Mercenary Katarina (LoL) Cosplay Part 5: Bracers Revisited

Greetings from the Dark Side!

If you are new to my Mercenary Katarina Cosplay series check out the other posts first:

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: Breastplate

Part 3: Arm Bracers
Part 4: Pauldron

Katarina Smokey Eye

It has been a while, guys! I haven't worked on this cosplay in foreveeeeeer! But there is a reason why I left this costume in storage until just a few weeks ago. I wore this cosplay during the summer of 2013 (ageeees ago) and it was just a huge disaster. Mainly the arm and leg bracers. I used Model Magic to make the spikes on the bracers, and boy, was that a huge mistake! Let me tell you this: Model Magic sucks. It really, really sucks! It might be good for some crafts, but it is not for a cosplay in which you have to move around a lot in. Right at the start of the convention I wore it to, the spikes on my bracers broke and keep braking off every time I brushed up against anything. Hell, they would break if I just so much as breathed while wearing them!

So after that one time wearing this costume, I knew I had to go back and fix the bracers. Fast forward nearly 2 years later...and here I am trying to fix the costume!  Fixing these was fairly simple. All you have to do is skip using Model Magic and just Worbla instead. Worbla is just the most fascinating material and it sticks to itself sooo well. I know it is pricey, but you will have a very study and long-lasting piece of armor when you are done.  But of course, it is better to get it right the first time rather than have to go back and fix it. So if you are reading this and want to build your own bracers, for the love of all that is good, stay away from Model Magic!

So, instead of filling the frosting tip spikes with Model Magic like I did the first time...

...fill them with heated up Worbla! The results will be 1000% better, trust me! See the picture below? I had to remove all the spikes and re-do them with Worbla! 

I did the same thing for the leg bracers! When I was done, I primed the spikes with Gesso and painted them with the same acrylic paints I used the first time (all while watching anime, hooray!).

Making armor and cosplay props is a lot of trial and error. You make mistakes and learn what to do and what not to do. I learned NEVER to use Model Magic again D: I also learned to ALWAYS test a costume around the house before wearing it to a convention. I learned that the hard way!

Thanks for reading! ♥

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