The Art of Cosplay and Creative Makeup: Create Incredible Looks with Simple Techniques and Affordable Materials

by Chris Peck, Rainbowskinz

Body painter extraordinaire Chris Peck, aka Rainbowskinz, shows you the fundamental techniques he uses to create an infinite number of extraordinary looks.

Learn the secrets of stunning transformations with cosplay superstar Chris Peck in The Art of Cosplay and Creative Makeup. Known as Rainbowskinz on social media, Peck shares invaluable techniques for aspiring and experienced cosplayers alike, including:

Accessible methods for elevating costumes using affordable makeup and other techniques
Insights into product usage and savvy application techniques
Practical tips for facial contouring, scar simulation, prosthetic application, and more
Advice for creating your own social media content
QR code links to videos that further demonstrate techniques

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2024

Reviews

[Megan Middlebrooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this book off NetGalley thinking that it might help me better understand makeup, especially within the cosplay space, and it delivered on that. This book is definitely good for makeup beginners looking to get an overview rather than specifics. It covered a wide range of topics and provided useful information about each, including brands of makeup, example photos, and tips and tricks for each. I also liked that there was a significant focus on safety for all the necessary products. The books gave me the necessary tools to start my makeup journey and I'm inspired to try out some of the techniques from the book.
The only part I found unnecessary was the section about social media creation. Since most people aren't looking to become makeup artists via social media, I felt this section wasn't really helpful. I wish that more time had been spent on the makeup rather than a large section about content creation.
Overall, a very helpful book for beginners!

[Kelli Santistevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Body painter extraordinaire Chris Peck, aka Rainbowskinz, shows you the fundamental techniques he uses to create an infinite number of extraordinary looks.

Thank you Quarto Publishing for making this book available as a Read Now book on Netgalley! I enjoyed this book. I’m not going to use any of the tips in here but this book was still fun to read.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who goes a little too hard in costumes and events, I loved this book so much! It was straight to the point, bite sized, easy to navigate and informative. It’s awesome to be able to go and see the results, videos and processes on the authors social media pages, and I also appreciated the bonus content of showcasing your art to build a social media platform.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, and I think I will actually need to buy a copy of this one too.

[W.J. Cintron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a freelance SFX Makeup Artist, so you can imagine my excitement when I found this book.
I devoured it!
This guide is great for those who are just beginners in the makeup world but also an amazing tool for us who have been doing this for years. The techniques and tricks Chris shares with us are easy to understand and follow. I appreciate that he is very honest and doesn't sugarcoat anything. If it was difficult for him or he couldn't achieve what he wanted, he'll share it with us. He shows us how much he has grown as an artist. Knowing that it's okay to make mistakes makes a huge difference. It makes me wanna grab my brushes and create even more.
I loved the detailed examples with photos, rich information and step by step on how to manage some type of illusions and looks. Undoubtedly a great book to own.

It doesn't matter if you are a makeup artist or not; if you love makeup, cosplaying, art or having fun, this book is a must-have. Believe me, it'll spike your creativity at once.

Thanks Rainbowskinz for sharing with us your journey through makeup and help us believe that anything is possible is we put up the work and believe in our art.

#TheArtofCosplayandCreativeMakeup #NetGalley #Rainbowskinz #ChrisPeck

[Anonymouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Costuming and cosplay are not things I do myself but I am deeply involved with a SF club that hosts cosplay events. I asked for this book from NetGalley.com to learn something about the art.

I imagine that there are all sorts of books and online tutorials about cosplay makeup. For someone like me who prefers to read about something before spending (wasting) time online, this book is great. Lots of detail written in plain language. With practice, I think the techniques here would raise a beginner to a solid intermediate level pretty quickly.

One of the things I liked is that Chris Peck doesn't waste pages (= time and money) blathering about how to select your character. You should have your character and backstory in mind before you start. Make some sketches to firm up your ideas. Then let these lessons help you build and refine the look.

I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley.com.

[MarryAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been cosplaying for a few years but makeup was always one of my weaker areas.

While this book is showing examples that are too complex and not really what I might do, I found it to be a very useful resource and I do think that a good makeup can totally elevate a costume, so learning more and practicing it can help tremendously.

Personally, I found the information easy to understand and after it was explained, everything made a lot of sense

Disclaimer: I received a free e-book copy in exchange for my honest review

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great book for cosplayers! It has a lot of insight into more theatrical styles of makeup, but also has a lot more than just "makeup." The special effects sections on scars, wounds, etc. are so useful and provide really clear step by step photos that make it easy to understand the full process.

[Lydia Timpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Detailed tutorials without becoming too technical. Loved the pictures and the sheer diversity of characters and techniques.
Also it was great to see a section on how to safely remove some of the prosthetic and latex based adhesive parts.
The final chapter on becoming a social media creative with cosplay was fascinating. Highly recommend.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A vast number of examples are strewn throughout the book. Includes step by step images yet sometimes the words beneath lacked specificity needed to follow along. This is somewhat rectified by QR codes to a video of the technique.

[Jenn Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reminds me of the show where people did different makeup looks. It was mainly pain, which is not something I would be able to do, but the instructions seem clear enough and if you have a basic knowledge of makeup and art you should be able to recreate these. The photos were so good and the looks were really neat.

5 stars

[AllBookedUp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Peck was once a student who happened to take an art class where his teacher told him he was mediocre at art. Well, I hope the teacher could see him now, as Peck proves the teacher wrong.

This is what Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible movies should learn from when they are left without the fancy machines to make their masks. Yup, Peck covers that too.

He shows how he does scars, a full face cast, and tells you all about the types of paints for your face and body. In the book, he even has a scan code that will lead you to see him in action. A book that truly comes to life for you.

Anyone who's into CosPlay will love this book.

[tapewitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good-looking book! The vibe is great - accessible, fun, non-judgmental, cool, and straight to the practical tips. This book is useful for beginners or pros, since there are so many cosplays included. Good for people of all genders and body types. There are QR codes for many of the tutorials, which actually works well here. Though I didn't need the info about social media stuff, I did like the info on lighting and photography. I really appreciated the focus on budget.