Decide on the dress you would like to draw. Use photos, magazines, or other illustrations as inspiration. Set aside.
Sketch a woman's body on the drawing paper. Start with her pelvis thrust forward slightly and curve her waist in from forward-facing hips. Draw the bust, arms, and shoulders, adding the neck and head last. Curve the arms away from the body. Either space the legs slightly apart or bend one leg in front of the other. Use a ruler for assistance to draw the body proportionately so that the shoulders are squarely above the hips.
Sketch the silhouette of the dress over the women's body using the pencil. Start with the basic lines of the dress following the photo, magazine clipping or other illustration. Press lightly and use the eraser when needed to keep the drawing clean and simple.
Gently sketch any additions to the dress such as pockets, contours, gathers, lace, jewels or folds.
Use the ink drawing pen and draw on top of the pencil sketch only the final lines of the dress and any important shadows or shading. When the ink is dry, use the kneaded eraser to erase the pencil drawings underneath so only the ink drawing remains.
Use colored pencils or watercolors, and the ink pen if needed, to embellish the final drawing with shape and movement, to emphasize fabric textures and colors or to showcase rippling, cinching, or pleating.