[Wriothesley Cosplay] Genshin Impact: The Hardcore Texture of the Duke and the Contrast of the Red Chair

This black, gray, and blue uniform paired with an eye-catching red tie is indeed a very recognizable element of Wriothesley. This shoot specifically attempted two different approaches to the set design. The first set was in a throne scene, wanting to highlight the sense of control and the slightly lazy aristocratic temperament that the character inherently possesses. The wig on the head was specially treated, using a relatively stiff styling; the two pointed horns needed repeated adjustment with hair wax and setting spray to be fixed at this specific angle.

The most time-consuming part of the costume was actually those silver metal chains and brooch accessories. To restore the mechanical texture in the setting, each link of the chain had to be fastened to the body independently. During the shoot, if a pose needed adjustment, one had to be very careful to avoid the chains getting tangled. However, combined with the sharp-pointed design of the gloves and the heavy high-top boots, the overall sense of weight and heavy-duty feel did come through, which actually fit the dark atmosphere of the second chain studio set perfectly. The tailoring of the vest on the upper body was relatively form-fitting and didn't restrict arm movement, so when sitting on the red velvet sofa, the hands could naturally support the body.

The part that gave me the biggest headache during changing clothes was probably the gloves. The half-finger design plus rigid rings looked very aggressive, but in actual wear, every finger had to be inserted into the corresponding leather gap. However, after wearing them and coordinating with the drooping chains, the movements immediately found the character's feel. As for the gray-blue trousers on the lower body, paired with belts and strappy boots, although it was easy to make the legs look bloated, a bit of tightening design was used by utilizing the looseness of the trouser legs, which actually made the lower body look more capable, rather than simply piling up thick fabric.

Although special effects couldn't achieve that steam style, the on-site use of red atmospheric lighting and suspended thick iron chains could create an atmosphere of being heavily oppressed yet still composed. This is also an approach to lighting that I highly recommend everyone can try when portraying such characters with heavy-duty elements. The side-backlighting method fused with the red light in the scene would outline the metallic highlight contours very well.

Even more coincidentally, when I went back to the 'Meropide' canteen after the shoot, I indeed saw stickers and actual cakes. Although it was just a small surprise, the Melusine hand-drawn style stuck on the leather shoulder strap actually had a bit of contrast cuteness. It can be said that this shooting experience regarding Wriothesley, from preparation to finishing, was a complete character experience process. When shooting in the studio, in order to reflect the texture of the character, the entire makeup and styling took basically more than two hours to change, especially the adjustment of the tie and bowknot, which would look crooked if slightly off-center when viewed from the front. However, the output effect was not bad, and the capture of several shots demonstrated the layering of the clothing well. The reflection of light on the metal rings just happened to brighten up the gray-blue trousers. The second time entering the studio, the gorgeous scene of the first group was directly overturned and replaced with hardcore iron chains and crimson light.

Although the textures of the final photos were different, they were all very appropriate to the character's background setting. The first group was more static and reserved, while the second group had more sharpness. The interaction with the photographer during the shoot was also very interesting. Because some props and accessories needed positioning during the shoot, in the iron chain scene, in order not to touch the dangling chains, every movement required the model to set the rhythm, although the physical consumption was indeed quite high. If you don't count the time for rest and makeup touch-ups, the separate shooting of the two scenes alone took most of the day. But seeing the final record, I always feel that these efforts are worth it for this role-playing game experience in this Atmospheric photography project.