Low budget Li-Ming cosplay (Diablo 3 wizard)

Here's my making of #Diablo #Wizard (reference: Wei Wang concept art). I tried to write my process as a tutorial though it's not the right neither the best way to do it - it's just the way I made it. And as it was one of the first cosplays (and the first after I got into cosplay world) - there was a lot mistakes now I would avoid :) I'll give some hints where you shouldn't do the things I did them. So hope it'll help you create your own Li-Ming costume!

P.S. Sorry for bad quality photos - i had just an old phone back then :D

Dragon staff:

• Styrofoam / insulation foam (20x30x50cm)

• PVA/wood glue

• Black (spraypaint) and gold acrylic paint

• PVC tube

• Red satin ribbon

• LEDs, battery, switch

• Scrap of thin craft foam

• Wall filler

I started by drawing a reference picture and the outlines on the piece of styrofoam. Then I cut out the base shape and beveled the edges with box knife. Don't try to bevel all the edge at once - firstly cut off just a small angle of the edge and then cut off new edges.

I cut out the base shape of horns, drew the lines and engraved them with soldering iron.

I made the patterns for swirls, ears and back scales. I drew the patterns on transparent film so it was easier to control the sizes. I cut them out of one sheet of insulation foam and then divided each in thin layers.

After all the pieces are cut I started engraving and carving the details. Then covered it with several layers of PVA glue. You can make a layer of papier-mache (from newspaper or toilet paper pieces for additional stability and strength).

I cut out teeth and pole cylindrical ornaments (engraving the lines) out of insulation foam and covered it with glue.

As styrofoam is pretty brittle I used joint compound to cover the imperfections and join the pieces together so they would seems like one whole piece. I added craft foam tongue (shaped with the heat), attached the teeth and attached the jaw to the head.

After finishing with all priming layers and sanding (as much as it was possible) the dragon was spraypainted with black and then with gold paint. Then went shading with dark brown and black acrylic paint.

I installed two LED's in the eyes with the wires coming out through the holes under the horns. I covered eyes with glass cabochons and installed the battery and the switch on the top of the head.

For the pole I used PVC pipe. I etched it's surface with some very sharp teethed tool :D Then spraypainted it black and then covered with brown acrylic paint with a roller. FInally I wrapped the area of the handle with some fabric/batting (or whatever you can find) and with red satin ribbon. I attached some beads on the ends of the ribbon so they hang nicely. Voila - the dragon staff is done!

Crown:

• 2mm craft foam

• Bamboo sticks

• Headband/wire and hair comb

• Gems and embellishments

• Gold and black paint

• Nail polish (or green-blue paint)

Draw and cut the shapes out of the craft foam. Glue everything in the shape needed. Attach the piece of styrofoam in the back and stick the bamboo sticks into it. Glue flowers to the ends of sticks. (It was one of the first times I was working with craft foam so made a mistake and spraypainted it without priming. Prime it with glue or at least heat seal :D). Glue on gems and embellishments. Shade it with black or dark brown paint. I made the big gem in the center out of insulation foam and painted it with nail polish. Attach everything to the wire/headband and glue hair comb in the bottom of the crown. Attach some ribbon/elastic at the ends of the crown so it will keep the round shape while on the head (wraps nicely around the bun!)

Dress:

• Red satin (or other shiny) fabric 2m

• White lining 2m

• Brown ornated tablecloth

• Gold acrylic paint

• Plastic boning

• Gold bias tape

• Rope trim

• Craft foam

• Gems, beads, chain/braid

• Velcro

• Thread

Sadly I almost don't have photos of sewing a dress. However I am planning to remake it! Here are some not the best photos from the photoshoot but you might see the shape of dress.

The top is just a simple wrap dress bodice. On the sides there are weaved leather strips and gold tape insert (i just sewed it onto the bodice). For the lapels I used tablecloth, some gold mesh fabric I had and gold cord. I attached plastic boning to the top of lapels so it should hold the shape (but it didn't hold very well :D). The bodice closes with velcro.

To the bottom of bodice I sewed the half circle skirt - it's just two layers of satin fabric and white lining fabric (not sewn together). Skirt starts just a bit outside of the center - it is covered with belt thing anyway.

Shoulder capes are made of two layers as well. They are sewn to the bodice right under the small shoulders. I drew the dragons with the stencil with gold paint.

Belt was made out of tablecloth. Ornaments - from craft foam. I drew the patterns with marker by pushing it so the lines are engraved. Covered in glue and painted it gold. I used various gems and beads I found in my stash. The super long tassel was a challenge as to buy such big tassel is very expensive. So finally I bought a red fringe door curtain and used about half of it to make a tassel myself. I used acrylic chunky chain in the place of gold braids on the side.

I made leg wraps from old cut up leggings, arm wraps - from a sock.

Bracers were made out of PVC sheet that can be formed while heated. Gold dragons were painted with the stencil onto the red fabric. Then it was glued to the bracers and framed with gold tape. Finished bracers with elastic.