Roberta Writes – Drawing and Art Special with Resa McConaghy #art #drawing #fashiondrawing

Uncategorized 5 Minutes

Today I have a real treat for you. An interview with ultra talented fashion designer, artist, and photographer, Resa McConaghy.

Resa has kindly shared some of her drawing and art secrets and a myriad of her amazing drawings and fashion designs.

Thank you, Resa, for this amazing interview.

Resa is also a talented writer and her book, Nine Black Lives, is available for free download on her blog here: https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/artists/

You can find Resa on her art and murals blog here: https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/

AND

on her amazing Art Gowns blog here: https://artgowns.com/

You have a great talent for drawing figurines and portraits. What attracts you to this particular subject matter?

This begins with my background in fashion design. The college course I took was in Design and Technology, not illustration. However, a tiny part of the course was dedicated to fashion illustration.

During my time in film, I utilized drawing to explain to directors what I was up to. The drawings were only okay, but they got the design across.

It was blog pal, Holly (House of Heart), who got me drawing fictitious characters for fun, via gagging around in comments.

It started with Boogapony Holly, a character who did a Go-Go dance in front of street art and graffiti, then became a new age Love Child.

Above: Boogapony as a Love Child by the Golden Gate Bridge.

From there, Holly and I created a Super Hero – Princess Blue Holly. Drawing had become a lot of fun at this point.

Above – First Princess Blue Holly drawing – 2019 and More recently PBH dominates an evil puppet. PBH changes outfits for each “Gowntoon” mission. Then I began drawing Art Gowns on some blog pals, to become part of the stories.

Above: Models Holly (as RR) Shey and Dale

Above Models – Holly, Gigi and Marina

Do you have a particular method you use for drawing figures? Do you start with any particular body part? Do you complete the outline of the entire figure and then add the details?

Yes!

I start with an oval for the head. Then, it’s the gesture. I do a few swooping lines to capture how the body feels as it poses.

If the feeling is cool, then I do a few lines for shoulders, bust, waist, hips and feet.

If I haven’t ruined the feeling of the gesture a this point, I continue with details. If I lose the feel, I usually stop.

You clothe many of your figures in intricate and detailed dresses, some of which are period designs. How do you go about researching clothing from particular period? I have tried to research clothing for both men and women from varying time periods and have found it quite difficult to get good details and pictures.

So, the study of Fashion Design & Technology included “Fashion History”. So, how did they get the clothes to look like that, in any era? Well, that’s where the technology comes in.

Example: The Renaissance – pattern cutting was not a thing, clothes were draped. So, we learn about “how” they made clothes fit. Lacing up a square over a flowy under piece makes something fit. A corset is laced to make you fit it. The idea of a cup to fit a breast did not come about until the early 20th century.

Many types of pleats, gathers, tucks, etc. were use to make clothes drape over/fit body shapes. With the advent of patterns in the 1800’s, came darts to make clothing fit.

Once the newly formed middle class Victorians got their hands on patterns, they used the patterns over and over. That, along with the invention of the sewing machine, gave them time to go wild with embellishments: embroidery, trapunto, ruffles, flounces, beading, dying, appliqué, etc. Sure, all that was around before, but it was for the rich, only.

Above: Rebeca Budd (Art Gowns’ Gowntoons Art Director & Holly as RR, in Victorian outfits.

Also, Victorian times saw the advent of synthetic dyes, creating eras of popular colours going forth. Until then dyes were naturally derived from mollusk shells, beets, onion skins and various other plants and lifeforms.

Point is when you understand all of this, you can look at a painting from any era and know how they constructed that garment, therefore you can draw it. You can also design and draw whatever you want, from any era.

Portraits

Above: Jim Morrison

I start with a photo of the person, and crop off the head to what I want. I print that out on 8 x10 paper. I draw crosshairs through the photo of the face. I do the same on a page of 11 x 14 drawing paper.

I begin where the crosshairs meet. That is usually where an eye, between the eyes or top of the bridge of the nose is, and rough that in. From there I rough in the rest of the eyes, brows, nose, top of head, lips and chin. I tried using a grid, but that never works for me. I lose the feel of the face, the expression. Without feel the portrait does not become the person.

Then it’s a series of refinements.

Above: Gloria Steinem pencil drawing, photographed with & without & a warm filter.
Most of my portraits are all lead pencil. I use a full range of leads, smudging sticks, facial tissue and various erasers. I did Janis Joplin with water colour pencils, as her days in pop music were a colourful period.

Below is my first full figure portrait. Tina Turner – Pencil sketch photographed & then edited on basic Mac Photos that comes with the laptop.

Does a particular subject matter call to you when you get an idea or see something you want to draw? I find that certain pictures really attract me as an artist and I really want to draw and paint them. Not all ideas attract me as strongly and I only proceed with the projects that call the loudest.

Definitely, I am inspired by various things. The Art Gowns Models or Boogapony drawings are inspired by ideas Holly and I toss around. IE: What would they wear in Miami? Or if they were movie stars in the 1940’s.

When I saw the Tissot exhibit at the AGO, I was wildly inspired to do faux Tissot style Victorian gowns.

Pop culture figures inspire me. Imagining characters from books inspires me.

Above from left to right: Sam from John W. Howell’s Eternal Road series — Lady Kara from Shehanne Moore’s book His Judas Bride — Estelle from Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s book A Ghost and his Gold — Catling (as a teen & with her tattoos) from D. Wallace Peach’s book Catling’s Bane (the Rose Shield series).

Right now I’m working on some drawings inspired by a series of poems Holly writes called – The Sad Café. This will be the second collection. In this collection I expand into full scene drawing.

Above: from the first Sad Café series

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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356 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Drawing and Art Special with Resa McConaghy #art #drawing #fashiondrawing”

    1. Thanks John!

      It’s a real treat being featured on Robbie’s blog.

      I had to include Sam! She’s one of my fave book characters. 🐂 🐂

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      1. Always my pleasure as it is so well deserved.

        You are the best! I would have been hard pressed to choose my fave!

        Hahahaha! Rocky & Bullwinkle! LOVE!

        xoxoxoxoxoox

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          3. I’m with Dale – For good reason. AG&HG is really intriguing. There’s not many novels written around the Boer War. Thus it is also important, and Robbie’s research is fabulous.

            The plight of the character Estelle is heartbreaking, and is the story of how the Boer women and children suffered .

            You’ll notice that Estelle’s image is presented on an uneven, almost dirty background (captured in the photography process).

            That is on purpose. That is how her life looked to me as the war plod on.

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          4. Hi Resa, I am beyond delighted that you appreciated this book. I wrote it to share the horror of that war. War is dirty and taints everyone caught up in it. The war generation, including my mom, have specific character traits diur to growing up during a war.

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          5. Yes, many in my family , especially the grandparents, kept WWII war alive, in a way.
            Now, many in Canada barely know about it.

            War is man at his worst.
            You are to be highly commended for “A Ghost and his Gold”!

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  5. Great interview. Very interesting about how knowing the technology of creating clothing in any given era informs Resa on how the recreate it when drawing. I enjoyed all of the drawings, though I have seen many of them before.

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    1. Thanks for reading, Trent! This has been a lot of fun with the most cool Robbie!

      I appreciate that you understand my point on how the technology of building clothes informs the drawing of them.

      Hope all is well at the Cape!

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        1. Thank you Robbie!
          There is a lot to understanding the subject you are drawing.
          Your animal drawings are special/marvellous. You have come to see them in an up close and personal way, you have developed a special feel for them. I’m so impressed with them.

          if you ever want to know something about a garment’s construction for drawing purposes, I’m here!

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      2. One thing I learned is that the art of drawing is pretty much the art of seeing. A big part of the art of seeing is understanding what you see. With that, if you know how the clothing is made, you can better understand what you are seeing. I took several anatomy for artists classes for the same reason – you can’t draw a body if you don’t know what you are drawing.

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        1. Yes!
          Anatomy classes would make me a better artist. I do use anatomy and other books to answer “body” questions sometimes.

          I have a 3 way mirror (was built for Kathleen in 1988). Sometimes I pose in that to get a question answered.

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          4. Me too! Wow, I’d love that.
            I did Holly in a roller skating jump. That was challenging.
            Capturing a ballerina in a jump would be cool.

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  8. Oh my!

    Thank you for featuring me here today, Robbie! It’s fun interviewing and being interviewed.

    This post is great timing as well. I need a reason to NOT watch TV shows. It’s Emmy season and as usual, I have not seen the lion’s share of the nominations. One cannot vote honestly, if one has not watched all the competitors products. So, I get to have fun moving between viewing and blogging.

    I’m excited to read your followers comments! Oboy!

    You are the bee’s knees. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! 🌹🌹🌹

    I’ll be back!

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    2. Thank you, Jan! Very much, thank you!

      Well, the book is a free PDF download, so if you get the chance to check it out, cool!

      If not, cool!

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  10. This is absolutely beautiful, I am always amazed at the multi- talented Resa. Her art is stunning, she has the gift to capture the essence of her subjects so perfectly. I have become more and more awed by her many gifts in the arts, her designs, her writing , she’s a true wonder. Love her to pieces.
    Thank you so much for sharing this captivating display and interview and the gorgeous works of Resa.
    xoxoxoxoxo

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    1. Dearest Holly,

      Thank you for being such a wonderful Meece Pal!

      You have inspired me and more, you still support me while my illustrations get better.

      I remember some ….squat …. looking fashion drawings at the beginning. (the new Sad Cafe drawing is coming along nicely) And the portraits… thank you for getting me on that road!

      Robbie is a gem for featuring me in this post. She is an incredible multi faceted artist in her own right. All the while she supports and increases awareness of the plight of African animals, hence all animals.

      We belong to a fabulous community of writers and artists of all ilks here on WP.

      I adore you!

      xoxoxo🐭🐭xoxoxo

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      1. Robbie is an inspiration. I have seen some of her art. She’s truly talented to say the least. Her dedication to protecting wildlife is heartwarming. I’m glad there are people like here who like you and I adore animals and she taken such tremendous steps to call attention to their care and the need for us to take responsibility for their wellbeing.
        You , dear Meece , are beyond compare. So much talent and energy , it’s amazing.
        I’m excited about the Sad Cafe project. Your take on that is perfect.
        I adore you right back Meece!
        xoxoxoxoxo

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          1. You’ve done a spectacular job and most importantly you’ve enlightened many about the importance of caring for our animals and wildlife. That’s such such an awesome contribution!
            Thank you dear Roberta , for all you do.

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    2. Thank you, Liz!

      It’s so wonderful that Robbie invited me for an interview. What fab happening.

      Visual artist… yes, thank you! I hadn’t thought of myself in those words.

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    2. Thank you, Audrey!

      I adore drawing characters from books. It is a unique experience to take how I envision a character in my mind, from what an author has written and draw that person.

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    2. Thank you Gi! xxx

      I’m thrilled you saw this post. I haven’t had a chance to reblog yet, but I will!

      The SC drawings have watercolour. The current one is being blotted under the 4 biggest and heaviest books I own.

      If your ears are burning, 👂🏽🔥 it’s because I was just telling a friend about how great you are.

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        2. It is true. I’ve been slowly drawing all of the Art Gowns I’ve made. Of course I’ll be drawing Emmie’s gown on you, AGM Gi! xxoxoooo

          I’ve drawn 7 so far.

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        1. LOL…Robbie, if I’m answering some comments twice, it’s because I’m going back and forth between my 2 blogs and have lost track! 😂😂

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  21. Fascinating to read about the process and see some of the results, Robbie. Resa has a remarkable talent. No matter how it is explained, there is no way that I could create any of her figures- so elegant and yet so fun! A God-given talent xx

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    1. Hi Jo, I agree that it is a talent but as with all talents, there is also a learned element. When I went to the Van Gogh exhibition last year and saw his paintings as a progression, my understanding of the learned element through practice and knowledge became very clear.

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      1. It’s true, Robbie. There’s an old saying – Practice makes perfect.

        Also, knowledge is a key to understanding.

        That is true for all the arts, and all of those pursing one of its fields.

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    2. Hello Jo!

      Thank you for reading, and leaving this wonderful comment!

      Talent is only part of the equation. I have been fortunate in my life to have had the time, and support from friends to pursue drawing. Lol… elegant.. there were many squat figures when I started. 😂

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  23. Such a wonderful interview, Robbie and Resa! It was great to learn more about Resa’s process and to see examples of her work.

    I know a little bit about fashion/clothing in history, but it’s interesting to me to see how an artist perceives the techniques of draping clothing around the body and how that changes over time.

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    1. Thank you Merril!

      It’s most kind of Robbie to feature me on her blog. It’s crazy to think I have become good enough at drawing that there is interest in how I do it, especially from someone as talented and able as Robbie.

      Yes, understanding how clothing was constructed over time lends to recreating it, both in illustration, and construction. It drives me nuts when I see modern sewing techniques, in an obvious light, on clothes in a period film. There are ways to hide zippers, etc. and make a garment look authentic.

      Happy you saw this post!

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      1. Hi Resa, I get annoyed when historical movies are not authentic with clothing too. Pirates of the Caribbean is top of my list. Its technical historical issues ruined it for me. I only started drawing after my husband had a stroke in early 2023. You and I are learning and practicing together.

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        1. I like that, Robbie! We are learning together. I saw a poster for the ballet today and thought of you. 🤗 🩰

          I cannot watch Pirates of the Caribbean either. It’s a bunch of halloween costumes.

          I’m judging for the Emmys right now, and one of the shows is like Pirates. It makes me grit my teeth.

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        2. Thank you, Merril! 🤗

          Just mentioned to Robbie that I’m judging for Emmys right now.

          There’s this show Bridgerton. it’s up for best period costumes, and I’m aghast. Yes, the show looks pretty, big time eye candy, but it belongs more in “fantasy” or something.

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          1. You’re welcome, Resa.
            I remember you judge shows for the Emmys.
            I enjoy Bridgerton, but there’s no way it’s historically accurate in any sense. It’s kind of Jane Austen adjacent. 😉

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          4. I will have to take more notice of the fabrics when the next season comes on. 😊

            Did you ever see the movie Barry Lyndon? I remember he took such care with the period lighting and such.

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          8. I recognized that song right away. That movie made a big impression when I was a teen. I remember my daughter was not impressed, and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen that movie. And then, Olivia Hussey complained about how she was treated then as a teen.

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          9. LOL… I still watch the movie every few years.
            The sets and costuming are fabulous.

            I got a huge crush on “Tybalt”, that never went away.
            Then, early in my film career, I met Michael York. Made a complete fawning idiot of myself. He was gracious, but I know I embarrassed him with my over zealous adulation.

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  24. Ah, Robbie, a treat indeed! Watching Resa’s creativity evolve so beautifully has been a real treat for me. I look forward to see everything she does. I’ve said that before but her hands [and talent] work magic each and every time! Wonderful conversation between two talents! Thank you, Robbie! Love to both! xoxoxo

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  30. Hi Robbie, thank you so much for sharing this interview with Resa. I really enjoyed reading about how she creates sketches and adds the period fashions. What talent and how wonderful to see her illustrations in these authors (including yours!) books.

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    2. Thank you Barbara!

      This is a lovely comment.

      I love drawing, and drawing characters from books is a recent passion. Did you get to read A Ghost and his Gold?

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  34. Fascinating, I love Resa’s drawings. It’s a long time since I did dressmaking and I’ve never drawn figures, but how clothing and fashion has evolved is really interesting. We can imagine how draping was the easiest way!

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    1. How lovely, Thank you!

      Clothing technology has changed a lot, and not all for the good. Our synthetic and blended fabrics are wracking havoc on the environment.

      However fashion/style’s evolving face is wonderful. What we wear and how we put it together are personal creative statements.

      I have 2 judys and still use the draping method to create my Art Gowns. Although there are instances where pattern drafting is a must.

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  36. That was a super fun interview. A dive into the inspiration for Resa’s drawings as well as her technique. The gown drawings and her portraits seem very different from each other, but all fabulous. Thanks Resa for sharing your creativity in such a fun way, and for the shout out for Catling. And thanks, Robbie, for hosting! ❤ ❤ ❤

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    1. Diana,

      Yes, my gown illustrations and portraits blow my mind with how different they look.

      I could almost be 2 different people. LOL!

      Actually, it’s more like 2 different worlds of drawing. I love being on either planet.

      Speaking of another planet, I’m totally enjoying Farlanders’Law. My joy to shout out for Catling.

      Robbie is a wonderful host. It’s a blast being here with someone of her artistic calibre.

      🌟❦🌹❦🌟

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      1. Yes, you could almost be two different people… or more. I think that’s true for most of us – age and wisdom changes us if we’re willing.

        And thank you again for the shoutout and I’m so glad you’re enjoying Farlander’s Law (Whit’s story). And Catling was about 19 when she had Rose. (I couldn’t reply on Teagan’s post). ❤

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        1. Yes, change is difficult. I think I’ve conquered a lot of change. Still, the road stretches.
          19 – thanks, that’s what I figured.
          Looks like Whitt is going though changes!

          Must be the heat, but sometimes I seem to turn into Jack Lemmon’s character in “The Out of Towners”.
          ❦🌹

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  37. What a fabulous interview, Robbie and Resa. I especially enjoyed learning about how the Art Gown models came to be. The Boogapony image with the Golden Bridge stood out because the bridge is ‘in my backyard.’ Between the gowns, faces, and Tina Turner, Resa’s skill is off the charts. No one could tell Tina was her first full figured drawing. Amazing! Thanks for hosting, Robbie, and Congrats to Resa for being featured. ❤️🎉

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    2. Dear Lauren,

      Thank you for checking out the post, and leaving this wonderful comment!

      Hey, how’d I do drawing the Golden Gate Bridge? What a neat place to live.

      It really is a treat to be featured on the most talented Robbie’s blog.

      Well, I love drawing, so I’ll be doing a lot more. Big hugs to you!

      🌟❦🌹❦🌟

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  41. Okay!

    I finally got the reblog together, but it’s late. So, I set it to post at 6:00 am Eastern tomorrow. (Art Gowns)

    Sure got busy here today! 💃🏽

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  45. I loved this interview. Robbie, great questions. Resa, thanks for sharing some of your artist secrets and concepts. So fun to read and learn, and I have to say my fav drawing here was Gloria Steinem. Resa, you captured her look and eyes and demeanor perfectly!! Hugs to both. 🥰💜💙❌⭕

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    2. Debby!

      I am thrilled with what you said about Gloria Steinem!

      She is female icon, and her work needs to be recalled now…again! In some places, like the USA, Women’s rights are going backwards. In other places, (ie. Afghanistan, Iran) they do not or barely exist.

      HUGS to you Debby!!

      xoxoxo🌟🌹❦

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  46. What a terrific visual post, ladies! I know that image-heavy posts are a lot more work than people might think. I’m sorry to be so late to the party. Robbie these are great questions.
    Resa, your answers are fascinating. I admire your celebrity sketches. They show a ton of drawing talent. I simply adore your fashion sketches. LOL, I want to be reincarnated as one of your characters. 😀 Big hugs to you both.

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    2. Lol… Teagan you are the Cat’s Pyjamas! Reborn as one of my characters is a mighty compliment, thank you!

      Robbie is a doll for inviting me over, and posting this interview. It’s my joy to supply images.

      I’m feeling somewhat humbled at the present moment. I’m working on another Making Her Mark post, and the paintings of our past sisters are mind blowing.

      I hope some answer of mine is helpful or inspires anyone.

      As for portraits, Holly and I have picked Steven Tyler for my next attempt. Yahoo!

      Adore you! Hugs!

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