Progress Log: Snape (Harry Potter)

My workplace won a contest to hold a Harry Potter Party to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary (I know, I feel old too), and the staff were encouraged (and paid) to attend in costume and in character.  Life is too perfect sometimes.  

I went as Snape.  It wasn't the best cosplay ever, but it was fun, and with limited time and resources (ie, racing to get proscenium-stage-quality makeup and contacts slapped on in between finishing the decorations and refreshments for the party, and helping other staffers with their own costumes and props) I thought it turned out pretty well.  It was fun being encouraged to be nasty to tweens, and I figure it's a great "easy day" Dragoncon cosplay.

In the meantime, I'm really trying hard not to think about what it means that I'm able to look so much like Alan Rickman with minimal makeup and hair alterations.  

Above we see fairly typical Snape - it's more fun to have the academic gown than not, because if you have the option to have black wings of fabric billowing out behind you, you should do it.  

Note that the gown is open in the front, is bunched up as it falls down over the shoulders, and that the very wide open sleeves end at the elbow to reveal the fitted buttoned sleeves of the tight jacket underneath.  Also note the peeps of white at the wrists, showing an underlayer.

Here we can also see more clearly the high open standing collar of the underjacket, a glimpse of what looks like a black neckband underneath, and a bottom layer which looks like the very tips of a standing white collar closest to the skin.  We get a more clear view of the buttons: they look to be self-fabric, and we can tell that the buttonholes are horizontal.  We can also see the dropped seam on the shoulder of the academic gown, which gives us a place to gather the volume of fabric to make those extra folds of fabric down the front.

Color study for the face, and also a good view of the bump in the nose.  Note the strong vertical worry line between the eyebrows, the very deep nasolabial folds, overhung by the sagging flesh of the cheeks, the very deep-set eyes with pouches underneath, and the strong horizontal chin-cleft.  Note the lower lip is very dark - almost berry-colored - and full, but the upper lip is thin and strongly downward slanted, making it less prominent.

This photo better shows the hair styling and length, and also reveals the highlights needed for the hoods over the eyes, under the outside end of the eyebrows.

As always, all images are the property of their owners.  They are presented here for research purposes only.