Happy Halloween!

Almost anyways...give it another hour and it will be, officially, my favorite holiday: Halloween!

So, how is that Cinderella costume coming you might ask...well, rather than sewing, I may have become a little distracted the past few days (no thanks to Pinterest), and pulled out the colored pencils & paper instead!  I was given a set of watercolor pencils a while ago that were just begging to be used, and Pinterest kept tempting me with ideas for Victorian fancy dress, and, well, the rest is history!  I mean, really, when the creative muse demands, who would dare to resist?  

My Creative Process 

"The creative process is a process of surrender, not control."
~ Julia Cameron

Each of my costume renderings begins as a simple thought, a picture that I see in my head that demands to be realized on paper.  Inspiration, be it a historical garment, image that I come across, a simple color laying next to another, etc. comes at any moment.  Morning, noon, and night I think and dream of costume designs!  Alvin Ailey described it best when he stated that the "creative process is not controlled by a switch you can simply turn on or off; it's with you all the time."  However, very rarely do these designs in my head ever make it to paper.  But, when they do, the start as a basic pencil outline:

Nothing fancy, just a good, old, #2 pencil from the pencil cup and a brief sketch laying out where "things" go.  To help keep in proportion, I usually draw guidelines for the figure first, and then build on the clothing.  For the past two days, I've collected quite the stack of pencil sketches!

Another pencil sketch, 1880s.  I think I was going for a "checkers" fancy dress...
 I really like the shape of that hat brim though!

If I am pleased enough by the pencil outline, and the muse demands it, I will move onto inking the sketch.  Again, very few sketches move onto this step...this time, it was only four designs.  Yes, I am far too critical for my own good when it comes to my drawing.  Often details will be worked out in pencil first.  After inking (employing a fine "sharpie" pen), all of the pencil framework is erased:

Then, color...this is the scary part for me!  I tried a new medium this time, watercolor pencils.  I began the same way as with regular colored pencils by filling in the lightest colored areas and adding shading.  The gold took several, different layers to achieve the color I was looking for:   

Then, I transitioned to the darker colors:  

Perhaps paint in a suggestion of a background, and, ta-da, a finished costume rendering!

Overall verdict:  I'm still not sure how I feel about watercolor pencils...they are definitely harder to use than regular colored pencils or watercolors.  And, achieving the color intensity and specific shades I wanted was a challenge, not always met.  Something to continue experimenting with...

The Finished Victorian "Fancy Dress" Results

(1) The "Lady Archer"

Inspiration came from this original fancy dress: 

Fancy dress costume designed by Jules Helleu for the House of Worth, c.1860s.
(Image via: V&A Collections, E.22036-1957)

(2) "Lady Chess" Fancy Dress

You can see that I am trying to add some sense of movement to my previously static figures.  The blue did not turn out the way I wanted, so it sort of reminds me of a 1950s diner...and, yes, coloring in those checks took forever.  Inspired by this period fashion plate:

Fancy Dresses by Capewell and Kimmel
for "Frank Leslie's Family Magazine," c.1858
(Image via: Pinterest)

(3) "Starry, Starry Night" Fancy Dress

Again, the blue proved unpredictable, despite layering like 10 different colors...Inspiration came from this natural form gem:

Toilette de promenade, c.1875-1880
(Image via: Pinterest) 

(4) Last, but not least, my most favorite:

Bustle drapery detail shot.

And while we're at it, some accessorizing for Cinderella:  
To prove that she's not forgotten...  

Warm wooly number one - a handmade sontag shawl, knit by some very talented hands (not mine!).  Eeeeeee, I love it so much!!

Warm wooly number two - fingerless mitts.  Because my blouse is short sleeved, and it's freezing cold out there, mitts are a must!  I found these fingerless gloves a while back thrift store hunting for a two dollar steal.  I think they may have had "Love" embroidered in sequins on them.  After some seam ripping...

...A perfect pair of hand warmers for Cinderella!

"I'm a very restless person. I'm always doing something. 

The creative process never stops."

~ Oscar de la Renta