Talent Tuesday - Sarah Barnes

Anstellos Artist & Photographer

There are too many people trying to hold each other back in this world. I want to use my own website to help spread the love and share with you my most awesomely talented friends!

UK Based, Sarah Barnes, not only manages a full time career but also fits in the time to make epically stunning costumes! Well done Sarah!

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Dwicreations

How long have you been cosplaying for?
I would say I've been cosplaying for 5 years now. Although I did make some before that I wouldn't have called it my hobby then.

What made you get into cosplay?
It started out as making costumes for themed nights out at Uni. It became rapidly apparent that it was a lot cheaper to make a ninja or a caveman outfit than it was to buy them. More money to spend on important things. ;) Then at the end of final year me and my course friend went to our first con. It was great fun, I went in my first masquerade, I was terrified but I came back to do more because I learnt new things and knew I could do bigger and better.


what was your first costume? Did you make it?
I'm quite ambitious when it comes to cosplay and unfortunately with my first I didn't quite have the skills or knowledge to back it up. I made a Samus Aran suit from Metroid. It was made of paper mache and held together with staples. As much as I rail on it though, everyone starts somewhere and you'll always learn new things even from mistakes.

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unknown photographer

I see you do a lot of incredible magestic pokemon cosplays now, are you also a gamer?
Yeah, I tend to stick to cosplays from areas that I know, mostly Nintendo games. I've done a lot of Pokemon and Smash Bros, my latest one was from Bayonetta 2.

Your latest cosplays are incredible, how long do they take to put together on average?
I tend to work on one 'big' cosplay a year. That will take me the best part of 5-6 months to complete. Then I would usually not do anything else and simply take it to all the cons. When they take most of the year to make I want to get the most out of them. Now that I've started a page for myself I am making smaller cosplays to slide in here and there to take for the Friday or the Sunday at cons.

As someone in full time employment do you struggle to find time to make an outfit?
I wouldn't say struggle but I certainly am prone to pushing other responsible adult things that I should be doing out of the way to do cosplay. I will normally only get three hours worth done if it is a weekday and maybe more if I'm not busy at the weekend. It can be tough but I usually pace myself ok and plan things out.

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Food and Cosplay

How many conventions do you go to per year usually?
I'd average about 4 or 5, almost always with the same University friends.

Whats been your proudest moment in cosplay?
Oooo proudest. Well I have won a few masquerades so you always feel a swell of pride then. However the Potter Puppet Pals group was shared by the actual people who made the Potter Puppet Pals and I was ecstatic when that happened. Me (Harry) and my friend Michael (Ron) though it would be an awesome idea in the autumn. I came up with all the plans over winter and suddenly it was happening and being made by me and a couple of friends in the Spring. It had such an amazing reaction from people at MCM May and the recognition from the actual Potter Puppet Pal people was just the icing on the cake.

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If you want to check out Sarah's awesome work 
CLICK HERE!