MeltingMirror Cosplay

I grew up on Top Model and gleaned a few tips from Tyra back in the day but since I started cosplaying I haven't really dug deep in the art of posing. Which may sounds surprising, but I tend to focus on the crafting process. What better way to learn than to get a hold of a book. So it's no surprise that my book review of Study of Pose will be coming from a cosplayer perspective.

If you don't know Coco Rocha then you are missing out on one of the most fascinating models to watch. Some models are known for their signature looks or struts on the catwalk, but Rocha is known her her infinite poses paired with her great expressions. Full disclosure I have a soft spot for Coco who is a Canadian modelling success story.

Dressed in a plain leotard, Coco does what she does best and strikes a collection of 1000 poses which the photographer, Steven Sebring,  captures from a stationary spot. One pose flows into another from page to page with a change in body angle and expressions. The entire book is like seeing Rocha's process laid out step by step. The lighting is very strong with deep shadows so silhouette and shape are easy to take notice in the poses.

The goal was to learn some new poses and expand my posing vocabulary and I think it did the job. I found myself associating certain poses with certain costumes I have done recently or thinking about what kind of character would pose like that. It also reminded me to switch up my facial expression. Rocha is very expressive which adds extra life to the looks. For example, a hunched pose clearly isn't going to be paired with a smile.

Rocha is pretty flexible and some poses would be especially hard to recreate. Another thing to keep in mind is that you are limited by the mobility of the costume you are wearing. On the other hand, if you have a prop you just opened up another collection of possibilities. Props can be a crutch to lean on when posing, so I'm glad I have this book to use to "accessorize" my simpler costumes.

A few things to note:

• The poses are mostly feminine so it's not a good reference for men's poses
• There are a collection of standing, sitting, lying down, and jumping poses throughout
• Some poses are pretty abstract and might not have a use for cosplay
• Since all images are shot from the same angle you don't see how camera angles changes how the model interacts with the camera
• Naturally, once you get to the 600th pose some of them start looking a little repetitive

The way I framed this purchase was almost as if I was getting a textbook to study. I wanted a resource that I could learn a few things from and that I could turn to in preparing for shoots and this does the trick. Is it the end all be all for posing? No, but then again no textbook is going to tell you everything you need to know about a given subject. It is called the study of pose not the Bible of Posing.
I would suggest this book to cosplayers who want to be inspired to diversify their poses but also have a passion of fashion and modelling in order to justify the $55CAD pricetag.

EXTRA NOTE
Right as I was about to wrap up this review, I did some additional research and I found that there is also an I0S app that has all the poses in 360 so that you can zoom in and examine them even closer and from different angle. This may be a be a better idea for most people to enjoy the work at a lower price point of $28CAD.

Recently, I got together with a group of 20 cosplayers and we each bought a copy of Fashionpedia when they launched their Kickstarter back in March 2016.

I was really excited to get a copy since I am a big fan of another book they created - The Fashionary - which has fine outlines of figures, so you can draw consistent designs over top. They even have variations for men and shoes. I just did my first read through the Fashionpedia and here are my impressions .

Note on Images: All subsequent photos are from Fashionary's website so that I don't post anything beyond what they are willing to share because copyrights are a thing.

This year seems to have flown by. I attended 12 conventions and events this year - a record for me. It was a taxing to say the least. I have also come to the realization that when you start attending more events, you reduce the number of weekends you can work on new projects. Although it doesn't feel like I slowed down this year, in terms of costume progress I have.

I only made 5 costumes - One was a big project but all the others were rather simple. Which makes me a little disappointed in myself. The funny thing is that I am juggling many projects so it doesn't feel like I only made five. Many of my old projects are getting close to completion. What also slowed me down is that I scaled down my commission business and upped my artist alley presence, and so my free time normally spend on costumes was spent on making products.

I was a bit unlucky this year. A persisting (even now) eye problem prevents me from wearing contacts, even regular contacts. Which means I spent most of the year putting on makeup within 2in of a mirror with my bad eyesight and wandering the convention halls with glasses. I can't wait till they get back to normal.

On the bright side I was invited to 4 events (G-anime, ConBravo, Quinte Mini Con, and Geek Market) as a guest this year, in addition to being invited as a judge for masquerades at another 3 events (Otakuthon, Ottawa Comic Con, and Pop Expo). I was very honoured to have been invited to the events and I'm glad I was able to spread some cosplay knowledge, help a few people out with their construction problems, and to be trusted with deciding the winners of the masquerades.

One of my highlight of the year was getting to meet a lot of new photographers, cosplayers and collaborators. Katsucon and ColossalCon were the best events for this. I look forward to seeing them again at upcoming events.

Btooom just wrapped up it's first season so I figured it was time to give my impression of the show.

I've only watched the series and have not read the manga. Although I might now since I don't know if/when the second season will air.

You can watch BTOOOM! on Crunchyroll in HD for free with my special link :D

2012 was a year of more and less. I went to more conventions but I made less costumes. I made less commissions but I sold more in artist alleys. I participated in less masquerades but I judged more of them.

Here is a recap of my life in cosplay for 2012, including my costumes, expenses, favourites, and let downs.