Panel & Workshop Offerings
With great power (craft mastery) comes great responsibility (sharing that skill with others).
I have been teaching panels and hands-on workshops at DIY and Crafters' conferences and events, both in person and online, recorded and live, since 2017. Below is a list of my current panel and workshop offerings.
Panels (Lecture Style)
Before You Build: A Guide to Smarter Costume Design
Cosplay & Commissioning: A Seamless Process w/Team Cosmosii
From 2D to 3D: Advanced Manufacturing Techniques for Cosplay
History in the Making: Using Historical Influences in Cosplay Design
Life in Plastic: 3D Printing Your Wildest Dreams
Upgrade Your Premade: Making Mass Manufactured Cosplays Uniquely Yours
Where the Wild Pics Are: A Guide to On-Location Cosplay Photography
Worldweaving: Tabletop & Textile History
Yes, You CAD: Intro to 3D Modeling
Hands-On Workshops
3D Print Finishing Masterclass: Make a Genshin Vision
Blink Twice: Intro to Breadboarding, Electronics, & Coding
That's So Metal: Sand Casting Metallic D&D Dice
Co-Presenter
Panels I'm happy to run with co-presenters or retool to present alongside new co-presenters at request!
Intro to Cosplay Competitions [Various co-presenters]
From Moron to Master: Cosplay Fails & What We Learned From Them [Co-Presenters = @Cosplay.Tory & @Winged.Stitches]
Panel Synopses
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Before You Build: An Engineer's Guide to Smarter Cosplay Design
Yes, You CAD: Intro to 3D Modeling
A guide to applying the real-world design process to cosplay, featuring prototyping techniques, project management guidelines, and approaches to breaking down character designs, taught by a professional engineer.
Technology is changing the way we cosplay, from 3D printing to digital patterning. Join Cass, cosplayer of 10+ years & professional engineer, for a 60-minute crash course covering the ins and outs of 3D modeling & design.
We'll discuss different types of programs for 3D modeling, designing for printing/assembly, and do a step-by-step 3D modeling demo! And if you don't have a 3D printer, don't fret-- we'll also cover how you can make the designs at home and optimize for success when you send your parts out for production.
From 2D to 3D: Manufacturing Techniques for Cosplay
Life in Plastic (It's Fantastic): 3D Printing Your Wildest Dreams
A collaboratively developed panel from 4 engineers with more than 40 years of industry experience in manufacturing, mechanical, wearables, and materials engineering, this panel introduces advanced manufacturing techniques to DIYers looking to step up their construction game. Panelists discuss techniques like 3D printing, laser cutting, thermoforming, basic electronics, and more while providing resources for learning and doing these techniques cheaply and conveniently.
Co-written with @ Brooks W. of Formlabs (but I am happy / have permission to present this solo!)
Whether you’re making custom minis, prototyping game pieces, or constructing next year’s cosplay, 3D printing has dramatically changed the way we create custom objects. Brooks & Cass have a combined 35 years of professional experience in engineering product design, 3D printing, and costuming. Join us for a crash course on design and fabrication best practices, with a focus on 3D printing. We will step you through example projects and provide templates to help you realize your own ideas. We will also cover how and where to get your parts printed if you don’t already have access to a 3D printer, the pros and cons of common 3D printing technology, and where and when to use 3D printing for optimal creative chaos.
Upgrade Your Premade: Making Mass Manufactured Cosplays Uniquely Yours
History in the Making: Using Historical Influences in Cosplay Design
Buying cosplay is much easier than it ever was before, but internet shopping means gambling on quality. This panel will cover the basics of readjusting and revamping premade costumes to fit you better and be one-of-a-kind!
Even the most fantastical of character designs are still grounded in tradition. This panel will through a history of garment production, where and how to research historical and culturally inspired designs, and demonstrate how to true to the character while utilizing design concepts and techniques from yesteryear.
"Worldweaving: Tabletop & Textile History" riffs off of the same historical research, but spends more time discussing general character, plot, and world design and less time on implementation for cosplay specifically.
Where the Wild Pics Are: A Guide to On-Location Cosplay Photoshoots
Cosplay & Commissioning: A Seamless Process with Team Cosmosii
As co-founder of Cosmosii, I've spent hundreds of hours talking to dozens of commissioners about their processes from pricing to project management. Whether you're a first-time commission buyer or a Maker looking to set up shop, we'll cover everything from etiquette to effectively realizing others' creative visions!
Capturing that perfect cosplay photo is a challenge– and sometimes that means hiking into the mountains, jumping in oceans, or even renting out an entire venue. Master cosplayer StarsOfCassiopeia will talk you through the entire process for cosplayers & photographers, from scouting locations to permitting to packing to the photoshoot itself. Grab your gear, let’s prep to get those perfect pics!
3D Print Finishing Masterclass: Make a Genshin Vision [Hands-on Workshop]
Metal Casting Masterclass: Sand Casting D&D Dice
You've got a 3D print finished – now what? In this course, we will walk students through the differences between various 3D printing methods and showcase techniques for sanding, filing, polishing, and painting raw FDM and resin prints. Students will complete the finishing for a Genshin Impact 3D printed vision and will be able to take home the project for stringing on a chain or pendant.
In this workshop you'll learn:
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The differences between various 3D printing methods and when to use which in accessory/prop making
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How to properly sand, file, and polish 3D prints
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How to work with FDM and resin prints, both commonly used in cosplay
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Coloration & painting techniques for smoothed 3D prints
Prerequisite Skills:
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None, beginner friendly
This class is a hands-on workshop in metal casting.
Students will assemble a small frame ("flask") and prepare a sand mold for a classic D&D die of their choosing, usable in board games and TTRPGs.
The instructor will show a setup for metal casting, and will then pour tin into the students’ molds. Once cooled, the students will be able to remove their parts from the mold, and be guided through sprue removal and part cleanup. We will also cover what a “backyard” metal casting setup for other metals might look like, and discuss different mold-making methods for metal casting.
Prerequisite Skills:
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None, beginner friendly
Electronics Masterclass: Blink Twice, Intro to Electronics, Breadboarding, & Coding
If circuitry scares you but you dream of cosplays/props with lights and special effects, come get hands on in this interactive workshop!
Engineer and master cosplayer StarsOfCassiopeia will teach you the basics of electronics prototyping (breadboarding) and circuit design, leveraging a Raspberry Pi with prewritten code to make a set of LEDs blink on and off. We will also implement on/off switches, discuss additional special effects components, and discuss how to translate breadboarded circuitry to your final props & costumes.
The kit of components is yours to keep at the end of class, so you can turn it into next year's amazing build!
Prerequisite Skills:
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None, beginner friendly
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[Archived] Blades, Triggers, & Bows:
Weapons Handling in Cosplay
Co-developed with contributors Kalina K. (Sailor Cosmos Cosplay) & Tabitha B. (TheSparkOfRevolution). [Archived since this panel is significantly harder to present well solo, and we now live on different continents].
The panel writers have 30+ yrs of experience in eastern sword arts (kenjutsu), western sword arts (longsword, fencing), dagger/knife fighting, archery, shooting, & knowledge about various other weapons.
This panel discusses popular types of weapons (ranging from swords to knives and guns to polearms) that are found in anime/manga/video games and come up as prop forms.
The panel covers the historical background of these weapons and their uses, as well as how to pose and frame cosplay photos to look more professional and striking. Drawing on over a decade of construction and performance expertise, this panel also address construction of con-safe props and safe handling of props in public spaces.
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Panels I'm considering working on / have in the works:
- Solo-hosted cosplay competitions panel
- [workshop] Resin casting / working with resin