Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Subscribe
(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Gaming Magazines
(opens in new tab)
Gaming Magazines (opens in new tab)
Why subscribe?
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12.99
(opens in new tab)
View (opens in new tab)
  • News
  • Guides
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • Deals
  • About Us
  • Magazines
    • Retro Gamer
    • Play
    • Total Film
    • Edge
    • SFX
Newsarama
Total Film
Edge
Trending
  • Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  • Starfield
  • Redfall
  • Resident Evil 4 Remake
  • Diablo 4

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. PS4
  3. Action
  4. The Last Of Us

Culturemaster: The Last of Us bodypaint cosplay... wait, what?

By GamesMaster Staff
published 24 February 2015

  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • Comments
Clicker bait article?

Clicker bait article?

If these images dont make the pit of your stomach crumple like an empty mushroom bag from the supermarket, might we suggest a trip to the doctors for a Cordyceps test or two? This all-too-close-to-real cosplay is thanks (for want of a better word) to artist and all round fun guy Jon Wilks from Bristol, who had a passion for The Last Of Us from the moment he saw it. I saw the very first trailer years ago and fell in love with the concept, Wilks tells us. I knew straight away that I wanted to make some art in support of the game, he says. Im a massive gamer but I didnt own a PS3. I was so confident that The Last Of Us would be an amazing game that I bought a PS3 the week before the game came out just so I could play it. It was the right decision, although I couldnt afford to eat for a while afterwards.

Sporting the rather, er, distinctive symptoms of clicker-dom, model Emma Franks mask was the most important part of Wilks costume construction, and he wanted it to be as perfect as hideous deformities could get. I like to take shortcuts when it comes to art and years ago I used Polyfilla foam to carve shapes with, he explains. It was the perfect material to use for the mask. It hardens very fast but you can shape it as it dries. The moulding window is very tight but after a couple of attempts I got the shapes I wanted. (As a dont try this at home disclaimer, Polyfilla foam can be a dangerous material to work with, but Wilks has excellent safety instructions on his technique on his DeviantART page page.)

Page 1 of 4
Page 1 of 4
Clicky friendship...

Clicky friendship...

Things didnt all go quite to plan on the day though, as a busy schedule meant that Wilks hadnt even managed to see if it would fit. The mask was the last thing I made and only really took a week to mould and paint, he tells us. Unfortunately, Emma and myself are both in full-time employment and we didnt get a chance to do a test fitting before the big day, so I had to wing it and get the mask to fit around her face on-site. But with some elastic, hair clips and some latex glue we got it to work. Shiv crafter Joel would surely be proud. Despite the knowledge that theres just elastic and a real live human under there, its somewhat unnerving to know that Wilks didnt think to add any eyeholes so, just like the clickers themselves, his model was blind for the entirety of the photo shoot.

Luckily Emma is a good friend of mine and we have worked on body paint shoots together. She is incredibly patient and trusts me greatly which was lucky because once the mask went on she couldnt see a thing. I had to lead her around an abandoned mental hospital until we had finished the shoot! he explains. To get her all dressed up and painted it took around two hours. It was a cold day so I am eternally grateful to Emma for modelling for me.

Page 2 of 4
Page 2 of 4
Bricking it

Bricking it

The spread of the infection across the body meant that Wilks got to experiment with different materials to achieve that desirable Im actually turning into a plant effect down Emmas arm. There is a Naughty Dog video documentary called Hush and on it one of their artists shows images of real diseased skin that inspired them, Wilks explains. The images looked just like tree bark which made perfect sense for my infected model. I pulled some dead tree bark, cut it to shape and attached it to Emma with latex glue and finished blending it in with face paints.

It also transpires that the Devil wears Primark, as thats where Wilks shopped for the ultimate clicker couture. I dont make a lot of money so all of my art is made from cheap and easy to obtain materials, he says. I picked a bright plain dress because I knew I would be ripping it up and dying it to age it, as you would for any zombie-esque costume. I didnt want to do jeans and a t-shirt as its a boring default zombie costume. Plus, a single dress is cheaper and sexier.

Page 3 of 4
Page 3 of 4
Infection Control

Infection Control

Not content with his first attempt, Wilks is on a quest to fill us with even more terror with another more dramatic The Last Of Us shoot. Im working on one at the moment. Although I really like the clicker I made theres still a lot Im unhappy with and really want to do the ultimate clicker cosplay, he says. As a Last Of Us movie was confirmed, I was hoping that a Hollywood big-wig would see my images and invite me to the film set and let me make-up one of their movie models for the film. If only dreams came true

Well if its any consolation, Jon, our nightmares certainly have here. Just dont follow up with PTs Alice please!

Page 4 of 4
Page 4 of 4
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • Comments
GamesMaster Staff
GamesMaster Staff
Social Links Navigation
The UK's No.1 mulltiformat games magazine, featuring reviews, previews and exclusive content across any and all hardware you might own. As well as bringing you the latest info on the biggest games out there, GM is also your home for all things indie, retro and Minecraft related, as well as bringing you the best of gaming culture.
More about ps4
Citizen Sleeper

BAFTA-nominated RPG Citizen Sleeper is out now on PS4 and PS5

Destiny 2 Lightfall

Destiny 2's new raid boss has already been soloed, and the mad lad behind it wants to take on the whole raid

Latest
Stormblood

Final Fantasy 14's Stormblood expansion is free right now

See more latest ►
See comments
Most Popular
Tekken 8 hands-on: Welcome to the new generation of fighting games

By Oscar Taylor-KentMarch 29, 2023

The Resident Evil 4 remake bell skip isn't just a workaround, it's a peace offering to long-suffering players

By Jasmine Gould-WilsonMarch 28, 2023

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Fuse and Ultrahand abilities finally justify the Breath of the Wild sequel

By Dustin BaileyMarch 28, 2023

Trolls Band Together director and producer talk new characters, music, and Bergen weddings

By Rollin BishopMarch 28, 2023

Tears of the Kingdom looks great, but I still don't understand what it is

By Ali JonesMarch 28, 2023

Is it just me, or is the 'Emo Parker' scene a Spider-classic?

By Matt LookerMarch 28, 2023

Fortnite Creative 2.0 could change the game, but only moderation will decide if it's for the better

By Joe DonnellyMarch 27, 2023

You can pet the animals in After Us, but can you save them?

By Edwin Evans-ThirlwellMarch 27, 2023

Suicide Squad's lacklustre reveal is a symptom of a widespread disease in AAA

By Jeremy PeelMarch 27, 2023

Mark Millar and Frank Quitely preview "most ambitious comic book of all time" The Ambassadors

By Will SalmonMarch 27, 2023

Diablo 4's world boss is a nightmare I couldn't wait to walk away from

By Josh WestMarch 25, 2023

Load Comments
Recommended
New games for 2023 and beyond to add to your wishlist
  1. MSI Raider GE78 gaming laptop half closed
    1
    MSI Raider GE78 review: 'a new-gen powerhouse with one foot in the past'
  2. 2
    Audeze Maxwell review: 'The next brilliant step for a legendary line of audiophile gaming headsets'
  3. 3
    Razer DeathAdder V3 review: 'An FPS mouse for those who hate FPS mice'
  4. 4
    PNY GeForce RTX 4070 Ti review: "Uses some cheap tricks to stay competitive."
  5. 5
    Dredge Review: "A fascinating, ever-so-gently horrifying experience"
  1. Alexander Skarsgård as James in Infinity Pool
    1
    Infinity Pool review: "Stylish but ultimately shallow"
  2. 2
    Shazam! Fury of the Gods review: "A disappointing follow-up"
  3. 3
    John Wick Chapter 4 review: "Burns oh-so-brightly"
  4. 4
    Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves review: "turns the board game into a big-screen treat"
  5. 5
    Scream 6 review: "A brash but broad requel-sequel"
  1. Jasmin Savoy Brown in Yellowjackets
    1
    Yellowjackets season 2 episode 2 review: "It certainly isn't pulling any punches"
  2. 2
    The Mandalorian season 3, episode 5 review: "A thrilling chapter that pits good against evil"
  3. 3
    The Mandalorian season 3, episode 4 review: "Where would this show be without Grogu?"
  4. 4
    Yellowjackets season 2 episode 1 review: "It's like we've never been away"
  5. 5
    The Mandalorian season 3, episode 3 review: "A nuanced perspective on the wider world our heroes are operating in"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab).

  • About Us (opens in new tab)
  • Contact Future's experts (opens in new tab)
  • Terms and conditions (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy policy (opens in new tab)
  • Cookies policy (opens in new tab)
  • Advertise with us (opens in new tab)
  • Review guidelines (opens in new tab)
  • Write for us (opens in new tab)
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers (opens in new tab)

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.