ESL One Frankfurt 2016 will see many talented cosplayers partaking in the official cosplay competition and enriching the event with their craft. One of them will Hannes Schönian, also known as HS-Design, who specializes in crafting armor. We chatted with him about his passion and what he has in store for us in Frankfurt - check out what he had to say below.
ESL: Hi, Hannes! Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Let’s start at the very beginning - how did your adventure with cosplay begin?
Hannes: That’s easy! I was always a nerd, gamer and fantasy fan and, during my study of stage and costume design, I made my first costumes. I never thought I would start with cosplay, but after my first convention... I was addicted.
ESL: How did your hobby and skill grow over the years?
Hannes: I always want to push myself and my cosplays, so I try to choose difficult and very detailed designs. That’s the best way to improve your skills - every project is bigger and better than the one before 😉
ESL: What are your favorite types of cosplay to make and why?
Hannes: I am totally in love with epic and badass armor! Why? They look soooo awesome and I like badass characters. Also I am more a crafter than someone who just sews a costume.
ESL: Do you have any personal favorites among your creations?
Hannes: I have two! The Frostkeeper Warrior from Rift, which is just a very aggressive, big armor with a lot of pieces and details, then I have a costume which is a good combination of fabrics and armor - the redesign of Kalecgos from World of Warcraft. It was a challenge to attach all those armor plates onto the fabric and body, and also to cast all the 84 glowing crystals.
ESL: You are in the process of releasing a crafting guidebook to help fellow cosplayers - tell us more about this project.
Hannes: Yeah... that’s a very special project. Simply saId, it’s a crafting book for beginners who want to create their first armor cosplay or just want to get some advice. The special thing is that my focus is on the male part - the cosplay scene needs some more guys! So I try to motivate them and give some special male cosplay tips like makeup, posing, etc. I really hope readers will enjoy the book and find inspiration for further projects.
ESL: You also do commissions and craft cosplays and parts of cosplays for other people - do you think that can be turned into a full-time job? Does it bring you as much satisfaction as crafting things for yourself does?
Hannes: That’s an interesting question. Yes, over the last two years I did some commissions but I had to stop because of having less time. It’s not easy to turn it into a full-time job but I am working hard on this. This year will be very exciting and I have some great news... but it’s too soon to tell you more. Only one thing: there will be a online shop for props and steampunk accessories soon
ESL: What made you decide to come to ESL One Frankfurt 2016?
Hannes: A lot of friends have been going to ESL One for some years and now I want to experience this event for myself! It just looks awesome!
ESL: What cosplay are you preparing for the event and why did you choose that particular hero?
Hannes: I am preparing Riki with the Covert Saboteur set. As I am quite small, slim and sneaky, I think he will match me quite well. I also like his design and I am a big fan of everything with hoofs.
ESL: Which part is or will be the most difficult to make?
Hannes: The head is the most difficult part. I had to sculpt his animal-like face for the mask and also the mask that he is wearing in this set, but it was a lot of fun.
ESL: What are you most looking forward to at ESL One Frankfurt?
Hannes: To meet all these awesome people and just have fun with them!
ESL: Thanks so much for chatting to us! The last words are yours.|
Hannes: I can’t wait to finish Riki and enjoy ESL One Frankfurt! It will be just epic!
To see more of Hannes’s works, visit his Facebook page!
See you in June!
ESL One Frankfurt 2016 kicks off at the Commerzbank Arena on June the 18th but feel free to join us at Sam’s Sportsbar on the 17th for our group stage public viewing and opening party!
Tickets are available now so be sure not to miss this amazing event and a true celebration of Dota 2 - we’re looking forward to seeing you there! If you need a place to stay or transport to the event, check out our ESL One Frankfurt hotel and buses.
For all important information, visit the ESL One Frankfurt official website and follow ESL Dota 2 on Twitter and Facebook.
Photos courtesy of HS-Design.
