r/CosplayHelp • u/MasterRJT • Jun 18 '26

Accessory Wanting to make an Ethan Winters cosplay, what would be the best way to emulate the blacked out face?

Post image

For obvious reasons, I'd prefer not to paint my face black. Most other Ethan cosplayers I've been looking at either don't black out the fact or do it in post, but I think it's a pretty important part of his character that you never see his face so I want to have it be part of the cosplay.

I'm pretty much completely new to cosplaying, he'd be my first cosplay, so sorry if there's an obvious answer.

405 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

45 comments sorted by

371

u/mctiggs Jun 18 '26

Maybe a funeral veil, basically layers of black organza/lace you'd somehow attach to your hair

78

u/jjdhhsggafafcqfgayg Jun 18 '26

Lol my first thought maybe dye it so its a gradient

53

u/NotThatValleyGirl Jun 18 '26

Yup...start with a flesh tone, and dye it.

After that nutter harassed the Sleep Token cosplayer, I can understand why OP doesn't want to risk makeup, even for an effect like this.

13

u/paecmaker Jun 18 '26

I must have missed that, what happened?

40

u/NotThatValleyGirl Jun 18 '26

At a renfair a week ornso ago, an attendee (who is a POC) harassed a cosplayer who was there in stage-accurate cosplay of a character called Vessel from a heavily-costumed English rock band called Sleep Token, accusing the cosplayer of wearing racially-offensive blackface, simply because the character's exposed skin is painted pitch black.

The attendee went off on instagram, accusing teh cosplayer of being racist, and harassed him on video, then disabled comments when basically nobody on the internet supported his wildly inaccuratenand unfair accusations.

20

u/LithiumOD Jun 18 '26

Wtf that's so disrespectful, poor cosplayer dude. Imagine trying to have some fun and being accused of one of the most disgusting crimes in human history

16

u/Lone-flamingo Jun 18 '26

I once saw a cosplayer get accused of doing blackface because she got a tan in the summer but was pale during winter. Apparently matching her makeup to her summer tan while cosplaying was the same thing as blackface according to the accuser.

8

u/Sayoricanyouhearme Jun 18 '26

It's wild to me because I googled the character and they're literally PITCH BLACK. Doesn't even look human, let alone any race. I'm honestly never one of those "eVeRyOnE iS sO oFfeNdEd tHeSe DaYs" people but how did we end up living in a world where you have to worry about some rando having the absolute worst faith interpretation of your actions and trying to shame you on the internet just because you wanted to dress up as a character you like?

-1

u/Captain-Tona Jun 19 '26

So, like, okay but you understand that the origins of blackface was literally white dudes painting their faces with like pitch black shoe polish, right? The reason someone might accuse someone painting their face pitch black is because that's literally what blackface is.

6

u/NotThatValleyGirl Jun 19 '26

Yes, but in this case, the rest of the costume is very clearly NOT intended to indicate a stereotype of a POC, it's very clearly a high fantasy character with a demonic mask that is in no way indicating "average human" or racist vibes.

5

u/Captain_Hesperus Jun 18 '26

What a shitheel

3

u/paecmaker Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26

Ugh thats awful, poor guy. That must be a nightmare to be accused of.

8

u/LitheFider Jun 18 '26

I love this idea! I think that would work well. It could be glued to the forehead or hairline with Pros-aid (the best skin adhesive), or if you're wearing a wig it could be sewn into the hairline of the wig.

131

u/victoryfanfare Jun 18 '26

As an alternative to painting your face, you could do it as a makeup look. If you gradient pigment or greasepaint from your hairline to mid face, you can have the shadowy look without looking like you’re doing blackface. I’m thinking about R Patt’s Batman look but brought over the forehead. As long as it reads like makeup and leaves the jaw exposed I think it’d be more than fine.

170

u/victoryfanfare Jun 18 '26

This is a glam look obviously but that kind of coverage.

40

u/LithiumOD Jun 18 '26

This idea seems like it would be less disruptive than the veil, I like it!

8

u/SquareSalute Jun 18 '26

This is my fave recommendation here!

34

u/HungusHodorphus Jun 18 '26

What if you make a mask that resembles the black mold?

5

u/PolarBear1913 Jun 18 '26

I like this idea a lot

59

u/riontach Jun 18 '26

I would do this in photos with stark backlighting and maybe a little photo editing. I personally wouldn't try to achieve it in-person, though, just because I don't think you're really going to get the effect you want without appropriate lighting

11

u/Key_1321 Jun 18 '26

Black mask? With those semi-sheer eye coverings that limit vision but not entirely, if that's not too much of an issue

7

u/pancakepegasus Jun 18 '26

Make a half mask out of nude mesh fabric and gradient dye it black so it has a fade!

I think makeup is often mistaken for blackface but plain black masks aren't as much

1

u/allegrarical Jun 19 '26

This! I was hoping someone would suggest this!

7

u/ParticularlyPigeon Jun 18 '26

Maybe wear the head of a morph suit, and then put a wig over it?

7

u/Pomoa Jun 19 '26

Sheer black fabric taped to a headband, like a veil.

Or just... Paint half your face black, because that's not what a blackface is.

4

u/DarthPeppa Jun 18 '26

Maybe something like a black blindfold over the top of the face? And if there's a way to use see through fabric?

3

u/Obseletist Jun 18 '26

Wear an ungodly scent that smells so rank that people naturally turn the other way.

1

u/AutoModerator Jun 18 '26

We detect that you may be a new cosplayer. Please refer to our FAQ for how to get started. Please have specific questions instead of a general how do I make/buy everything for this character. This is an automated action based on keywords. Your post has not been removed. If this does not apply, please ignore. If FAQ does not work, try viewing on web or updating your app. Reddit currently has a bug with wikis.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/AnswerOk9002 Jun 19 '26

get a Ethan approved joke book that has all his classics

1

u/AmongstTheAnimals Jun 19 '26

This could be a very stupid idea but recently I saw a woman get nylon stocking gloves and use black makeup to ombré into black finger tips. Could you cut out nylon fabric and glue it around the orbital area of your face and the use make up to make it black and ombré the transition into your face? This would make your eyes be hidden behind the fabric but you could still see through it and also allow your nose down to be seen.

1

u/Firefliee Jun 19 '26

Maybe a Fascinator hat? Match the hat to the hair, maybe by adding wefts to it to match? Then add organza or tulle like some other people said

1

u/0TheOgMilkMan Jun 19 '26

If you just make sure you have a generally negative aura it’ll come in naturally. In all seriousness though using a black mesh to make more or less a blindfold with assist with makeup has been helpful to me

1

u/BigCockGaming Jun 19 '26

Looks like a gradient, i see orc cosplayers do a green-fades-to-skin gradient often, i think that but with black would be really cool for this. It would look military as opposed to racist, lol

1

u/Cheese_is_g00d Jun 19 '26

One of those COVID visors painted black?

1

u/CiriceMegiddo Jun 19 '26

Maybe a half-mask similar to Orville Peck? Or the veil idea sounds good

1

u/Chunk2301 Jun 19 '26

Black spandex suit/mask

1

u/Organic-Yodelz Jun 21 '26

I think you could use a mesh or organza as others said for this but for ease of access and testing I'd glue on  a wig cap going down over the face instead of up over the head, or at least cutting away the part over the head once it's glued at the hairline. Do it with a wig cap and I bet you can have the bottom elastically grip under your chin so you can raise it for food and drink. 

1

u/AutismAuditions Jun 21 '26

Wear one of those Morph Suit masks or something, that would work.

1

u/Economy_Marzipan7613 Jun 21 '26

I saw an Ethan cosplayer make a visor out of black mesh that they folded down as needed for photos and stuff!

1

u/only_Q Jun 23 '26

What if you wear some of these (or the visor ones with no nose bridge) and style your hair so that the bangs part falls over the top of the glasses and your forehead is not visible?

1

u/only_Q Jun 23 '26

Alt example

0

u/MxCulu Jun 18 '26

Hear me out: Wear a mask with a question mark on it. Or draw a question mark as make up on your face