[Hiyuki cosplay] The Ice Blue Phantom in Wuthering Waves, Sleeping with the Sword

Shooting Hiyuki this time took nearly two weeks, from costume pattern making to wig styling. This outfit features incredibly rich layering; the outer layer consists of a gradient blue-purple sheer gauze, while the inner lining is adorned with pearlescent finishes and subtle patterns. The small white flowers on the shoulders and the embroidered details on the chest each hide a touch of the character's temperament. To recreate that cool yet slightly fragile feeling of the character, I intentionally lowered the line of my eyebrows in the makeup design. The eyeshadow used a grey-toned pinkish-purple, which, combined with the red-pupil colored contacts, makes the gaze look more ethereal.

For the props, this sword was custom-made, with its length and curvature referencing the original design, and its surface given a subtle metallic texture. Since the sword is quite long, it took a long time to adjust the single-handed gripping posture during the shoot—ensuring a balanced center of gravity while avoiding obscuring the outline of the clothes. For the lighting, we used an interweaving of warm and cool tones; the main light source leaned toward a cool white, supplemented by a faint purple fill light from the side, which not only highlighted the ice-blue texture of the hair but also made the reflections on the skirt's gauze and sequins look more dreamlike.

The cloth spread in the scene with mysterious characters was actually hand-painted by us, using acrylic paint to mimic the rune effect. Combined with the dark purple ambient lighting at the bottom, it successfully created the atmosphere of being inside a secret realm. To capture the skirt hem naturally spreading out, I lay sideways on a plush mat. This angle posed quite a test for core and abdominal strength, but fortunately, the final angle captured in the photos turned out ideal.

In fact, the joy of cosplay lies exactly in transforming a 2D setting into a 3D reality. From the choice of materials to the control of light and shadow, every single step is a re-creation of the original work. This time, I experimented with a more realistic post-processing color grading, avoiding excessive skin smoothing while preserving the skin texture and individual hair strands. I hope you can feel the heart and dedication that went into this blue traditional style cosplay photography and its ethereal outfit session.