Category: Arts & Crafts

How to do Zaraki Kenpachi’s Hair

I had intended to post this yesterday but my computer shut down and my almost-finished post got eaten. Noooo!

Very well then. Today, I would like to present a cost-effective easy(ish) way to execute Kenpachi’s crazyass hair. He’s the favourite character of many Bleach fans but the ‘do is something that often stymies anyone wanting to cosplay the guy. Through my experimentation, frustration, and multiple tries, I managed to come up with a way to do his hairstyle in a way that is relatively simple and involves only materials that are cheap and easy to find.

I’ll also share with you the process of creation and discovering what works and what doesn’t. The hairpiece I currently have works but I intend to re-make it with some improvements. I’ll tell you what these will be and why I will make the alterations in question. In addition, I will talk about Kenpachi’s eyepatch and how I made that.

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Look like something you’d like to try? Well read on then!

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Making an Evil Wizard Staff

Finally, the project is complete and ready to be shared. An inexpensive but beautiful staff for an evil mage or wizard. My secret weapons for crafting are tissue paper, glue, and wire. Never underestimate the power of these humble items to make something cool!

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Elf Ears

Elf Ears

“Hey Ethan, what’re you doing?”

“Oh y’know, just washing my ears.”

I bought these: http://www.trendyhalloween.com/Woochie-Werewolf-Ears-P12867.aspx#.UjCS6cYjLGU last year because the other elf-ears in the store were too short for my liking and it’s a lot easier to go from dark brown to black than pale peach to black.

I mixed a few drops of black acrylic paint into some liquid latex and re-coloured them. A bit of matte finishing spray to take off the rubbery shine (and stickiness) and tada! Drow ears.

Black Hands: Using Alcohol-Activated Paint

Woohoo! I got my alcohol-activated paint in the mail and gave it a try. While it’s more expensive than the other solution I offered with the latex gloves, I recommend this method if you can get hold of the stuff. You put it on, it dries really fast, and then it doesn’t come off for anything short of 99% isopropyl alcohol.

I initially ordered it through Reel Creations but given that I live in Montreal, the shipping was going to be almost twice what the actual colour pot was worth! So I sent them an email asking if there were any distributors closer to where I live so that I wouldn’t have to pay crazy ridiculous shipping. They were exceedingly helpful and understanding and in a few days they got back to me with a distributor in Toronto: The Face Station. If you’re in Canada looking to buy unusual makeup and theatre stuff, I highly recommend these folks. They work alongside an actual theatre and special effects school so they’re able to give you tips and such on how to use their products.

The colour pot didn’t come with any instructions but instead of pestering the Station, I just talked to my friend who recommended the stuff to me in the first place. It’s ridiculously easy to use. So let’s get down to business and show you how it’s done!

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Black Hands: A Drow Dilemma

One issue that plagues anyone dressing as a Drow (or any other creature which requires the skin to be a different colour!) is what to do about the hands. If you paint them, you will get paint all over everything you touch unless you get a very special kind of paint that is hard to come by. (Alcohol activated stuff.)

So I am making a foray into troubleshooting this perennial problem in a way that both works and doesn’t break the bank.

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The Book That Bleeds

Ever go to a convention and encounter the problem of your costume having no pockets? It’s a perennial problem but I’ve found a stylish solution for my Drow mage. What could be more natural than carrying around a spellbook?

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How to Weave Japanese Waraji Sandals for Bleach Cosplay

One of the trickiest bits of a shinigami costume from the anime Bleach (aside from the hair) is the sandals. Unlike the quality uniforms that you can order online, the sandals that are available for purchase are pretty sub-par quality wise and don’t fit the feet of the wearer the way a custom made pair will. The good news is: they’re pretty cheap and easy to make once you get the hang of it.

I found a pretty good guide online for how to make the sandals here. However, I found the pictures to be a little unclear and some of the directions were incomplete such as how to actually do the weaving which resulted in quite a bit of trial and error.

So, I thought I’d present an updated guide for you to make use of. I hope you find it helpful!

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Chapter 3 Update (and some crafting!)

So my editor got back to me with a fixed-up chapter 3 for Blood of Midnight: The Broken Prophecy. Glad to see you feeling better Kal!

I had a bout of insomnia last night so I decided to make the best of the situation and worked on the chapter while the sun rose. So eerily quiet! But on the upside, I got most of the work I had scheduled to do today done before the alarm went off. Go me!

I also got most of the Book That Bleeds completed which is not actually a writing project. It’s a costume prop. I’m going to this year’s Montreal ComicCon and I’ve decided to cosplay as a Drow. I love elves of all sorts but this particular variety has got to be my favourite because of their interesting culture. And before you ask, no, I’m not a super-rare good Drow seeking to redeem himself from the evil ways of his people. Nope. I’m a standard run-of-the-mill evil Loth-worshipping Drow. Yay!

As you might have guessed, aside from writing, one of my passions is costuming. I usually make my own costumes and my wife’s as well. This year is no different except that the budget is a little tiny bit bigger than last year. Perhaps I’ll share some of my in-progress costume-creation shots!

But that can wait until after I finish this fresh-ground hazelnut coffee. Mmm.

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