Writing Assignment 6.1
Sheial 234
Costume_Elements.pptxThe Elements
The Ingredients for Creating Costume Design
Finding the Right Mix
These four elements are:
Line, shape and silhouette
Color
Fabric
Accessories
Let’s look at each of these elements more closely.
We’ve looked at the objectives of costume design: what the designer is trying to DO. Now we need to take a look at the elements or tools the costume designer has to choose from in order to meet those objectives. There are four elements that can be combined in myriad ways to create fresh and exciting designs for any play.
Element 1: Line, Shape, Silhouette
Line, shape and silhouette refers to the cut or line of the clothing. Does the line of the clothing flow, or is it jagged? Does the clothing hug the body or exaggerate or disguise the body? Line and silhouette have always been key components to any given fashion—they determine distinctive looks. If a designer is going to accurately reproduce the clothing style of a particular era (in order to let the audience know when the play is set) they MUST pay attention to line, shape and silhouette.
Here are two very different silhouettes
Element 2: Color
Color is a very important element of design for costumers. As you may remember, a designer can use color to help demonstrate which groups of people go together, or to set main characters apart from less important characters. However, color can also help suggest moods: bright colors for happy moods, while subdued colors can indicate a more serious play.
Element 3: Fabric
Fabric is the next element that costume designers work with. Fabric is obviously critical to the designer. It is the medium by which the designer conveys shape, line and silhouette and color. But fabric also conveys its own traits. It has qualities of texture and bulk. Does the fabric have sheen? Is it rough? How does it drape? Does it highlight the body or does it conceal it? In additional to fabric’s inherent qualities, it also has symbolic value: we associate burlap or other rough fabrics with poverty, or manual labor, while silks, satins, linens and velvets convey wealth and luxury.
Element 4: Accessories
The final element the costume designer will incorporate when creating costumes are accessories. This encompasses LOTS of different things. Essentially, anything that a character might wear or handle that is NOT a prop, will be selected by the costume designer. Shoes, jewelry, hairstyles, facial hair, handbags, hats, gloves, handkerchiefs, canes, wigs, make-up, etc. And as we all know, the accessories make the outfit. Sometimes it is the details of the costume that really help to communicate
Here are some great accessories that help to really tell us something about this era and style: the hat, the gloves, the necktie, and stick pin have all be selected carefully by the costume designer.
Summation
These four elements are:
Line, shape and silhouette
Color
Fabric
Accessories
There are four elements that costume designers can combine in an infinite variety of ways to create the perfect costume design for any type of play with any type of design concept. Each element will be carefully considered for its ability to communicate the design concept and characters to the audience.
