Today we will be learning a little bit about Poison Ivy and then how to create her New 52 look! Poison Ivy has always been my favorite character. There are many factors that go into this but we won’t go into that at this moment.

Poison Ivy first appeared in Batman 181 as a vixen botanist who wants only to save the earth, but not necessarily the people that live on it. After the New 52 reboot she changed from her one-piece bathing suit ensemble to a full bodysuit with a pattern of leaves upon it. We somewhat get an explanation of the suit change in Birds of Prey 11 where she explains that her suit enhances her powers but also is keeping her alive.

On to the tutorial: After seeing the New 52 change I wasn’t too happy, but it ~grew~ on me. (Pun fully intended) I looked online to see what other cosplayers were doing and found mostly that they were gluing or sewing on floral leaves. I then saw one instance where they painted on the leaves and I liked this style more then the others.

What you will need:

• Acrylic paints
• White fabric pencil
• Black Spandex bodysuit
• Stenciled leaves
• Brushes/Sponges

I started with a basic black Spandex bodysuit with a collar and gloves attached. You could get one with detachable gloves, this is easier at cons when you need to use your phone.

I put the bodysuit on and I traced out an outline of where the leaves were going to go with a white fabric pencil. I then added just a base layer of acrylic paint in golds, greens, and silvers so that the leaves would pop. I did this with a sponge and just a dabbing motion. Make sure to put something in between the front and back of the suit so that it doesn’t dry together. I then started adding leaf stencils that I found at Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

I wanted to add a little bit of my own botanical style so I took some maple leaves, traced them, and made my own stencils. After doing a base layer I put it on my dress form to make sure the leaves wouldn’t stretch into weird patterns when I wore it.

I also added a couple “hidden” images within my costume.

I continued to add layers of stenciled leaves until I was satisfied. I tried the costume on many times to make sure the paint would stretch without cracking and it was well covered.

Once the suit is complete all you need to do is put some spirals/vines on your face and have red hair/wig. I also added some green lips and green contact lenses for effect.

The finished product! Using the metallic paints I got different colors in different lights, which was really awesome. The first picture was taken in a comic book shop with fluorescent lights and the second was taken outside at a park.

And that’s it! It is a pretty simple cosplay and really fun to wear!

Written by:

Tesla Isley Cosplay

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