Noel Vermillion - BlazBlue

I'm a weaksauce gamer, and not really into fighting games at all. But dammit, why do they have to have such nice characters and art?

I originally planned this for Smash 2011 but arrived too late. So I'll use it for Supanova 2012.

Why?

• A girl (always a good start, right?)
• But kinda boyish
  • This is workable
• Guns
  • Are badass

• Gun-Kata

  • Cool poses are included free!
• Badass (can't have too much of this)
• Zettai Ryouiki (hnnnnngg!)

• An impractical/implausible uniform makes things better

• Not a rorikko character for once - Carpe-fucking-diem!

Thinking out loud

Skin coverage is surprisingly high for what is a very nice uniform, I could be quite comfortable with that. Probably bandaid-cover the injury on my left shoulder.

That's a mighty short skirt. Not that it matters though, I have very little shame.

I'd want to corset the waist pretty heavily, made somewhat difficult by the low cutout in the back. Smells like a challenge.

There don't seem to be a lot of these, that's fine with me

• http://e3studios.deviantart.com/art/Eye-of-the-Azure-189560116

• http://mangalphantom.deviantart.com/art/Endless-Blaze-189759692

Other people have made boots, pleather seems to be the material of choice. I can learn that...

• http://www.cosplaybuy.com/blazblue-noel-vermillion-cosplay-boots-p-752.html

References

• Video to get an idea of how things move and flow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pig7bwAwG4Q

• BlazBlue Material Collection: http://www.amazon.co.jp/ブレイブルー-設定資料集-エンタテインメント書籍編集部/dp/4797354836/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304860874&sr=8-1

• BlazBlue Continuum Shift Material Collection: http://www.amazon.co.jp/ブレイブルー-コンティニュアムシフト-設定資料集-エンタテインメント書籍編集部/dp/4797360747/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Etc.

• http://danbooru.donmai.us/post/show/958260

Components

This feels slightly daunting because it's more removed from reality than the stuff I've done before. So far no props, footwear, clothing with greebles, etc. This has a lot of fiddly details.

• Guns
  • Mod a Nerf gun?
  • Scratchbuild? More likely, can afford to look a bit ghetto
  • The frame is very narrow, and it's not a pistol grip
• Beret
  • Should be easy enough to sew a simple one
  • Metal greeble on left-side
• Wig
  • Technically she has long (about waist-length) hair, which is stuffed under the beret
  • But you almost never see it
  • So screw that, a short wig (with... Bangs, hehe) is the way to go
  • Custard-yellow, I think is a fair description of the colour
• Eyes
  • Contacts, obviously
  • They're a very strong green colour, which may be a problem on my dark eyes
  • Probably look into something theatrical if I run with this. Green is nice, neon-green is not.
    • Fuck that, seems noone makes good green contacts

    • Freshlook Colorblends and Expressions Colors are reputed to do good things for dark eyes. Expressions may have a more striking effect.

• Sleeves
  • Detached!
  • How will I hold them in place?
• Sleeve ribbons
  • Big chunky metal thing
  • Could be used to hold the sleeves up
  • Foam or wood seems like the way to go
  • Will be stressed a fair bit due to movement, needs to be strong
  • Ribbons should be easy, they're just ribbon
  • End-pieces can be wood or plastic of some sort
• Gloves
  • Look fairly plain, may have a design on the back though
• Dress
  • Fun times, the black dividers look rubbery
  • Zipper or zippers under the black vertical lines
  • Shirt collar at the top, may allow for the damn thing to be taken off easily when undone

    • Official art suggests it unbuttons at the front, how does that work? Remove the tie, slip collar over head, take dress down? That means the waistline needs to fit over the hips.

      • Well, the alternative is the waistline fitting over the shoulders (at least as bad), though elastic solves that problem. Or a zipper in the back. Just a short one, would be cute.

• Thighhighs
  • Easy.
  • Though there appears to be a thicker band at the top. Could either ignore it, or stuff a ring of soft foam under there at the top.
• Boots
  • No idea how to handle yet. May procure, or may hack something up in the way of boot-covers. Some generic high-rise boots (eg. BS-san's converse-alikes) would do nicely.

Dress

Patterns

Had a quick look through a couple of pattern books, looks like I'll have to put a few things together for the desired outcome. And why the heck is "sportswear" not at all related to something you might wear while playing sport!?!

I so don't know what I'm getting myself into here. The overall "look" reminds me of a tennis dress, though the deep back is more of a formal gown feature. Even the official art can't agree on just how deep the back should be. The guiding philosophies at work here seem to be:

1. As deep at the back as possible, the deeper the better. Realistically, around the waistline seems like a fair guess. Making it lower steepens the angle of the sleeve line, which would compromise coverage of the (meagre) bust. I also need all the height I can get if I'm going to fit some sort of truncated corsetry down there.

2. The hemline is about level with the webbing between the thumb and index finger when arms are relaxed by your side. That's umm, about crotch length. Noel is allegedly the only character for whom underwear is never shown - even Litchi is shown with underwear? Huh. The more you know.

Ideas to look at, and very rough notes:

• Simplicity 2401 - may have some useful skirt shaping. corseted back?

• Simplicity 2404 - skirt shaping? with mods

• Vogue V2899 - bodice shape is alright ignoring the halter, skirt-flare needs work though

• Vogue V7365 - very deep back, rest of shape way off

Material

I picked up 3m each of blue and white cotton sateen for $8 a metre. I think the colour is superb.

If this doesn't work out I can fall back on more regular cottons.

• White drill cotton, 1120mm width, $6.50/m
• Royal (blue) stretch, poly/elastane, 1450mm width, $10 for 2.5m offcut

Progress

• I prototyped this thing like a mofo, because I don't have enough spare material in case I screw up.

  • 

• That bloody breast-piece.. the shape was really annoying to get right (trial and error)

  • 

• Stole the collar from another shirt. It's okay, the shirt was a bit big anyway

  • 

• Basically all good now

• I want to redo the shirt-collar

• I need a short red necktie

Sleeves

• Mostly done

• Check cuff detailing, may need finishing

• Shoulder needs to be firmer, apply some black craft foam as backing

Sleeve ribbons

• Super-ghetto, made from laptop packing foam

• Re-spray if necessary, I ran out of silver paint last time

• Cover with craft foam? Size is about right, but could be much bulkier

• Attachment ring is too small and also very ghetto

• Coat with putty?

• Make ribbon-tips from more silver cardboard

• Adjustable tension to get enough grip on upper arm?

Thighhighs

• Check whether I want to use the silicon-strip thighhighs, or the elasticised ones

Boots

• Acquired
• Time to asphyxiate myself, the steelcaps looked crap:

  • 

• Looking pretty good now:

  • 

• Would like to improve the cross design on the front

• Desperately need some soft insoles, they're murderous to wear at the moment

Beret

• Making this was pretty easy, and quick
• Components:

  • 

• Finished, with metal greeble (shiny cardboard)

  • 

• Completed

Gloves

Bought some in Japan, they look pretty slick.

• Completed

Guns

• Scratchbuild from foam, build up basic details

• Not expecting them to be scrutinised too carefully

• Design and cutting

  • 

• Gonna be needing lots of paint

  • 

• Build-up the frames with craft foam

• Paint the black groove

• Add greebling with putty

• Drill hole at end of barrel

• Fix doohicky hanging in front of trigger

Wig

»Thinking out loud »Thinking out loud

Bugger that, I'm getting my hair bleached and cut to match.

• Appointment on Friday (2012-06-15) at 13:00 at Doppelganger

Eyes

Contacts are the go! My CooperVision Expressions are nice.

• Completed

Photos

No proper photos yet, but I did find a Litchi at Smash \o/

• DSCF3676.jpg

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