Ballgown - Tumblr Posts
TADA the thing I spent the last 6 hours breaking my back over! I really need a new chair so i can sit at me desk ;A;
So i drew xemnal, my muse, as Edith Cushing from crimson peak in her beautiful ball gown. I did redraw the movie snippets but changed the dress a wee bit (mainly because some of the pearls and wrinkles didn’t come out right)
It was also a chance to let me try some new coloring techniques which i am pretty proud of.
Please do not repost without permission.
Ballgowns and hoopskirts
Probably the most important thing about a ballgown is getting the undergarments right! You’re going to need one of two things: a hoopskirt, and a (really, really big) petticoat, or both. Without at least one of these, there is no way to keep your skirt looking full and puffy - it will just collapse back on itself. The easiest way to make a full gown is to grab a hoopskirt with at least four hoops. Petticoats and smaller skirts will work, but you may find that they’re unable to support the weight of a larger dress. As a general rule of thumb, the fuller the dress, the larger your hoop needs to be. Cupcake-style gowns need 5 or 6 hoops, while 4 or 3-hoop skirts will give a smaller, more evenly distributed A-line shape:
I bought my hoopskirts from ebay US shops because they’re cheap, sturdy, adjustable, and last for years. When buying a hoopskirt, be sure to check the maximum circumference of the bottom hoop - this will be the absolute largest your dress can be, so be sure to buy one that is large enough. Also be sure to buy a skirt with adjustable hoops so that you can re-fit it for multiple costumes.
If pre-purchased hoops aren’t for you, there are plenty of ways to go about making your own hoopskirt using hoop boning or other materials such as poly piping from the hardware store. Here are a few tutorials and resources for how to do this:
How to sew a basic hoopskirt
Drafting a custom-fitted hoopskirt
Hoop boning from corsetmaking.com
Petticoat and hoop patterns for 19th and 20th century skirts
If your dress is not multi-layered or super heavy, you will also need to add a petticoat on top of your hoopskirt. Otherwise you may see the raised bones of your hoopskirt poking out through your fabric. Either grab a long tulle or crinoline petti, or head to google for a tutorial - there are literally hundreds out there for anyone who wants to make their own.
The semester is over and I finally have time to draw again, so here's a full blown piece lol
Princess dress based off of roses and eyes of ender plus the same character in a vintage night gown