My first Cosplay try

[Wiesel]

Kaltxì ma eylan

I had the chance to try out an avatar cosplay for my first time.
It happend at our first german learnnavi and Avatar meet-up this year near Würzburg, Germany.
Both my painter and me were cosplay newbies and we had no experience at all.
We have used liquid latex and some child paint colours for around the eyes.

we have learned alot, and found some "no we wont do that again this way"-things.
basically we have used 3 layers of liquid latex, i guess we have used a way to viscous latex mix,
atleast thats what i felt while we have applied the layers, the skin was very thick at the end.

Also mixing latex colours is quite difficult i would say,
well we tried to mix a darker blue but it was close to black,
even its not that dark on the pictures it was very close to black stripes.

Goal was to try out liquid latex as an option for a future cosplay,
additional Na'vi cosplay features like latex-ears, bracelets, headpiece or clothes were not on the focus this time.

Also, what i would like to know is how have you added liquid latex to your skins if used?
We have used sponges but also tried out a paint spraying machine, it didn't worked well.
The problem was the latex simple blocked the machine pumping/spraying system very fast.
Sponges were ok but way to slow to add the basic layers of the latex skin.

What are you guys thinking about the following pictures?
Got any ideas or hints to make it better?

Spoiler

irayo ulte kìyevame ma eylan
Wiesel

[Eaite Randjam]

If you have time and money to spare before you actually start applying makeup and latex, take the time to experiment with color combination to get the color the way you want it.  Remember that most of the skin of the Na'vi is the same color, and that differences in color are for details such as markings and calling attention to certain features of the face and body.  Remember your audience and where they are going to see you.  If people are going to be seeing you from afar you want to exaggerate your makeup a little; Contrariwise, if your audience is going to interact with you up close try keep makeup more natural looking.

Learn from your past mistakes.  Try different things until you find a method you like.  Most importantly, if you like cosplaying don't give up on a project just because it isn't the best!

[Pxia Säsngap]

Kaltxì

I'd like to try out liquid latex as well, but I also have a few questions to everyone who has already used it:
1. Which colour do you recommend? thought of light blue and dark blue for the stripes. But the light blue the Na'vi have could also be more like torquoise...
2. How much liquid latex do I need for one person on average? There are 1l, 3l, ...  So, which one should I buy?
3. Like Wiesel already asked: How do you apply it to your skin? Sponges, brushes,...? Of course, ma Eaite 'Randjam, it's better to try several things but I'd like to get to know how you/the others have done it. 

we have learned alot, and found some "no we wont do that again this way"-things.

What are these? What is it you won't do again? And what was good?

[Robert Nantangä Tirea]

I am jealous that you all had a LN/Na'vi get-to-gether. I want to organize something like that here on the east coast too.

Also your neytiri style knife is very cool.

[Wiesel]

we have learned alot, and found some "no we wont do that again this way"-things.

What are these? What is it you won't do again? And what was good?

Well first we tried it with a paint spraying machine, it didn't worked well either the latex was to viscous or the machine simple not able to spray liquid latex, it got blocked very fast.
Then we have applied all latex layers with sponges and this takes ages.
We needed like 4.5h for everything, its way to long, basically the most time we have spend
were on the basic layers but you absolutely don't have to keep an eye on details there. The basic layers must go faster next time for sure.
4.5h is no fun for the model nor the painter  

The facepaint will be done in an other way too for sure, we have also used mostly Latex here except around the eyes.
I will take a look at professional theater makeup or anything close to it next time and only trying to make the nose+ear parts with latex.

Also i will try out an other latex manufacturer next time, may that will make a difference.
Any recommendations here? What kind of Latex are you using?

I am jealous that you all had a LN/Na'vi get-to-gether. I want to organize something like that here on the east coast too.

Also your neytiri style knife is very cool.

Thanks, yea the meet-up was great and i hope we will make another one this year, we had lots of fun

The Knife was made out of wood painted with model making colors.

Edit: attached a picture of the knifes, both were made by "Tswayon a Taronyu"

[Pxia Säsngap]

we have learned alot, and found some "no we wont do that again this way"-things.

What are these? What is it you won't do again? And what was good?

Well first we tried it with a paint spraying machine, it didn't worked well either the latex was to viscous or the machine simple not able to spray liquid latex, it got blocked very fast.
Then we have applied all latex layers with sponges and this takes ages.
We needed like 4.5h for everything, its way to long, basically the most time we have spend
were on the basic layers but you absolutely don't have to keep an eye on details there. The basic layers must go faster next time for sure.
4.5h is no fun for the model nor the painter 

Of course.  I also thought of using bodypaints (e.g.) instead of liquid latex. =)

The facepaint will be done in an other way too for sure, we have also used mostly Latex here except around the eyes.
I will take a look at professional theater makeup or anything close to it next time and only trying to make the nose+ear parts with latex.

Theater makeup is good I think. It isn't bad for the skin, which is important for me, because I can't use every product because of my neurodermatitis/atopic dermatitis/... (Don't know exactly what it is, because in German there's only one common word for all these.) So this might be a helpful remark to those who have similar issues.

Edit: attached a picture of the knifes, both were made by "Tswayon a Taronyu"

Wow, these knifes are so cool! =) I'd like to have one.   


Another thing: I have looked for contact lenses on the internet. Which colour would you recommend? Found some with the colour "honey", which are pretty much the same as yellow, and also green ones. In some scenes the eyes of the Na'vi look yellow and in some scenes they're more like green, and this isn't about the different characters but the same characters in different scenes. But I couldn't find any contact lenses in some mixture of yellow and green.
Also, there have not yet been recommendations for the liquid latex colour. So if you have any ideas and recommendations, please just write them in here. Irayo. =)

[Arkiou]

I love the pics.
Bad that I hadn't time to come. I'll hope you do that at the next meetup again And I hope that I can come next time.

[Ash]

Very well done - I think for the most part you can't identify it as a layer of latex, only maybe a bit at your right forearm when you bend it, but it's minimal.

What kind of device did you try for spraying it on? Something like an airbrush or more along the lines of a paintgun? And where did you apply it, was it a very warm or cool place, high or low humidity? (Trying to narrow down why the latex clotted so fast).

Another thing: I have looked for contact lenses on the internet. Which colour would you recommend? Found some with the colour "honey", which are pretty much the same as yellow, and also green ones. In some scenes the eyes of the Na'vi look yellow and in some scenes they're more like green, and this isn't about the different characters but the same characters in different scenes. But I couldn't find any contact lenses in some mixture of yellow and green.
Also, there have not yet been recommendations for the liquid latex colour. So if you have any ideas and recommendations, please just write them in here. Irayo. =)

How much are you willing to shell out? If you want the best result, check out 9mm, they have Avatar-lenses - for a price...
Regardless of the brand, I reckon you'll get the best recognition with yellow lenses.

[Pxia Säsngap]

Another thing: I have looked for contact lenses on the internet. Which colour would you recommend? Found some with the colour "honey", which are pretty much the same as yellow, and also green ones. In some scenes the eyes of the Na'vi look yellow and in some scenes they're more like green, and this isn't about the different characters but the same characters in different scenes. But I couldn't find any contact lenses in some mixture of yellow and green.
Also, there have not yet been recommendations for the liquid latex colour. So if you have any ideas and recommendations, please just write them in here. Irayo. =)

How much are you willing to shell out? If you want the best result, check out 9mm, they have Avatar-lenses - for a price...
Regardless of the brand, I reckon you'll get the best recognition with yellow lenses.

Wow, I guess this is much more than I can pay for them. The lenses I talked about were 25Euro (Don't know, it isn't much more in $, I guess). Well, I don't have that kind of money to pay for that...
So, you'd prefer yellow? That was my fave as well. =) Oe irayo seiyi ngaru tì'eyngìri ma Ash. 

[Ash]

Wow, I guess this is much more than I can pay for them. The lenses I talked about were 25Euro (Don't know, it isn't much more in $, I guess). Well, I don't have that kind of money to pay for that...
So, you'd prefer yellow? That was my fave as well. =) Oe irayo seiyi ngaru tì'eyngìri ma Ash. 

You're welcome ^^

The 9mm-lenses are perfect but yes, expensive, I couldn't afford them either.

But another thing, clicked when you said something about the color "honey" - I remember someone talking about lenses that were of that color, and that in reality they were much darker/less color-intensive than shown on the website. So maybe you could check them out at a local optometrist - by now I guess they do have a lot of brands in stock already - or if you order them, do not directly rip open the sealed boxes but try to determine the color from outside, so you still have the possibility to send them back.

[Pxia Säsngap]

Wow, I guess this is much more than I can pay for them. The lenses I talked about were 25Euro (Don't know, it isn't much more in $, I guess). Well, I don't have that kind of money to pay for that...
So, you'd prefer yellow? That was my fave as well. =) Oe irayo seiyi ngaru tì'eyngìri ma Ash. 

You're welcome ^^

The 9mm-lenses are perfect but yes, expensive, I couldn't afford them either.

But another thing, clicked when you said something about the color "honey" - I remember someone talking about lenses that were of that color, and that in reality they were much darker/less color-intensive than shown on the website. So maybe you could check them out at a local optometrist - by now I guess they do have a lot of brands in stock already - or if you order them, do not directly rip open the sealed boxes but try to determine the color from outside, so you still have the possibility to send them back.

Thank you for that remark. =) That's really helpful. So I will soon check that out. Thanks a lot. That'd have sucked. =) But now I know. =)

[Wiesel]

Very well done - I think for the most part you can't identify it as a layer of latex, only maybe a bit at your right forearm when you bend it, but it's minimal.

What kind of device did you try for spraying it on? Something like an airbrush or more along the lines of a paintgun? And where did you apply it, was it a very warm or cool place, high or low humidity? (Trying to narrow down why the latex clotted so fast).

Irayo ma Ash

We used a basic paint gun like the one i attached bellow.
It was definitely the wrong choice i don't think the reason was the weather but it was very sunny somewhere ~25-30°C
We had an open tend to stand in the shadow, otherwise we would have died standing 4.5h in the sun

What i have heard/read so far you should use a gun like the second you have linked, with high pressure i guess that was the main problem our spraygun had very low pressure also we didnt filter the latex before filling it into the gun.
I have read somewhere on the web that it would always be better to filter it first.