadn't cut off the hand, body paint on the hands comes off so easily).
And basically i took fabric paint and painters tape, taped out the design i wanted and painted the pattern on myself. I had a manikin for the back, and a friend step into the suit for the arms and legs, but all and all very primitive as far as work space or technique goes....
aside from the dark blue base paint, i used some lighter toned UV glow paint for her 'scroll bars' which have since faded into the darker blue which created a nice eerie glow when the suit is under UV light (wish i had pictures of it)
but the results went pretty well all in all, it took me maybe 14 to 16 hours to paint:
Unfortunately just a good body suit does not a happy Cortana make, my body paint, wig, and contacts, all came very late last year, so i had no time to properly test my makeup/cut my wig/get used to the contacts by the tie convention season rolled around. Though i was not displeased with the results:
(aside, this makeup is water based paint, by a British company, i am thinking of trying PAX paint in the future, water based paints smudge and run alot, and require constant touch ups, and no one wants to get close to you at a con.....)
However i was going for accuracy, and obviously my wig and makeup was certainly not up to par...But of course this by no means meant I didn't have fun!
I even made a friend ^,^(Only Chief i found that weekend)
But this year i am much more prepared, I have styled my wig, and have plenty of practice with the makeup now!
and maybe i even look alittle like an older version of our little AI friend...
She is still a constant work in progress, but I am very proud of my work so far.
I will post action shots of her soon, Convention Season is starting and all new adventures await~!
Cortana is a character I very much love and admire, and even look up to for her intelligence, wit, and sass (and of course beauty), so deciding to emulate her seemed like an obvious decision for me... once i worked up the courage to step into a bodysuit... I am still not totally comfortable with, but now i have a very compelling reason driving work out more!!! >,<
There were alot of times when i wanted to give up on this project, but I'm glad I didn't. The reward of seeing it completed, and the joy of putting the entire thing together for the first time was well worth the frustration I felt in the process. So a message to anyone working on a costume (especially all you talented people here working on intricate armors that takes months to build, I shall forever admire your work) always stay with a project, the rewards are worth the effort.....But i digress....
Bet you can't stick it....
Finding clear references for all parts of her body (back, sides, arms) was rather difficult, so i based my suit heavily on halo 3 Cortana mixed with abit from the animated shorts.
(my work space)
I started out with a basic blue zentai suit, which i cut off the hands, feet, and head (though looking back i wish i hadn't cut off the hand, body paint on the hands comes off so easily).
And basically i took fabric paint and painters tape, taped out the design i wanted and painted the pattern on myself. I had a manikin for the back, and a friend step into the suit for the arms and legs, but all and all very primitive as far as work space or technique goes....
aside from the dark blue base paint, i used some lighter toned UV glow paint for her 'scroll bars' which have since faded into the darker blue which created a nice eerie glow when the suit is under UV light (wish i had pictures of it)
but the results went pretty well all in all, it took me maybe 14 to 16 hours to paint:
Unfortunately just a good body suit does not a happy Cortana make, my body paint, wig, and contacts, all came very late last year, so i had no time to properly test my makeup/cut my wig/get used to the contacts by the tie convention season rolled around. Though i was not displeased with the results:
(aside, this makeup is water based paint, by a British company, i am thinking of trying PAX paint in the future, water based paints smudge and run alot, and require constant touch ups, and no one wants to get close to you at a con.....)
However i was going for accuracy, and obviously my wig and makeup was certainly not up to par...But of course this by no means meant I didn't have fun!
I even made a friend ^,^(Only Chief i found that weekend)
But this year i am much more prepared, I have styled my wig, and have plenty of practice with the makeup now!
and maybe i even look alittle like an older version of our little AI friend...
She is still a constant work in progress, but I am very proud of my work so far.
I will post action shots of her soon, Convention Season is starting and all new adventures await~!
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