Hisako - Killer Instinct
Why this costume:
Why not? Seriously though, Hisako is Waifu. I have a thing for ghost and Grim Reapers and she was just instant love. Plus, I was a huge Killer Instinct fan growing up and the new game has made me quite a happy camper!
Make-up:
All done with make-up I previously owned, including the base white make-up which is
Mehron in Clown White. I also used Snazaroo in Light grey and Dark Grey to detail and contour.
Details Construction:
The base Kimono was made of Linen. When looking at the official artwork it made it difficult to tell the fabric, however, the in game model had the texture of linen. So, that's what I went with.
I used the same pattern I had previously when I drafted my own pattern for a kimono. I just made a few modifications to work with her design. Both the red fabric and the white details are linen.
Flowers:
I based my interpretation off the artwork seen here to the left. So, there are several forms the flowers take. One that really stood out and is lost in the in-game model is the flower (seen multiple times) with the designed petals. Each petal has a different design, adding character to the kimono. I knew instantly I needed to include this particular flower. I bought 5 different types of cotton materials with similar patterns. I drafted a flower pattern and cut out 14 of these flowers with the 5 different patterns for each of it's petals. I then attached them to the kimono. Once those were separated and even across her kimono, I started painting her other types. Big, small, filled, hollow. Matching the best I could to the design seen in the artwork as well as in game. It took about 20 hours of painting to fill the entire Kimono, but I feel it was as close to accurate as I could obtain.
Obi and bow:
The Obi and her bow are made from interfacing and brocade. Accurate to both the look and the typical design of a kimono. I went with a rich fabric featuring rose print. Matching again with the time period of the character and the accuracy of the traditional kimono. The rose print was one I thought would be character appropriate. I picked a gold brocade as the lining for the pieces since a slight gold lining in seen in some of the photos. I constructed a simple bow, using the same method I did for both my Sailor Jupiter and my own personal hairbows I make at home. After constructing the bow I used a slight amount of polyfil to give it an extra "poof" and fullness seen in the artwork above.
Distressing:
After everything was complete I went to town destorying what I had just created. The bottom of the kimono was sprayed with bleach and allowed to dry. This gave it a lighter bottom and distressed appearance. I then took paint in various colors and painted the kimono. Lastly I took a candle to the kimono. I burned it towards the bottom and along various places on the kimono. I tried to keep it as accurate as possible while obtaining an accurate effect.
Legs:
To save myself some trouble and time, I painted a pair of stocking to match my body paint. Giving them the same effect with the darker look on the bottom. Though, this is the least favorite part of my costume I still think the trouble of painting feet and legs make it a fine substitute.
Naginata:
Made from cardboard, wood, plastic, and foam. Left over material was used as the red sash pieces.
Why not? Seriously though, Hisako is Waifu. I have a thing for ghost and Grim Reapers and she was just instant love. Plus, I was a huge Killer Instinct fan growing up and the new game has made me quite a happy camper!
Make-up:
All done with make-up I previously owned, including the base white make-up which is
Mehron in Clown White. I also used Snazaroo in Light grey and Dark Grey to detail and contour.
Details Construction:
The base Kimono was made of Linen. When looking at the official artwork it made it difficult to tell the fabric, however, the in game model had the texture of linen. So, that's what I went with.
I used the same pattern I had previously when I drafted my own pattern for a kimono. I just made a few modifications to work with her design. Both the red fabric and the white details are linen.
Flowers:
I based my interpretation off the artwork seen here to the left. So, there are several forms the flowers take. One that really stood out and is lost in the in-game model is the flower (seen multiple times) with the designed petals. Each petal has a different design, adding character to the kimono. I knew instantly I needed to include this particular flower. I bought 5 different types of cotton materials with similar patterns. I drafted a flower pattern and cut out 14 of these flowers with the 5 different patterns for each of it's petals. I then attached them to the kimono. Once those were separated and even across her kimono, I started painting her other types. Big, small, filled, hollow. Matching the best I could to the design seen in the artwork as well as in game. It took about 20 hours of painting to fill the entire Kimono, but I feel it was as close to accurate as I could obtain.
Obi and bow:
The Obi and her bow are made from interfacing and brocade. Accurate to both the look and the typical design of a kimono. I went with a rich fabric featuring rose print. Matching again with the time period of the character and the accuracy of the traditional kimono. The rose print was one I thought would be character appropriate. I picked a gold brocade as the lining for the pieces since a slight gold lining in seen in some of the photos. I constructed a simple bow, using the same method I did for both my Sailor Jupiter and my own personal hairbows I make at home. After constructing the bow I used a slight amount of polyfil to give it an extra "poof" and fullness seen in the artwork above.
Distressing:
After everything was complete I went to town destorying what I had just created. The bottom of the kimono was sprayed with bleach and allowed to dry. This gave it a lighter bottom and distressed appearance. I then took paint in various colors and painted the kimono. Lastly I took a candle to the kimono. I burned it towards the bottom and along various places on the kimono. I tried to keep it as accurate as possible while obtaining an accurate effect.
Legs:
To save myself some trouble and time, I painted a pair of stocking to match my body paint. Giving them the same effect with the darker look on the bottom. Though, this is the least favorite part of my costume I still think the trouble of painting feet and legs make it a fine substitute.
Naginata:
Made from cardboard, wood, plastic, and foam. Left over material was used as the red sash pieces.
