Acknowledgments

I thank Focal Press for allowing me the opportunity to write and publish the second edition of Character Costume Figure Drawing and for their unending support and encouragement along the way.

I extend a special thanks to Bonnie J. Kruger, who introduced me to Focal Press for my first book; otherwise, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to write this second edition.

Special thanks to Professor Bill Brewer for all his support and mentoring regarding this edition and to Linda Pisano for her valuable suggestions.

I thank all my professors at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, China, including: Hou Qidi, Ma Chi, Xing Dalun, Wang Ren, Li Chang, Zhang Bingyao, Qi Mudong, Zhang Chongqing, He Yunlan, Yie Ming, An Lin, Wang Xiping, Sun Mu, and Li Dequan. They are the ones who laid the foundation for me to pursue my dreams and achieve what I have today. They nurtured and motivated me to start my costume and makeup design career and their influence has changed my life.

I thank the professors in the Department of Theatre Arts at Utah State University—Colin B. Johnson, Sid Perks, Voce Call, and Bruce E. McInroy—for their kindness, advice, patience, and support. They helped me endure and overcome graduate school, a difficult period in my life. They provided opportunities for me to work on many productions and created many learning experiences for me. Their guidance has led me to accomplish what I have today.

I thank all my former theatre department chairmen in the United States with whom I've worked for encouraging and guiding me: Sid Perks, Utah State University; Bruce A. Levitt, Cornell University; Buck Favorony, University of Pittsburgh; Wesley Van Tassel, Central Washington University; and Donald Seay, Joseph Rusnock, and Roberta Salon, University of Central Florida.

I thank Ryan and David Retherford and Jon Findell at the Faculty Multimedia Center at the University of Central Florida for all their expertise, constant help and availability whenever I needed them. I thank the entire faculty and staff at the UCF Conservatory Theatre Department. I specially thank Arlene Flores and Samuel Waters for helping me when I needed it most.

I thank my dear friends Xiangyun Jie, Julia Zheng, Helen Huang, Peiran Teng, Dunsi Dai, Liming Tang, Haibou Yu, Wenhai Ma, Lu Yi, and Rujun Wang for their unconditional love and support and wise advice. You all put a smile on my face when I needed it most.

I thank my parents for teaching and disciplining me to become the strong person I am today. I owe a big thanks to my dear, talented daughter, Yingtao Zhang, for proofreading my manuscript. Her inspiration and creativity continually sparked ideas for the book. I owe additional thanks to my husband, Juli Zhang, for helping me succeed in my professional career.

Finally, I thank all my students for their tolerance in allowing me to be their instructor and allowing me to continue to learn and grow in my career.