Making this cosplay was on my bucket list. I promised myself that whenever I had the money to buy a 3D printer I would make this version of Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn. Not only did I have a lot of fun making this costume, it also strengthened by modelling skills, I have obtained so many new skills that I still use to this day.
This cosplay containt 40 different models and over 200 (Two hundred!) pieces. All printer by my precious Ender 5 Combined the prints weight around 3 to 4 kilos. Start big or go home (I guess). For no particular reason I used PLA+ for the prints. Most of the models have a curve on the game model, but I chose to make most pieces flat to avoid a lot of printing support and thus to save up material. A very easy way to curve your prints, is by dipping them into hot water for a couple second until the material is softened then bend them around a round object to achieve the correct roundness. This technique is especially very handy with the headpiece. The side pieces of the headpiece perfectly fit the rounding of the head using this method.
Above a couple examples of the models made by me, used for the Shadow Stalwart. As already stated I promised myself to make this costume once I purchased a 3D printer, yet another important matter played a roll: Modelling skills. Even though I am studying to become an engineer, modelling skills are not achieved by paying tuition. So to even be sure to successfully complete this cosplay I'd start by modelling the headpiece. It was my first intricated design and it took me hours to make, but in the end it was all worth it and the start of my passion for modelling. You see, I used to be not particularly good in 3D modelling, I barely even got a positive grade in school. Luckily I have a passion for over achieving as well.
I weathered white pieces with a simple black paint, a bit of water (I'd say 50/50) and a paper towel. The black metallic pieces on the other hand were a bit of a hustle. First I primed them, sanded them and so on, until the layer lines were not visible anymore. Once achieved, a black layer was applied continued by a silver metallic layer and another black glossy layer. To create the scratches on top, just use a high grid sandpaper and scratch the surface lightly. The silvers metallic layer will now become visible and will represent the metal surface. To create more depth, use an old brush and silver metallic paint for some dry brushing strokes.
Next up is hours and hours of sanding and primer. Luckily I have had a electric sander at my disposal which made sanding the flat services a lot more manageable. In the future I would recommend myself to use casting for a lot of repetitive pieces (48 to be exact), but one new skill at a time. The same painting method is used as stated above.
Sewing
According to the opening it might seem I have only done modelling work for this costume but do not be surprised if I say a lot of sewing work was included as well. Think about belts, pouches, attachments, the whole upper bodice for all the chest armor, skirt panels and not to forget the shirt, leg guards and shoe covers. The variety of material and thus techniques is one of the reasons I love making Aloy costumes, for me they have the right ratio of different crafts.
I used a lot of different textured fake leather. My favourite tip is using furniture leather, since you can buy it in big pieces and relatively cheap in comparison to normal fabrics and it's also a lot thicker which is very useful for making belts of skirt pieces in this case. If you want to make you costumes cheap I also recommend buying white bias tape in bulk since it's very easy to paint (silk only, not cotton). In my opinion you don't need expensive fabrics, only good painting skills to cover up mistakes or to turn your already expansive fake leather into your desired color.
Below you will find work in progress pictures of part of the costume and of course the end result. Overall this costume was a pain in the ass but all the effort and tears paid of in the end. Because guess what? I won first prize at Dutch Comic Con cosplay competition in 2022!
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