November 12, 2014

This is the first of my four part cosplay series, "Seasons of Ivy." I will be creating a costume for each season to depict my take on Pamela Eisley's transformation throughout the year. I will be working with four different photographers with four very different styles to give the series versatility.

The costume for Autumn Poison Ivy was designed using images of trees in the fall and a few reference shots of the character. Because the sun hits trees from above, trees generally change color from the top down, which I tried to show in the bodice. My critique of the costume is that I would have liked to use actual ivy leaves. Because of the desire to show the change in color and the lack of versatility for ivy leaves at craft stores, I was forced to use maple leaves. I used a swimsuit base that I modified to get this shape, and then used craft glue to adhere the leaves onto the costume. Because the leaves were matte, I used a glossy spray paint to make them look more realistic.

For the boots I used regular acrylic paint for the base color, and then craft glue and leaves for the "wings" on the sides. My critique is that I did not add fabric medium to the paint to keep the paint from cracking when I walked in the boots and creased the material.

Lastly - the crown was made from a basic decorative wreath that I shaped to get to the correct size. I stuck some flowers in it. No critiques, it did the job necessary.

While I understand that Poison Ivy does not have any tattoos, I felt that my flowers and arm piece worked for the cosplay, which is why I did not cover them. While I understand some people see that as a faux-pas - eh, it was my artistic choice. As for makeup, I chose classic pinup style.

I'm very new to the cosplay scene (besides hearing about it from friends), although I've been doing costuming and makeup since I was a high school theater kid. I wanted Poison Ivy to be my first cosplay because I'm just so in love with her character. She's always been my favorite Batman villain, and I hope I did her justice!

Cosplayer: HJ Steele

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