Poor Alphonse Elric. He’s just so misunderstood. People see him as this tragic figure, what with his failed human transmutation experiment and all. But at the end of the day, he’s just like any other character we cosplayer loves- he wants to look good and impress everyone he meets. Sure, he might not have a body to start with, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still rock a killer cosplay!
Who Are Edward Elric And Alphonse Elric?
The main protagonist Edward Elric of the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood manga series has a brother, Alphonse Elric, who travels with him. Both are in search of the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. As the main characters of the manga series Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Edward Elric, and Alphonse Elric have gained a huge fandom mainly because of how they look. As you know, cosplaying is about portraying a character. That means if a character’s costume is interesting as in the case of the Alphonse Elric armor, then it is no wonder why a lot of cosplayers are portraying his looks.
Easy Alphonse Elric Cosplay Tutorial
The Alphonse Elric Cosplay gear can be challenging especially if this is your first cosplay but it can also be exciting to make. So, if you are going to recreate this for the next event such as the Anime Los Angeles Con, be ready with your materials and load up with full patience as you navigate through this challenge. Read our Alphonse Elric Cosplay tutorial to help you get ready as you make that intricate design.
The process of making the Alphonse Elric costume from the Fullmetal Alchemist series may take months to do. In the course of making the Alphonse Elric costume, you will go through the steps below.
Sketching And Planning The Costume
Initial sketches can be perplexing to make since you need to get a lot of pictures for reference. You can search Google for reference photos, a Pepakura pattern, or get ideas from a cosplay tutorial full metal alchemist video or blogs such as this one. This can take a longer time to do as you need to be accurate with the proportions or measurements.
To be very accurate in making your Alphonse Elric armor, you need to scale your drawings or sketches in the size that can fit you well. With that said, make sure that your initial sketches or photos contain detailed instructions on how to make the entire Fullmetal Alchemist Alphonse Elric armor.
Prototype Assembly
The easy part of making the Alphonse Elric armor is the cutting and gluing. This is mostly true with other pieces. However, in this case, you will have to be more accurate as you are gluing pieces together to make it look like real steel. Also, if this is not done properly, some pieces may not fit another which can make you redo your Alphone Elric armor.
Using Craft Foam To Trace Sketched Pieces
Craft foams can help you make your cosplay costume out of this fantastic series. They come in a variety of thicknesses and firmness. Some cosplayers favor the use of EVA foam as it has become the ultimate material that can be fashioned into any costume.
Cutting The Craft Foam To The Desired Shapes
Most cosplayers know that EVA foam is the top go-to material for crafting especially in making armor pieces such as the Alphonse Elric cosplay project. However, cutting craft foam can be tricky as you may not get the desired shape that you like. If the foam is thin, a pair of scissors can do the job. However, a pair of scissors may not produce a cleaner cut, especially if you are using foams that are ¼” thick. Instead, you can use a pocket knife or jackknife. For curved or fancy Alphonse Elric cosplay design pieces, you can still use scissors to get things done.
Gluing Pieces Together
Once you’re through with the cutting, you can start gluing the pieces together of your full metal alchemist costume. When modeling pieces are hot glued together, this can result in firm and fixed pieces that can hold together well. You can also use watered-down tacky glue. This is useful in sealing craft foams together. Just find a small container to place your tacky glue and add water until you have a mixture resembling acrylic paint. Then you can start gluing the pieces of your Alphonse Elric cosplay project.
Painting The Costume
Painting this Fullmetal Alchemist character costume can be a lot of fun. Before you continue with our Alphonse Elric cosplay tutorial, be sure you have your gears ready. This part is all about painting so make sure your workspace is well ventilated. Then, have your Fullmetal alchemist character costume already shaped to the desired form. Next, you can spray paint it in silver as part of the finishing touches. This will ensure the color or shine will not get messy if you shape them after spray painting.
Once the painting is done, it’s now time to let the drying process take its course on your Fullmetal Alchemist character costume. You will have to stretch your patience with this as it may take some time to have your Alphonse Elric cosplay project completely dried up after painting.
Adding Details
I’m sure Edward Elric will mistake you for his brother once you put your Alphonse Elric cosplay on. You can add more details by adding the light-up eyes and other stuff. This will make your costume come to life with you on it. This is also the fun part because as you add the eyes and other accessories accurately, you are also recreating your Alphonse Elric costume. For the eyes, you can use a pair of LEDs with batteries to get it all lighted up. You can secure these accessories by using Velcro at the same time they can be removable. Just remove the batteries when you want to turn them off.
FAQ On How To Make an Alphonse Elric Armour Cosplay Costume
Is Alphonse Elric A Girl?
If you haven’t watched the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood series, then I can’t blame you for thinking so. As the title suggests, Alphonse and Elric are brothers. They are on a quest to find the Philosopher’s stone to be able to get their bodies back together. Alphonse has been attached to a huge steel armor after losing some of his body parts to a failed human experiment. Aside from the interesting Alphonse Elric cosplay look, the story of the entire series is also pretty good, which is why it’s another hit choice among cosplayers. In some cases, you might think Winry Rockbell is Al given that this young girl mechanic hangs out with them often.
Why Is Alphonse Elric A Popular Cosplay Choice?
Most cosplayers who choose the Alphonse Elric costume know the story of how this character came to be loved by millions of fans. Aside from Al Elric cosplay tutorial full version, his allies Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang are also popular choices for those who’ve watched the Full Metal Alchemist series.
Can I Do A DIY Full metal Alchemist Group Armor Costume?
Yes, definitely. There are several tutorial full metal alchemist videos that you can watch to make a D-I-Y suit. Check out patterns and designs as well as measurements. For the limbs, it would be better to print them one at a time and cut them per pattern like the parts that make up the upper arms, lower arms, shoulders, etc. You can also modify the pattern anytime according to your preference. Having the desired pattern can help you move to the next step of tracing them into your materials and cutting them as needed.
Can I Seal And Paint The Full Metal Alchemist Project At The Same Time?
The answer to this is no, you have to do one after the other. If you use foam, you have to seal it well, or else the paint will make them look coarse. The aim is to make them look smooth. Using sealant has a much faster drying time than using PVA glue or Mod Podge. You will only need two layers of a sealant as opposed to several more layers using other materials.
You can spray-paint your armor using 3 layers of Plastidip, drying them in-between layers. If you do it right, you will end up with a smooth and no pores visible in your costume. Let it dry, give it 4 or more hours to set well. This will sum up our Al Elric Cosplay Tutorial Full Metal Alchemist for this part.
What Other Accessories Can I Add?
An Alphonse Elric armor will not be complete without its signature headgear or helmet. There are intricacies involved in shaping and making this piece. You can try downloading an app where measurements for headgears are clearly instructed. Other instructions for cosplays can be found on anime sites, too. You can use the same materials you use to make the body armor as well as the same process of making it look shiny and metallic.
What Should I Wear Underneath My Alphonse Elric Fullmetal Alchemist Costume?
For your Alphonse Elric cosplay first armor craft, you can wear something black to cover the joint areas of the costume. Black sweatpants and a black long-sleeved shirt will do the job. If you want ample breathability and full coverage, you can opt to buy a skin-tight garment or spandex. This can make wearing cosplay costumes comfortable and can help you carry your character well with confidence.
