Digital Costume Design and Collaboration

Digital Costume Design and Collaboration

by Rafael Jaen
Released June 2017
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781317387466

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Book description

Digital Costume Design and Collaboration gives in-depth instruction on how to draw, render, and fully design costumes using online tools and software. Grounded in the use of Photoshop, the book explains the process of building a costume design from scratch, including information on digital tools and painting techniques. The book demonstrates how to utilize social media, such as Flickr and Pinterest, to compile research; how to create user-friendly web based slide shows; and how to archive digital files for portfolios and personal websites. It also demonstrates how to organize spec sheets, plots and inventories using Google Docs for easy editing and Dropbox for easy file sharing. A companion YouTube channel featuring video tutorials of exercises and applications compliments the book.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Table of Contents
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Preface
  8. Introduction
  9. PART I: FOUNDATIONS
    1. Chapter 1: The Design Process: A Digital Approach
      1. First Reactions
      2. Compiling Information Digitally to Create Web-Based Shared Archives
      3. Talking to the Director
        1. The Aristotelian Model
        2. Historical Context: Using Human Geography as a Framework
        3. The “W” Questions or the “Nuts and Bolts”
        4. Stage Directions: The Spoken Word and the Playwright’s Notes
        5. The Importance of a Good Dramaturge
      4. Talking with the Actors
        1. Obtaining Basic Information
        2. Establishing the Character’s “Spine”: Underlying Motivations, Back-Story, Secrets, etc.
        3. Establishing Digital Collaboration with the Actors Prior to Fittings
      5. Testimonial
      6. Interview: Shawn LaCount, Artistic Director and Director
      7. Design Gallery: Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, Company One Theatre, 2015
      8. Citations and Sources
    2. Chapter 2: The Digital Costume Bible & Design Studio
      1. The Digital Costume Bible
      2. The Digital Costume Plot
        1. The Digital Costume Piece List
        2. The Budget Specs: Including Builds, and Bought and Pulled Items
        3. Sharing Files with Other Collaborators and the Wardrobe Department: Google Docs, Dropbox, etc.
      3. Digital Costume Design Studio
        1. Digital Studio Basics
        2. File-Sharing Options
        3. Drawing Tablets and Digital Rendering Software
        4. Wacom Tablets
        5. Photoshop
        6. Basic Digital Rendering Tools
        7. Other Resources: Free Croquis
        8. Testimonial
        9. Interview: Spiro Veloudos, Producing Artistic Director and Theatre Director
        10. Design Gallery: Sweeney Todd, Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 2014
      4. Citations and Sources
  10. PART II: APPLICATIONS
    1. Chapter 3: Drawing the Character’s Spine; Black & White Drawing Basics
      1. Scanning and/or Copying Black & White Drawings
      2. Scanning Steps and Tips
      3. Tracing with the Wacom Tablet
      4. Tracing Over Existing Images: A Sample Process
      5. Using Fashion Croquis
      6. Using a Pre-Existing Image
      7. Creating a “Croquis Bank”
      8. Preparing and Saving Black & White Images for Painting with Photoshop
      9. Preparing Black & White Drawings
      10. Inserting Black & White Sketches on Templates
      11. Fixing Line “Leakages”
      12. Testimonial
      13. Interview: Carrie Ann Quinn, Actor and Director
      14. Design Gallery: Polaroid Stories, UMass Boston, 2016
      15. Citations and Sources
      16. Chapter 4: Contextualizing the Character
      17. Photoshop Painting Basics
      18. Photoshop Color Palettes: The Color Picker
      19. Creating a Basic Sketch Template for a Specific Show
      20. Choosing Specific Photoshop Color Swatches for Costume Rendering
      21. Creating Fabric Yardage and Adding Prints
      22. Testimonial
      23. Interview: Davis Robinson, Producer, Actor, Director, and Author
      24. Design Gallery: The Remarkable Rooming House of Madame LeMonde, Beau Jest Moving Theatre/Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival, 2009
      25. Citations and Sources
      26. Chapter 5: Costuming the Character: The Preliminary Sketches
        1. Creating Multi-Layered Costume Renderings in Photoshop
        2. Inserting and Manipulating Costume Pieces or Elements
        3. Inserting a Pre-Existing or a Previously Saved Pattern
        4. Resizing Patterns in Photoshop
        5. Adding Layers such as Facial Details, Skin Tones, and Accessories
      27. Painting Assembly Line Sketches
      28. Testimonial 1
      29. Interview: Ilyse Robbins, Actor, Choreographer, and Director
      30. Design Gallery: Marry Me a Little, New Repertory Theatre, 2013
      31. Testimonial 2
      32. Interview: Danny Gidron, Director
      33. Design Gallery: Twelfth Night, UMass Boston, 2014
      34. Citations and Sources
    2. Chapter 6: Costuming the Character: The Finished Sketch
      1. More Photoshop Painting Techniques
      2. Burn and Dodge Modalities in Photoshop Costume Renderings
        1. Burn Steps
        2. Dodge Steps
        3. Painting Eyes
        4. Touch-Up Work
        5. Painting Hair and Adding Real Hair Images
        6. Adding Patterns with Movement
        7. Adding Floor Shadows
        8. Using Bevel and Emboss to Add Dimension to the Character’s Silhouette
      3. Testimonial 1
      4. Interview: Bridget Kathleen O’Leary, Associate Artistic Director and Director
      5. Design Gallery: Dollhouse, New Repertory Theatre, 2011
      6. Testimonial 2
      7. Interview: Carmel O’Reilly, Artistic Director, Director, and Actor
      8. Design Gallery: The Seafarer, SpeakEasy Theatre Company, 2008
      9. Citations and Sources
    3. Chapter 7: Archiving the Project as a Digital Portfolio
      1. Costume Design and Manufacturing for PBS/WGBH
      2. American Experience: God in America (Parts 1 and 2), Fall 2010
      3. Testimonial 1
      4. Interview: Cathleen O’Connell, Film Producer
      5. Design Gallery: God in America, PBS, 2010
      6. Testimonial 2
      7. Interview: Michael Fennimore, Film and Theatre Actor, and Theatre Director
      8. Design Gallery: You Can’t Take It With You, UMass Boston, 2014
      9. Citations and Sources
  11. PART III: DIGITAL DESIGN PRACTICE
    1. Chapter 8: Testimonials about Digital Design in Collaboration
    2. An Unforgettable Affair with Photoshop
    3. Testimonials: Designer Interviews and Design Galleries
    4. Interview: Kathleen Donnelly
    5. Interview: Eric Griffis
    6. Interview: Debra Kajec
    7. Interview: Patricia Martin, Costume Designer
    8. Interview: Jane Stein, Costume Designer
    9. Interview: Esther van Eek, Costume Designer
    10. Interview: Kathryn Wagner, Costume Designer
    11. Interview: Wendi R. Zea, Costume Designer
    12. Final Words
    13. Citations and Sources
  12. Index

Product information

  • Title: Digital Costume Design and Collaboration
  • Author(s): Rafael Jaen
  • Release date: June 2017
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781317387466