1. The costume designer’s art lies in effective interpretation,collaboration, and execution

2. The script usually indicates directly or indirectly most of the basic information needed by the designer: historical periods, character information, special problems (quick changes, broad action, disguises), and mood or style. If the script does not give enough information, the designer, director, and/or actor will need to decide on the points in question.

3. The first reading of a script establishes an overall sense of the story and characters. Reading the play in one sitting also should provide a good sense of its flow and movement. The designer should try to find pleasure in this first reading and should resist the temptation to take extensive notes.

4. During the second reading the designer’s attention should focus on the language and imagery of the play. The designer must remember that the primary responsibility for the interpretation of the script belongs to the director. The designer must be prepared, however, to participate intelligently in discussions with the director.

5. A meticulous third reading should provide answers to specific questions. All possibilities and all limitations should be sought. Many designers mark references to costumes, entrances, exits, and pertinent action in the script. A designer should be prepared to do as many readings and referrals to the script as necessary to answer whatever questions may arise.

7. Careful discussion of ideas, effects, images, concepts, schedules, and other pertinent information helps to keep all participants working toward the same goals.

8. To be effective the costume designer must know enough about the tasks of the director, the scenic designer, and lighting designer to discuss the overall production intelligently and to understand how a decision in one area might affect another area of the production.

11. The designer must also have sufficient understanding of construction and cost factors to design within budget limitations.

14. The designer needs a basic knowledge of costume history to even begin researching a period play. Plays set in historical periods may require extensive study of the painting, literature, and existing artifacts of that period. Many designers use their research to develop a collage board to express their concept. The resulting board may actually have no costume pieces on it, but images of color form, texture, and mood.

15. Factual research consists of studying sources of history, current events, science, and craft for a range of facts. Provides a general understanding of the period and culture in which the play takes place and specific information on the types of garments suitable for each character in the play.

16. Evocative research involves seeking stimuli for creative interpretation. These stimuli may come from many sources: music, fabrics, art, travel, literature, and the language of the play. Evocative research seeks sources that share, illuminate, and project the essence of the play, characters, and theme.

17. Primary sources are original materials or copies and translations of original materials. Paintings representing the time in which they were painted, novels representing the author’s contemporaries, and original artifacts from a period or place are all primary sources.

18. Secondary sources are materials that represent or discuss a subject in more general terms, are based on primary sources, and draw broad concepts and conclusions. Encyclopedias, textbooks, and general reference books are very valuable as distilled sources of information.

19. Internet research is very popular with students an designers. Online searches turn up general sources and specific sources. Unfortunately, these searches frequently offer a large number of inappropriate sources. Without the back ground knowledge to sort through the tremendous amount of erroneous information that can be found on the internet, an inexperienced designer may be misinformed and misled.

20. Using the ideas expressed in designer- director discussions and the collected research, the designer develops a series of quick sketches called roughs. Many rounds of roughs may be necessary before the various problems of a specific costume are solved.

23. The designer constantly works to unify the production, to establish the feeling that all parts belong to the whole. Comparison of the costume designs with the set designs and the plans of the lighting designer should determine if all approaches agree. Adjustments in all areas of the design may be needed.

24. When the decisions have been made concerning each costume’s design, the designer creates a series of color illustrations for the costumes. These renderings may be done in watercolor, ink, pastel, pencil, or any combination of suitable media or using computer rendering techniques. Color samples or swatches, small samples of selected fabrics, may be attached with indication where each is used.

28. The costume designer’s medium is fabric. The choice of fabric is a major influence on the final look of each costume and the overall look of the production. Fabric choice must be suitable for the garment, period style, character's personality, concept of production, budget allotments, and maintenance requirements of the production.

30. The designer’s responsibility to the show does not end with the completion of sketches. For some productions the designer also must locate, rent, buy or build the costumes. The visual and technical trappings of a production should enhance, not overshadow, the audience’s understanding of the theme of the play.

31. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXNSfoSD9Cw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIpRPv0Cfkwt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYAph4qI4sgps