Can The Sims series and cosplay go hand in hand? Sims Cosplay proves that it is possible!
Some have amazing ideas, others have incredible talent to implement them, while other lucky ones combine both of these features. What happens when these two people meet and start working together? Thanks to the Sims Cosplay team, you can see it with your own eyes! Would you like to know more about this talented duo? I invite you to read!
Hi tanulatanu? Sims Cosplay – Sza B & Tiba!
The Last Tavern: Everything has a beginning. What made you start playing with cosplay and how did it start?
Don: My friend and I went to a convention for the first time in 2012 – it was Krakon. Then she offered me a Hetalia cosplay. For those times, my cosplay was very amateur, not to mention the outfit or makeup – but I liked this game so much that I decided to show it to Dina (whom I met 2-3 years later). From then on, I brought Dina into this hobby. And I must say that she is much better at it than I am.
Dina: One word, Don. This is how Don got me into cosplay. I honestly don’t remember which year it was, but I think 2014/2015? The first convention was the Magnificon in Krakow, where I had a lot of fun. After your first cosplay, you start to think, “Who else could I do?” and that’s how it started.
OT: The Sims game series , which recently celebrated its twentieth birthday, is probably not associated with specific characters, but with creating your own families. Where did the idea for creating outfits in this universe come from?
Don: It all started with my trip to Lumpa, who was then in Bagateli in Krakow. There I spotted a dress that perfectly matches Bella’s character from the first installment of The Sims. Then I took a picture and sent Dina – she wrote back to me that she had Sims planned. Word to word, we came to the conclusion that it is worth doing some Sims cosplay. Dina’s favorite character is Dina Caliente and she did it first – and as a joke, I made Dona Lotario, who by the way is my favorite of the two. I’ve always had a soft spot for classic latino lovers.
Dina: As Don wrote, it all started with the trip to the store. I was planning on doing Dina Caliente, but taking the dress off speeded up the process. I love Dina, that’s why I started my sims adventure by doing her trial make-up. I consider the attempt successful, which is why I appropriated this nickname on the Sims Cosplay website. So is Don. I like it a lot, because Don and Dina have some kind of relationship (okay, Don has almost every sim hahahah), but at least our characters are not alien to each other and that’s cool!
OT: Sims is a series of games with several parts and a whole lot of add-ons. Do you have your favorite version?
Don: Personally, I really like three for gameplay (though unfortunately not for the stability of the game), but I will have the greatest fondness for one and two. Especially the first one – it was a game of my childhood. I remember that moment when our neighbor with the CD came to us – from that moment I was completely absorbed in the world of Sims. Of the Jedynka supplements, I liked Vacation and Dating the most, but in general I always liked the Study supplement the most, no matter if it was for a two, three or upcoming four.
Dina: I have a huge fondness for The Sims 2, but my favorite installment is The Sims 3. At first I couldn’t switch from two to three, because “but they have pig faces, I can’t do it”, but when my brother deleted The sims 2 ( bad on) I had to switch to The Sims 3, which we had installed and I do not regret it. Despite the sentiment towards Ts2, the Ts3 offers much more. The open world was a huge plus for me! That way, when I was at home, I could look for the sims I like in town and “accidentally” end up there hahaha. Both versions have this something, in the three I miss cool stories like in ts2, and in ts2 I miss a lot of options that ts3 offers. They are in some way complementary. When it comes to the newest Ts4, I have mixed feelings. It’s okay, but plasticine / comic-book views aren’t for me.
OT: What are the biggest challenges you face when creating outfits for the next sims?
Don: Personally, the biggest challenge for me is makeup. I can’t paint myself like women. When it comes to outfits, the biggest challenge for me is to find the right clothes, because we do not sew the outfits – they are universal and standard enough that there is no need to create them from scratch, but you need to slightly modify them, e.g. design a tattoo or print.
Dina: I guess looking for the equivalent of an outfit. Most of the Sims have normal clothes, so sewing from scratch is unnecessary. Sometimes there are elements that we need to add some extra, but that’s not a problem. We always deal with it! Usually we don’t buy new clothes, we go to second-hand shops and look for equivalents. It comes out much cheaper and the effect is really good!
OT: I know that Sims Cosplay is not your only cosplay project. Can you tell about your other works?
Don: In 2018, we focused mainly on the Red Dead Redemption series – it was actually Dina’s idea. I admit that at first I was skeptical about this idea until I saw the first gameplays. From that moment on, I fell in love with the character of Micah Bell from the game – and he is the main focus of cosplay at the moment. In addition, we also ran other fanpages, including from Sweet Flirt, but our interest in the SF series has burned out after the recent changes ordered by the game’s creator, Beemoov. Now we’re trying to do something new – I hope it works out.
Dina: As Don wrote, we mainly focused on Red dead Redemption 2. Western climates are something we like very much. As for me, I have completely switched to game cosplays and soon I will have the opportunity to show something new again.
OT: Cosplay is not only about costumes and performances, but also a lot of creative work and constant development. Did cosplay teach you anything that was useful in everyday life or influenced how she looks?
Don: He definitely taught me to be more creative. By creating Sims T-shirts, I learned to transfer my designs to the real world. It helped me a lot in learning Illustrator, because at that time I was studying graphic arts. Also, as we usually find clothes, I’ve learned the principle of ‘zero waste’.
Dina: Contrary to appearances, cosplay allows you to develop a lot of skills, ranging from sewing, creativity (how to create some elements), body posing and facial expressions, how to make a good cosplay with low cost, as well as cooperation with other cosplayers. A skill such as sewing is useful in everyday life, we often get a hole in a blouse, pants or even a sock. I didn’t know how to sew, but now I have a minimal idea of how to do it, because I know how to sew is too big a word.
Creativity is also very helpful! For example, to make a nice gift or even decorate it.
And people !! You can meet amazing people through joint photo sessions. Friendships often stay longer, but exchanging “skills” is also very fun. You will show something that you know and that person needs it, and he or she needs something else for you, it’s always nice to have connections.
OT: What do you consider the biggest challenge in creating cosplay?
Don: Good character devotion! As I mentioned, makeup is the biggest challenge for me, especially for women. Making a graphic design is a bet for me – while makeup, requiring manual skills and skills in this field, is much more difficult.
Dina: I’ll answer briefly. For me, the biggest challenge in cosplaying is always makeup and facial expressions. He never cares about the outfit, because he will come up with something, but you have to learn facial expressions to look like a character. Each character has its own characteristic look, I don’t know, a slightly open mouth or a pugnacious smile. Such elements are very important to me and the most difficult at the same time. Make-up is difficult too, sometimes you rehearse several times and you still see that something is wrong, so you have to be patient for that too.
OT: Can you tell us your plans for the next costumes or projects?
Don: I would like to, but with my luck, if I declare that I will do something / someone, I usually fail later. Apparently, I will take away my happiness.
Dina: I support Don. Usually the plans don’t work out then, but I will say one thing as far as I am concerned. These are projects from older games. I really hope to get plenty of them this year.
OT: Cosplay works on the imagination and encourages the next generation to create. What advice do you have for those who want to start playing with their favorite characters?
Don: Honestly … have a lot of money and be aware that you will often exceed your own budget (unless you can really combine very creatively in the style of using eggshells, but this is just a pro level for me). Importantly, remember to be patient – in cosplay, nothing comes right away and nothing will do itself. And most importantly, remember that this is a game, not a matter of life and death, that should be taken personally and personally. It is worth starting with small projects that will not absorb a large budget and do not require large skills to start.
Dina: First of all, have fun with it! Don’t put a lot of money into cosplaying at the beginning, it doesn’t make sense. You can always find some nice way to make something cheaper and look good (equivalents). This is my eternal rule and I will tell you that I am content because I am not going bankrupt. It often happens that the character gets bored very quickly, and unfortunately the loaded coins are lost, so it’s better to put in less and have fun as well.
Treat it as a hobby !!! And have fun with cosplay. This is the only rule.