Some videogame fans take their enthusiasm for games outside of the virtual and into meatspace with works of art crafted from many different materials.
Who hasn’t seen a videogame-themed tee-shirt or baseball cap? Tons of nerds love to show their geek-cred with apparel, but it takes a special kind of gamer to actually make said items. And it’s not just clothing, gamers have been know to make pillows that look like hearthstones from WoW or even coasters that depict the inventory items in Zelda bit for bit. These objets d’art are sometimes created for the sheer joy of it, but now, thanks to websites like Etsy, these crafters can sell their goods to the geek masses. Nova Barlow talks to some of the artists who showcase their work on Etsy and other places in issue 238 of The Escapist:
Crafting is contagious, and fortunately for those with even a tiny bit of skill, other people have done the hard work for them by making their geeky patterns available to the public. After seeing an adorable stuffed Day of the Tentacle figure, Amy Burgoyne created a couple herself and eventually released her Amigurumi pattern for others to use. Videogame crafting isn’t just decorative – it can also be practical. This functional Magnetic Katamari can help find your wayward keys lost in the haze of an all night gaming session, and this Mega Man helmet and pair of Mario wrist warmers undoubtedly provide frost resistance from the winter chill. With a bit of modeling clay and practice, it’s even possible to go from painting miniatures to crafting your own.
“I think everyone starts out with some amount of artistic inclination as a child, but so many lose interest in it as they get older,” says life-long crafter and gamer, Charlene Gey. “The handmade world is not Wal-Mart … it is not immediate, and it is worth waiting for.”
The artwork crafted is often ingenious and worth checking out even if crafting isn’t up your alley. Read the rest of Max-Level Crafters and see if you want to level up your skill.
