[Gongsun Li Cosplay] Honor of Kings Summer Swimsuit, A Playful Elf on the Beach

Although the shoot took place indoors in a studio that day, the set beach scene and warm-toned lighting immediately gave one the urge to go on a beach vacation. This time I chose a very refreshing modified swimsuit outfit, which is the pink and blue color set you see in the photos. To make the overall visual effect softer and more dreamy, the photographer specifically chose high-key soft light combined with low-saturation macaron tones, greatly reducing heavy shadow feelings in light and shadow, making the entire picture look light and translucent.

Hair and makeup were the highlights of this styling. To restore this pink hair, we spent a long time adjusting the direction of the wig strands, making a thick side braid and a bun on top, adorned with pearl hair rings and a mint green thin ribbon. For the single-sided hair clip, I chose classic Hello Kitty, adding a bit of playful childlike charm. As for contact lenses, I chose a highly translucent purple pair, creating a warm-cool contrast with the pink wig to make my gaze look more lively.

The costume design also revolves around a summer feel. The top features a white lace bandeau base with a light blue gauzy strap casually tied over it, revealing the lines of the waist and abdomen. The sleeves use a detached lace sleeve design, which is not only breathable but also softens the heavy feel of the upper body. The bottom is a light blue multi-layered ruffled skirt trimmed with white lace on the edges, with a pink garter specially adorned on the thigh to add a sporty sweet-heart vibe.

Props helped a lot with action performance during shooting. For example, the transparent swim ring, though slippery and easy to drop, builds a breezy sense of water spray and sunshine whether placed beside the face or leaned against knees. There is also the vibrantly colored large water gun, which is not only a summer beach essential but also brings a strong storytelling feel when gestured with—whether aiming at the lens or held casually flat, it looks extremely lively.

The few photos sitting on the lounge chair are my favorites; that pose not only extends leg lines but also displays more languor and comfort combined with a chin-resting gesture. Across the entire set, we aimed for a natural summer relaxation feel without over-posing. I hope everyone can feel this character's unique charm at the summer seaside through this perspective.

In prop selection, besides the transparent swim ring, I specially customized this giant water gun, whose color-blocked design is very photogenic. We didn't design a rigid posture flow before shooting, but chose to let props guide the character instead. For instance, holding the water gun creates a semi-embracing posture due to its volume; this natural body extension is much more vivid than forced posing.

As for makeup, we aimed for translucent, flawless skin with very thin base makeup to retain the skin's natural glow, applying purple blending locally around the eyes so eyeliner hides softly within eye shadow, creating a frameless eye makeup effect. Lip color was chosen in rose mauve, adding healthy color without being overly vivid, forming a harmonious color combination with pink bangs and light blue camisole straps.

In post-processing, we added soft focus and translucent highlights, giving the overall image not only a strong dreamy feel but also preserving realistic skin texture. Costume details, like lace textures and mesh folds, look very delicate under the light.

Although studio shooting lacks real beach waves, with white fine sand and surrounding coconut palm trees and parasols, plus a touch of summer highlight glow, it felt as if actually on an island. The modified swimsuit design not only boosted visual eye-catchiness but also made the character look as if having Anime cosplay dreaminess alongside 3D realistic details in everyday scenes. I've always felt cosplay should focus not only on appearance restoration, but more importantly on bringing the temperament and atmosphere of two-dimensional characters into three-dimensional lenses. Combining summer coolness with playfulness this time was a very enjoyable creative experience.