Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2009 - 54

tablets, up to 9˝ x 12˝, because of the longer line sweep that one
can create. bearing in mind that even the smallest tablet has
a point for point correspondence between the tablet and the
computer screen, I tend to favour the smaller, less expensive
models. An added advantage of the smaller tablet is that it minimizes wrist movement, which is a benefit in avoiding repetitive
stress injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Anyone who has
the opportunity to purchase the tablet through an academic institution will make substantial savings. For instance, the Wacom
bamboo was $59.00 at the McGill University bookstore, and
$79.00 to $99.00 at nearby office supply stores in Montreal.
Completing the illustration: If desired, color can be
added to the Costume Technical Sheet using various digital
painting and drawing tools. Special effects can be created, like
blending colors, creating custom colors, creating highlights
and shadows, layering and using opacity to vary the look of
the painted surface. Theatre artists will find the various ways
of using color fairly intuitive once they understand the basic
workings of the Photoshop program. One of the best ways to
get comfortable using Photoshop is to play with it. Unlike traditional art media, there is very little that cannot be undone with
the click of a mouse.

the specifics of a well-fitted garment.
Once the actor templates have been created, they can be
used as a tool to save time, money and materials. Since the
costume details are drawn directly on a scaled version of the
actor's individual body, the illustration should look exactly as
it will once it is cut and sewn. Once the technical sheets are
produced for each actor, they can be reused for each costume
or production that the actor takes part in. In the case of a stable
company of actors, a festival theatre, or an acting class, this can
be very efficient since the actor templates would only need to
be produced once at the beginning of each season. This is also

z Practical Benefits of Digital
Illustration
Unlike hand-drawn illustrations, changes to digital files can be made quickly and easily. Alternate color combinations can be tried out in just
a few minutes, as can modifications to specific
elements within the drawing. This is all possible
because images in Photoshop are composed
of different layers, as though each element was
drawn on a separate clear page of plastic laid one
on top of the next. Editing of changes is simple.
Each layer of the image is completely malleable,
which means that individual parts of the drawing can be changed without affecting the rest of
the image. Colors can be replaced; backgrounds
and patterns changed to reflect alternative fabric
choices; specific elements of the garment or accessories can be changed completely without having to redraw the illustration from scratch. Time
is saved during the production process, which is
often too hectic for reworking hand-drawn illustrations.
Practicality and efficiency: Certainly,
there is an initial time investment in making the
Costume Technical Sheets, but it comes at a point
in the production schedule that is usually quiet.
Photos can be taken while the actor is being
measured. determining measurement of cut and
style details, (particularly depth, proportion, and
spacing) is a simple matter of using the grid, but
standard body measurements are still needed for

theatre

design

technology

Digital transformation of Brian Beckett as Algernon, depicting the process of digital photo
to digital line drawing to final digital illustration. Above, designer, Jaelem Sangara creates
illustration using Adobe Photoshop.

S U M M E R

2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2009