Screencaps
If you’re cosplaying from a TV show or movie, screencaps and
stills are your best friend. You can rewatch whatever you’re cosplaying from on
a laptop or phone to grab your own screencaps, or you can find a website that
has screenshots. Regularly updated screencap websites include kissthemgoodbye.net, screencapped.net, and homeofthenutty.com to name a few.
Stills
Stills are high quality photos usually taken for use in
press kits. These are my favorite to use for reference photos because you can clearly
see the type of fabric, seams, and every little detail. However, some of the
colors may be off from what it looks like on screen. Far Far Away site has a regularly updated selection of TV shows.
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| Stills are typically brighter and more vibrant than screencaps, even from the same scenes. In this scene from Game of Thrones, Sansa Stark's dress looks like a much lighter purple in the still. Credit: Far Far Away Site and screencapped.net. |
Other places
Some costumes designers, such as Michele Carragher who does
the embroidery for Game of Thrones, may upload close ups of their work online. Research who does the costume design, and snoop their Instagram or website for
potential close ups or concept sketches.
Video games
Depending on the video game, you may be able to take your
own in-game screenshots from different angles, and save those to your phone or
computer. If possible, I like to take screenshots during cutscenes, which offer
close ups of details. You can also watch play through videos and take screengrabs
from there. Concept art – which can be found from Google, Pinterest, Wiki pages, official art books, or Art Station – is also a helpful guide, though it can be different
from the final product.
Now, it’s becoming more common for developers to release
cosplay guides of popular characters. CD Projekt Red has made some for the Witcher 3 ,
Blizzard has them for almost every Overwatch hero,
and Bioware has guides for most Dragon Age: Inquisition and Mass Effect: Andromeda characters. Also, many fan websites – such as this one for Tomb Raider – compile reference pictures for various games and outfits.
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| For every hero that Overwatch originally launched with, Blizzard has a detailed cosplay guide. Credit: Blizzard |
If you can’t find a cosplay guide, try googling for the game’s
press kit. These include high quality pictures of characters. For example, while
Overwatch has guides for most character’s default costumes, you can find
pictures of their event skins at Blizzard’s Press Center.
After you have your photos…
Make sure your pictures are easily saved and accessible, so
if there’s an impromptu visit to the fabric store, you’re ready to go. Whenever
I can, I like to print out any reference pictures I have so I can easily look
at it without searching through my phone. It’s also helpful to do this when
asking an employee for help or advice on what to buy. If you can’t print them
out, save them in a folder on your phone, Pinterest, Google Drive, or whatever method
is easiest for you.
While it can take more time in the beginning, good reference
photos can save a lot of time and frustration in the long run. Many cosplay
contests may require reference photos, so it’s good to have some on hand.
What resources do you use for reference pictures? What
cosplay guides would you like to see in the future? Let me know in the comments
below!