Tuesday, April 1, 2014

THINGS LISA LIKES: Hikari Shimoda and LISXXOR cosplay's Super Hero Bear & Bunny

"さよなら宇宙" Good-bye The cosmos2013 Hikari Shimoda

CREEPY CUTE // KAWAII
(・㉨・) ♡ /(・ × ・)\

In 2010 I discovered Japanese pop-artist, Hikari Shimoda 下田ひかり's creepy cute/kawaii magical girls and super hero saviors in their neon pastel surrealistic worlds and blank stares. I was mesmerized by her artwork and her message.
Artist Statement from her Sweet Streets LA artist page:


"HIKARI SHIMODA:

Based in Nagano, Japan, Hikari Shimoda first studied illustration at the prestigious Kyoto Saga University of Art and Aoyama Juku School before beginning her career as a contemporary artist in 2008. Soon afterward, Shimoda was selected for her first solo exhibition at Motto Gallery in Tokyo, and since then has held exhibitions annually in galleries worldwide, spanning Japan, the United States, Canada, and Milano, Italy.  Shimoda’s artwork paints a world where cuteness and horror coexist, and fantasy meets reality.  She credits the Japanese pop culture she grew up with as the main source of inspiration of her Lowbrow “Irasuto” style, which means artwork made by people inspired by anime and manga.  There are often children putting on heroic costumes such as Superman and “shojo” or magical girls, an anime sub-genre of young girls who use magic.  Through depicting children especially, Shimoda reveals the problems people in today’s society struggle with from within.  Children possess a simple existence because their identity is ambiguous which provides her with an original point of view.  In her “Whereabouts of God” portrait series of other-worldly horned children, she also comments on Christianity’s anointment of Jesus Christ as savior of humanity and mirror of our fantasy heroes.  These characters not only represent heroism but an adult desire to watch our children grow and defend the world we have constructed.  With each new piece, Shimoda advances her search for salvation and her deeper understanding of this chaotic world."

HIKARI SHIMODA OFFICIAL SITE: http://hikarishimoda.com/

SWEET STREETS LA GALLERY: http://sweetstreetsla.com/artist/hikari-shimoda
MY FACEBOOK COSPLAY PAGE!:  LISXXOR cosplay

http://instagram.com/p/jzpR_XhOi4/#
Super Hero Bear Boy selfie via Instagram - LISXXOR cosplay
Super Hero Bear Boy selfie via Instagram - LISXXOR cosplay

I've been wanting to cosplay characters from her paintings for a while now (the Super Hero), but didn't know when would be the best time.  I decided to make these costumes when Ohaycon announced they were having a special "magical girl" themed category in their 2014 masquerade. I was even happier to discover there was a "magical boy" category, which would fit Hikari's Super Heroes perfectly.

My cosplay versions of the Super Heroes was my way of celebrating her art through my fashion skills. Like I love these lil guys so much I want to make them real!
Originally I was only going to make the original blue Bear Boy Super Hero, but fell equally in love with the mischievous Bunny Boy Super Hero from her more recent series, "Before Worlds Were Born".

Always the ambitions one, I decided to make both Bear and Bunny Super Hero outfits, since they are essentially color swaps of each other. But really I ended up making 4 different interchangeable costumes.
I'm glad I did, because I ENDED UP WINNING "BEST MAGICAL BOY" CRAFTSMASHIP in the Ohaycon 2014 Cosplay Masquerade!!!

I won "BEST MAGICAL BOY" CRAFTSMASHIP in the Ohaycon 2014 Cosplay Masquerade!!!
So cute! So happy! (●´□`)♡
v(。-_-。)v
♡ CREEPY KAWAII ♡
Hi! O(≧▽≦)O
http://gfycat.com/IcyMedicalEft
Click image for the hi-rez.gif/gfycat from Miss.Heartless girl's Ohaycon video!



(・㉨・) ♡ /(・ × ・)\Below are a sample of my favorite Super Hero Bunny and Bear photo from my private photo shoots with photographers Tk8919 Photography and Miss.Heartlessgirl
 

***VIEW BOTH MY FULL HIKARI SHIMODA SUPER HERO PHOTO SHOOTS HERE!***
SUPER HERO BEAR & BUNNY FULL PHOTOSHOOT: Click Here!
(・㉨・) ♡ /(・ × ・)\
 SUPER HERO BUNNY PHOTOSHOOT: Click Here! ♡ /(・ × ・)\ ♡

HIKARI SHIMODA'S SUPER HERO BEAR & BUNNY photo shoot
(Click to see the entire photo shoot!)
Location: Ohayocon 2014 Photography - Tk8919 Photography,
Bear Boy Super Hero - 
LISXXOR cosplay 
Bunny Girl Super Hero - TENSHISAKURA Cosplay
 
Since I made two costumes, I thought it'd be cute to have the two super heroes pose together.  My adorable friend TENSHISAKURA Cosplay was my Bunny Super Hero -
didn't have time to order a second gray short wig before the con. Luckily I already had a long grey wig. We improvised and made an original character - Bunny Girl Super Hero!
Ain't she cute?
(I'm ordering another gray wig so next time she shoots w/ me we can be true boy super hero twinsies. HEHE). 



HIKARI SHIMODA'SSUPER HERO BUNNY photo shoot
(Click to see the entire photo shoot!)
Location: Ohayocon 2014
Photography - Miss.Heartlessgirl
Bear Boy Super Hero -  LISXXOR cosplay

 
COSTUME INSPIRATION & REFERENCE:
Here's some reference paintings for our my Super Hero Bear and Bunny costumes:
So much love for Hikari cuteness~


Children of this Planet - Meet Japanese Artist Hikari Shimoda [HD]

"じんるいめつぼうレクイエム" Human extinction requiem2013
"About People of the Afterworld", Oil on canvas, 2013 (Detail)
この星の子ども8” Children of this planet 82012530×455mmoil on canvas個人蔵 hikari shimoda
Untitled, Hikari Shimoda 2013
Untitled, Hikari Shimoda 2013
※画像クリックで拡大
“どこかも知らない世界の今日” The world we do not know, That today
2012
1620mm×2606mm
oil on canvas


hikari shimoda
“この星の子ども1”Children of this planet 1
2012
530×455mm
oil on canvas
Vanilla Gallery

hikari shimoda
“この星の子ども2”Children of this planet 2
2012
530×455mm
oil on canvas

hikari shimoda







 
My costume is featured at 2:38-2:48!

These costumes I debuted at Ohayocon 2014 in the Magical Girls cosplay masquerade contest category.  I entered my Super Hero Bear & Bunny in the cosplay craftmanship competition... AND I WON BEST MAGICAL BOY!!! WOOO! Thank you Hikari! ~_^
For competition I wore the pink version of the Super Hero Bear Boy. Hopefully the professional masquerade videos will be posted so I can link them!


I switched into the pink version of the Super Hero Bear Boy for cosplay masquerade.

My Ohaycon Masquerade Award Certificate!

In the future I plan on making cosplays from her other characters, like the horned children with Chernobyl necklaces from "Whereabouts of God" and the scribble bunny from "Rabbit and PWR line".
Even bought the Pink Bear's proper pink shirt with a sleepy smiley face, and the Blue Bear's shirt with a star so they can be true interchangeable twinsies!



Hikari Shimoda reference photos and fabrics!
My completed Hikari Shimoda Super Hero Bear and Bunny outfits for LISXXOR COSPLAY
Practicing my applique for the smiley face and star logos!
Developing the Bear and Bunny ears
Shirts, shorts, capes, ear headbands, claw paws, and claw slippers pattern drafted and sewn by me!

FABRICS:

  • Costume satin (JoAnn Fabrics party taffeta) - red, lime, blue for the super hero capes.
  • Cotton pique knit - turquoise for the shorts
  • Jersey knit - yellow and goldenrod for the sleeve hems, shirt hems, and collars.
  • Sweatshirt knit -pink for the shirt, ears, and paw pads.
  • Blizzard fleece - white for the slipper mittens and paws.
  • Craft Felt - yellow and magenta craft felt for the claws.
  • Batting - stuffing for the slippers, mittens, and paws
  • Interfacing - for cape facing, and applique shapes





OFFICIAL HIKARI SHIMODA MAKEUP POST HERE***
MAKEUP:
PINK SUPER HERO variation-
Contacts - UV Yellow from PinkyParadise - Largest Circle Lens Store, White Out lenses from Eye Color Now.
Eyeliner - LimeCrime Uniliners in Citruese and Blue Milk

Mascara - Hard Candy - 1000 Lashes in Hearththrob
Eyeshadow - Milani in Powder Eyeshadow, Shocking Pink, Maybeline Color Tattoo in Waves of WhiteEyeshadow primer - Too Faced
Blush - (used this as both blush and eyeshadow!) Milani Powder Eyeshadow in Shocking Pink
Lip primer - E.L.F. Lip lock sealer
Lip gloss - Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Frivolous Pink

BLUE SUPER HERO variation-

Same as above, except
Eyeliner - LimeCrime Uniliners in Blue MilkEyeshadow - Makeup Forever in #72 Turquoise



(・㉨・) ♡ /(・ × ・)\ SEE YA NEXT TIME!


For more Hikari Shimoda cosplay cuteness check my previous blog posts:
♡ /(・ × ・)\ ♡

HIKARI SHIMODA OFFICIAL SITE: http://hikarishimoda.com/
SWEET STREETS LA GALLERY: http://sweetstreetsla.com/artist/hikari-shimoda
MY FACEBOOK COSPLAY PAGE!:  LISXXOR cosplay

My quick doodle of LISXXOR cosplay versions of Hikari Shimoda's Super Heroes!
(^_~)
 

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