Dark Elf

Dark Elf (from Lineage 2) by Yaya Han

Photographed by Joseph Chi Lin Photography

"First (badarse) image of my new Lineage 2 – Dark Elf cosplay, by Joseph Chi Lin Photography. I made this for Dragoncon and nearly killed myself finishing it in time. In hindsight, I underestimated the time it would take to complete this costume, and being in Asia for a week right before Dragoncon set me back so much that I had to marathon craft for 3 days straight. It came down to the wire due to me having to re-make parts on the costume because what I thought would work didn’t, and the rainy weather made it hard for paint to dry. This is the first time in several years where I had to finish a costume in the hotel room at the con. Before anyone says how I should not work so hard blah blah… I’m sharing these thoughts because these Project Runway-type deadline-induced experiences are at the core of being an artist, and sometimes our best work is produced in chaos. I’m not talking about starting a costume last minute and half assing it (that shows), I’m talking about challenging yourself to create a finished, polished outfit utilizing new techniques and training yourself to become a faster craftsman with more finesse. I learn more from such projects I am overall very pleased with this Dark Elf costume, but plan to tweak things to make it easier to wear next time. I’ll post detailed construction notes soon!"