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How to Draw a Dress

ByStepan Ayvazyan
Finished sleeveless dress drawing with a wide waistband, long folds, and light hatching.

Dresses can be long or short, with sleeves or without them, with many decorative elements or none at all. Regardless of what kind of dress you want to depict, this step-by-step tutorial on how to draw a dress will give you a good foundation and the skills needed to create many different designs.

The basic principles and drawing process remain largely the same or very similar, but you add or remove the specific elements you need in order to draw the particular dress you want.

How to draw a dress step by step

Step 1: Sketch the flared dress skirt

So, to draw a dress, take a pencil and use very light, barely visible lines to sketch a simple trapezoidal shape for the flared skirt. At this stage, show only the general mass of the fabric, narrow at the waist and much wider at the hem.

Sketching the flared skirt of the dress as a simple trapezoidal shape.

Step 2: Draw the sleeveless bodice

Now go a little higher and outline the bodice of the dress, which resembles a simple sleeveless top. Here we are drawing a sleeveless dress, but you can also add short, elbow-length, or long sleeves. Build the bodice as a simplified torso shape: make it narrow where it meets the waist and wider toward the shoulders.

Adding the sleeveless bodice and curved neckline above the flared skirt.

Step 3: Sketch the waistband and skirt folds

Let’s add a few details to the dress drawing. Draw a wide belt at the waist and long vertical folds in the lower part of the dress. The wide waistband holds the fabric around the narrowest part of the dress, so start most of the skirt folds directly below it. Let these folds spread farther apart as they descend and the flared skirt becomes wider.

Drawing the wide waistband and long vertical folds across the dress skirt.

Step 4: Refine and complete the dress

Let’s give our dress drawing a finished look. Using clear, smooth lines, trace the final contours and erase the unnecessary guidelines. Refine the neckline and make the hem of the skirt wavy. The hem rises and falls where the fabric bends toward and away from us. Add a few smaller folds and light hatching to the dress. Place the light strokes mainly beside the folds and near the sides of the bodice and waistband.

Refining the dress contours, wavy hem, neckline, folds, and light hatching.

Now you have seen the basic set and sequence of actions for drawing a dress. We drew a sleeveless dress with a long hem.

Now here is the important point: how to draw the exact dress you want.

By going through the steps, you built in your mind how to move from a basic construction to a finished dress. Now try repeating the whole sequence, but change something in the process.

For example, draw long sleeves, add a bow at the waist, or make the hem a different length or shape. By repeating this several times with different details, you will be able to fix all the important aspects very clearly in your mind.

You can draw a girl wearing this dress to create a more complex drawing. Draw boots on her feet or sketch sneakers. Add jewelry on her hands and glasses or other accessories on her face.

Stepan Ayvazyan

Professional artist, photographer and sculptor. Co-founder and co-owner of Drawing For All. Has been drawing and studying art since childhood, and is an expert in the field of fine arts. Has been teaching drawing since 2013.

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39 Comments

    3. You could find a plain dress and make your own design ex. I wanted to do dress with vines and flowers on it so I did this dress and added my own vines and flowers.

      Reply

  8. Yeah I love this
    Please i need more dress but this time with designs I also need nice fitted gowns, palazzos, kimonos, trousers, and skirts..
    Thanks so much.

    Reply

  9. Thanks, quite helpful I need to know how to draw 8 pieces jacket with sleeves. I anticipate your response.Thank you.

    Reply

  11. i like to be designer and i trying to sound upset that is good for me and learn learn about about dresses and designers yeah they want to be designer in my future

    Reply

  14. yes, the step by step drawing help but i need more practice. thank you

    Reply

  18. NO HELP MADE……….Sorry……………………………..Oh wait……………..Not sorry……………………………………………….your fault
    …………………………………………..Jk…………………. It didn’t help but it was an ok drawing.

    Reply

  21. I love drawing i’m gonna be a fashion designer when i get older bu i wish there were more steps.

    Reply

  25. i like the dresses make them easy but hard at the same time like make it easy to make but the detail is really good

    Reply

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