How to draw fashion sketches for the fashion world…. new designs are hand drawn in the form of sketches before they actually take form after cutting and sewing. First the designer draws a croquis which is a model-shaped figurine to serve as the base for the sketch.
The drawings looks so realistic on a figurine. It is a blank canvas which displays illustrations of dresses, skirts, blouses, accessories and the rest of the creations. Adding color and details such as ruffles, seams and buttons bring ideas to life.
How to Draw Fashion Sketches
- Starting the Sketch
- Croquis Drawing
- Clothes and Accessories Drawing
How to Draw Fashion Sketches : Starting the Sketch
Gather materials.
Choose a hard lead pencil to makes light, sketchy marks that are easy to erase. Marks made with these pencils also don’t indent the paper, which is helpful when it is needed to add color to the image. A good quality eraser and paper thickness are also critical materials to have when you wish the sketch to look professional.
Alternate methods for creating a croquis.
It is good to enable drawing own croquis, because it permits to create a model to the exact proportions you wish to have. Make a croquis by tracing the outline of a model from another picture or a magazine advertisement. by just placing a tracing paper over the model and creating an outline of the figure with light hand.
Decide on a pose for croquis.
The model for the design is referred to as a croquis. It must be drawn in a pose to show off the items best in the every context. You can opt for model walking, sitting, bending, or in any other position. You may want to initiate with the most common pose as a beginner and that is a runway sketch that shows a model standing or striding on a runway. This is the best and the easiest form to draw. It can allow the designer to illustrate whole design in a full view format.
How to Draw Fashion Sketches : Croquis Drawing
Draw the balance line.
This is first line of sketch. It creates the models center of gravity. Draw it from the top of the head to the tip of the toes, along the backbone of the croquis. Draw an oval to represent the head which act as the base of the croquis, and from this, a proportional drawing can be made. You may take the croquis as the skeleton of the model. The balance line must be a straight vertical line although you wish the model to pose in a leaning position.
Start drawing the pelvic area first.
Draw a square with equal side lengths on the balance line just below the middle, where the pelvis is naturally positioned on the body. Size the square according to how wide you want your model to be. A thinner model would have a smaller square width than a plus-sized model. Keeping your desired pose in mind, tilt this pelvic square either left or right.
Draw the torso and shoulders.
The torso should extend upwards, bending in midway at the waist and extending out again at the shoulder. Extend the torso lines upward from the two corners of the pelvic square. The shoulders should be the same width as the hips, or the top of the pelvic box as it is done with a real human body.
The torso should look like a normal torso you would see on a body when you finish drawing it. Pay attention to bend lines as those angles. The lines are important for creating a figure and it must not look like as dislocated body part.
Sketch the neck and head.
The model’s neck should be a third as compared to the width of the shoulder. It should be half the length of a head. After drawing the neck, sketch in the head. Head should be drawn in proportion to the body. The bigger the head, the more younger the model looks.
Fill in the legs.
The legs are portioned into two pieces, the thighs and calves. The legs should be the longest part of the body, the length of about four heads. Fashion designers generally exaggerate the model’s height by making the legs longer than the torso
Finish with the feet and arms.
The feet are relatively narrow. Draw the feet like elongated triangles which are taken about the same length as the head. Draw the arms like the legs which are taken as tapered toward the wrists. Make them longer in proportion to the torso than a real persons arms would be. As it gives a more stylized impression, add the hands and fingers last.
How to Draw Fashion Sketches : Clothes and Accessories Drawing
Illustrate original design.
Focus on the elements of the design. They must look distinct as well as unique. Try to include appropriate accessories. It helps in styling and helps to ensure your work is clear and effective. If you require to get fresh ideas and don’t have a clue where to start, you may look up to the current fashion trends on the internet or any fashion magazines for an inspiration.
Sketch clothes boldly.
The whole purpose of a fashion drawing is to showcase the design ideas. Therefore, use a bolder hand while drawing the clothing. Sketch the clothes to appear that they are hanging on the croquis in a realistic way. Try to remember that various fabrics and structures lie on the body in varied ways. If the fabric or cloth is thin and silky, it is going to rest on the body and drift away which will look almost billowing. If the fabric is thick like denim or wool, it will turn to be boxier. It will show less shape of the body and will not be body hugging.
Learn to draw folds, wrinkles and pleats.
Using various types of lines, try to draw various kind of creases in the fabric while drawing. Knowing how to draw folds, wrinkles and pleats will definitely help to illustrate the structure and the feel of the garment.
- Folds : Use loose, wavy lines.
- Wrinkles : Use circular patterns.
- Pleats : Draw straight edge.
Illustrate patterns and prints.
If the design has a patterned or printed fabric, then it is necessary to accurately illustrate how it will look on a model. Start the sketch by drawing the outline of the patterned garment, like a skirt or blouse. Divide it into a grid with different sections and fill in the sections slowly, one at a time with the pattern on the fabric.
Finalize the drawing with shading, ink and color.
Using thick black ink or paint on the lines that you wish to keep, erase the body shaping lines and any stray pencil marks. Carefully color in the clothing using hues you wish the designs to have. Adding features like hair, sunglasses and makeup is a nice final touch that will make the fashion sketch come alive.
Consider making flats.
You can create a flat schematic in addition to making a fashion illustration. which will an illustration of the clothing design that shows the flat outline of the garment to look like it was laid out on a flat surface. It helps people view the design and see the flat version as well as the way it would look on the body of a model.