Newbie here! Hi and body paint question.

LaurenAOK

Hi everyone! I had posted a cosplay thread on the main boards and then TheStephil invited me to this group! Thanks!

I have just finished making my very first cosplay - True Form Midna from LoZ: Twilight Princess. I am very pleased with how it came out especially because I am not naturally an artistic person. I learned so much and had a blast making it! Here's the thread I made about it in case anyone wants to see:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1461176-cosplay-success-not-afraid-to-show-my-tummy-pics

I'll be wearing it to NYCC in two weeks, and my only concern is about the body paint. It looks pretty good in the photos I posted, but that's because I had an awesome photographer who touched it up in photoshop. In real life, halfway through the photo shoot it started chipping pretty badly! It's Ben Nye Magicolor Liquid Paint, applied with a brush (I can't afford an airbrusher). I'm not sure if it was just because of the different poses of the shoot, but now I'm afraid that after an hour of walking around an the con, it's going to start chipping off and look terrible. I had read great reviews of the paint and didn't see anyone else complaining about this. I did seal it with Ben Nye Final Seal, which I often saw recommended online.

My only thought is that maybe it's because I did multiple layers of it? It wasn't totally covering in some areas, so I'd just end up covering that whole area again. Maybe it was too many layers and that caused the chipping - I'm totally new to this and I have absolutely no idea. Does anyone know why this might have happened and how I can prevent it at the con?

Thanks and hello again to you all!

TheStephil

Hello again and welcome to the group!

I personally have no experience with body paint so I can be of much use. I sent BomshellPhoenix this link because I think she had some experience with attempting body paint but I can't remember if it went well. Hopefully she will comment on this thread.

I also suggest posting at Cosplay.com forums, they may have some suggestions/advice for you and there is a wider audience there.

Hopefully you can get it all squared away. I'm terrified of body paint.

BombshellPhoenix

Back in March, I attempted my first cosplay. I wanted to do She Hulk... I did Ben Nye as well. I failed at it miserably. Too many layers does cause it to gunk up and chip. I am terrible at application. Going as light as possible is probably the best option. I will try to find the link my friend gave me to a blog of a girl who does body paint for her cosplay but that was my experience. I ended up not going as she Hulk but I have been wanting to try again some day D;

BombshellPhoenix

Well, this is what I based it on

http://m.instructables.com/id/Choosing-using-and-applying-body-paints/

but ya, it seems she's played with several different brands and techniques. Sorry I couldn't be more help

LaurenAOK

Well, this is what I based it on

http://m.instructables.com/id/Choosing-using-and-applying-body-paints/

but ya, it seems she's played with several different brands and techniques. Sorry I couldn't be more help

Yeah, I saw that blog, and that's part of the reason I chose Ben Nye - she said it's her favorite! So I'm not sure why it didn't work for me (or apparently you either). I'm just going to try applying it really lightly for the con I guess, and making sure to let each area dry COMPLETELY before moving that body part at all - I'm not sure I did that well enough last time.

Also, I tried to get an account at Cosplay.com but the activation email won't go through no matter how much I try, so I can't post on the forums over there

TheStephil

Well, this is what I based it on

http://m.instructables.com/id/Choosing-using-and-applying-body-paints/

but ya, it seems she's played with several different brands and techniques. Sorry I couldn't be more help

Yeah, I saw that blog, and that's part of the reason I chose Ben Nye - she said it's her favorite! So I'm not sure why it didn't work for me (or apparently you either). I'm just going to try applying it really lightly for the con I guess, and making sure to let each area dry COMPLETELY before moving that body part at all - I'm not sure I did that well enough last time.

Also, I tried to get an account at Cosplay.com but the activation email won't go through no matter how much I try, so I can't post on the forums over there

Ugh I remember having that problem in the past too when I made an account but I can't remember how I ended up fixing it. I'm sorry its being difficult.

LaurenAOK

Update: wore the cosplay on Saturday, and the paint was a success! Just in case anyone ever needs help, this is what I did to make it work.

First I wiped down my skin with a wipe containing alcohol (I found it in a first aid kit). I mixed Ben Nye Final Seal into the body paint (about a 1:8 ratio of final seal to paint). I applied the body paint in a thin layer, using a brush. I allowed each area (body part) I painted to dry completely before moving on to a new area. Once each area was dry, I sprayed it with the final seal. Once that dried, I dusted it with translucent powder, then sprayed it with final seal yet again. This seemed to work and the paint stayed on almost all day without flaking, even when I got rained on a little bit. Had to really scrub it in the shower to remove it afterwards, but worth it!

Thank you guys and happy cosplaying! :drinker: