Drawing clothes is a complex and painstaking work that each artist has to do. Portraying people, I want to come up with the most interesting outfits for them, or simply realistic sketch from nature. Like any other thing, it is impossible to draw clothes without understanding. It is necessary to analyze, ask questions to yourself about what nature looks like, and try to convey it with maximum clarity.
This article will be useful for those who want to learn how to draw a dress with a pencil. It is much easier to do this step by step than trying to portray everything at once.
Understanding the principle of the distribution of folds and shadows from them does not come immediately, but it is possible to develop in yourself and subsequently draw without nature.
How to start drawing
Start any drawing with the layout on the sheet. This is the first step in learning how to draw a dress with a pencil in stages. The layout is necessary so that all objects fit on the sheet. Mark the figure of the person on whom the dress will be worn. Draw the lines of clothing as you see it. It is best to draw from nature: it can be either a real person or a photograph. Be sure to indicate the neckline of the dress, the edges of the skirt, waist, sleeves. No need to draw parts of the dress, a fairly sketchy image.
Check your lines with what you see. Adjust them if possible before the next step.
Line refinement
The next step is to draw the details. Depending on the style of the dress, its details (ruffles, ribbons, etc.) can be varied. However, the only thing that unites all dresses is the presence of folds. When portraying folds, pay attention to contrast. Thanks to light and shadow, we see them. Therefore, in the figure they also need to be transferred with a pencil.
Pay attention to the inside and outside of the dress. Very often, at the edges of the dress, the inside of the sleeve or skirt is visible. It must be indicated in the figure.
Determine which side the light falls on and place an arrow from there. This will remind you which part of the fold should be light and which part should be dark.
Light and shadow
Mark the darkest and lightest parts of the dress. It is recommended that you outline these areas. Everything else must be done no darker and no lighter than the two selected areas. Pencils B are best suited for shade, and H. pencils for light areas. These pencils should be used to shade selected parts of the dress.
Tip: do not press hard on the pencil. In the event of an error, the stylus can be erased, but the trace on the paper from pressing is not. If the pencil draws poorly - take a softer one.
Realistic dress
To make the dress fabric voluminous, add smooth transitions from shadow to light. Leave a vivid contrast only in places where one fold ends and a new one starts from under it. The transitions between the folds need to be smoothly shaded from light to dark, even if they seem to be monophonic in nature.
Be sure to add a background to your picture. It can be just a dark spot or environment shaded in different ways. If you want to learn how to draw a dress with a pencil in stages, such a step is necessary so that it does not seem flat.
Do not forget to draw facial features of the person and body parts on which the dress is worn. The lines of the arms and legs that are visible from beneath the fabric accentuate the folds of clothing.
How to draw a dress with a pencil in stages: a variety of materials
It is good to draw fabric not only with a pencil, but also with other graphic materials. It is much more picturesque, easier and faster to portray it with soft technique - crayons pastels, sanguines or sepia. These materials do not limit the artist like a pencil or pen. They can be easily smeared, thereby creating a smooth transition from light to shadow. It is also easy to instantly contrast the light and shadow. For beginners, working with a pencil and soft techniques is useful. The only thing to remember when working with soft materials: they must be fixed with hairspray.