How to Sketch an Indian Bridal Dress

An Indian wedding dress is usually done in bright colors.

Indian bridal dresses, also called wedding sarees, are luxurious and ornate, with lots of beading and embroidery. Unlike Western wedding traditions, an Indian bridal dress does not have to be white. In fact, Indian bridal gowns are usually ravishing reds, bright blues and sparkling golds. An Indian bridal dress traditionally consists of three pieces: the top, the long skirt and the shawl that is draped over one shoulder.

Things You'll Need

• Blank piece of paper or sketchpad
• Colored pencils
• Metallic and glitter pens

Instructions

1. Sketch a basic female silhouette with a pencil to serve as your template. Draw the torso, but instead of detailing the legs, draw a long fitted skirt with a slight flare at the bottom. Drawing legs will interfere with the details of the skirt you have to sketch later.

2. Choose two complementary colored pencils to sketch the bridal dress. Indian bridal gowns usually contain two main colors--one bright and one light. Red and silver, blue and gold, and magenta and white are some popular combinations, but choose any two colors that appeal to you.

3. Sketch the top of the Indian bridal dress. Tops can be sleeveless, cap-sleeved or three-quarter-sleeved. The neckline is usually a V-neck or a scoop-neck. The midriff is often slightly exposed. Choose a sleeve and neckline combination you like, and draw it onto the female silhouette.

4. Sketch details onto the silhouette of the skirt and top. Depict fine beading or embroidery with metallic or glitter pens. Metallic pens are great for silky or sparkly thread. Glitter pens are ideal for shiny sequins and rhinestones. Indian bridal gowns have organic and arabesque designs such as swirls, spirals, loops, circles, almond shapes, stars, and leaves and flowers. Choose a design to sketch in a repeating pattern on the top and skirt. Fill in the main color of the gown around the details.

5. Sketch the shawl draped over one shoulder or behind the body. The shawl is a long, rectangular-shaped piece of fabric in the same colors as the top and skirt.

Tips & Warnings

• Look at photographs of Indian weddings and Indian brides in traditional dress to give you an idea of what to sketch.