Costume Design > Character Drawing & Rendering

This page showcases my character drawing and rendering work, with an emphasis on costume, silhouette, and expression. Each piece explores how design choices support character, story, and world-building. The work ranges from quick observational sketches to more refined, fully rendered designs, highlighting both process and final presentation. I’m especially interested in how line, color, and texture can communicate personality, movement, and emotional tone, helping transform a figure on the page into a fully realized character.

Drawing Journal Sketches

This collection comes from an ongoing figure drawing practice centered on understanding the human form, gesture, and proportion. These selected sketches reflect experimentation, observation, and growth in both confidence and drawing skill.

ERTE DRAWING

For this project, I explored fashion illustration through the lens of two distinct artists, René Gruau and Edward Gorey. Using runway looks as a base, I reinterpreted each design in their signature styles, focusing on line, proportion, and graphic simplicity. By illustrating the same garments twice, I was able to directly compare how each artist’s visual language transforms shape, mood, and storytelling.

My interpretations of these photos in René Gruau and Edward Gorey’s style:

COSPLAY SHINY OBJECTS

This project focused on rendering shine and texture through illustration. I created and shaded a suit of armor and a beaded gown, using line, value, and highlights to capture reflective surfaces and the illusion of light on different materials.

Les Miserables Sustainable Dresses

This project explores costume design for Les Misérables through a sustainability-focused approach. Instead of designing entirely new garments, the assignment focused on reimagining existing costume stock using color, pattern, and surface treatments such as fabric painting and dyeing.

For each character, three design options were created to explore different visual directions while working within the limitations of available pieces. Each version experiments with different palettes, textures, and decorative elements to transform the garments while still supporting the historical world of the show. The process highlights how creative design choices can refresh existing costumes and support more sustainable theatre practices.

FLORAL MULTIMEDIA DRAWING

In this assignment, I used watercolor, marker, and colored pencil to develop a rose study, focusing on gradients and layered color application. The process emphasized how different media work together to create depth, texture, and subtle shifts in light.

ALVIN AILEY DESIGNS

Using Alvin Ailey rehearsal footage as inspiration, I designed two costumes that respond directly to movement, mood, and narrative. My process included research into environment, emotional tone, and realistic costume references to ground the designs in a cohesive world.

Extremities Makeup Design Photoshop

This project focused on digital makeup rendering using Photoshop. I created injury designs for two characters from Extremities, applying research on real wounds to realistically depict trauma, swelling, and surface detail on both male and female faces.

Scarlet Pimpernel Accessories

This project focused on designing period-accurate accessories for The Scarlet Pimpernel, set in 1792. I created detailed line drawings of a custom fan, embroidered evening slippers, and clocked stockings, supported by extensive primary research to ensure historical accuracy and craftsmanship.

FASHION MAKEUP

This project explored experimental makeup design through colored pencil rendering. Inspired by plant and fashion designer research, I created four distinct looks that push beyond traditional beauty, focusing on bold color, texture, and detailed blending techniques.