In the dress illustrated the right-hand should not rest on the hip, which would cover the design, nor should the left hand be placed on the chest.
If there is something particularly attractive under the arm, put the arm up, etc. When illustrating a costume be careful to show both sleeves.
Many figures are drawn in a normal standing position, such as some of the pattern houses use, while some houses require the "swingy" kind, like the illustrations in the newspapers or the catchy advertisements. Learn to draw the up and down figure, then try the swingy kind.
The figure in the illustration is swung slightly.
When the skirt is swung out as if the wind were blowing it, the center line and lines of fullness will also swing.
See how much easier the lines of this dress are than the ones in Lesson II; still we have the XX lines, also the X's
and the O's. When a leg is extended, there are two XX lines near it, but do not draw them continuous with the leg. Note how the XX lines fall both ways and how sometimes X and O run together. Now that you understand what the lines mean, you must study carefully the illustrations in the fashion papers and copy the lines of artists.
See Lesson XIX for pen lines and Lesson XXVI for textures.
If the student practices this lesson faithfully, applying it on original work, he will be ready to draw figures on bristol board, ready for pen and ink. Copy the lines used by other artists, studying them carefully.
If the student finds his work is untidy, he may transfer the drawing to a clean sheet of paper. This may be accomplished by making an accurate tracing on transparent paper, with a hard pencil. Place this tracing over the clean sheet in the same position, fastening it on the board at the top, only. Take a smooth piece of paper about five inches by seven inches, and after rubbing it solidly with a soft pencil, place it face downward between the tracing and the fresh paper. Mark over the lines carefully with a hard pencil. The tracing paper may be lifted to examine the work without disturbing its position. Redraw carefully.
Study illustrations of costumes and see how others treat their work. Considerable dark in a picture looks attractive; bear this in mind when making a drawing, but when representing a costume, be accurate. If the costume is all light, place the dark somewhere else; on the hat, shoes, parasol, background, etc. When these darks are attractively distributed over a drawing, it is called " good spotting." In a layout good spotting holds the drawing together.
Place all darks so that the eye will be
attracted equally to both sides of the picture. Keep the sizes and shapes consistent with each other. A large dark will balance several small ones.