DRAWING FASHION

Want to learn to draw better and put the spirit of fashion into your illustrations? Let me share my tips.
It’s amazing how shape can hold the figure so beautifully. Nothing needs outlines!

It’s amazing how shape can hold the figure so beautifully. Nothing needs outlines!

Shapes and color - keeping it simple always.

Shapes and color - keeping it simple always.

Nothing like tone and shape to make a statement in fashion. Keep your illustrations simple and they have more impact. 

Nothing like tone and shape to make a statement in fashion. Keep your illustrations simple and they have more impact. 

SCALE and SIMPLIFY. Prints on fabric can be so hard to tackle, unless you know how to simplify the pattern. For leopard print, figure out the scale first. Big spots or little spots? Make it accurate. Then only apply the pattern to an area of the garment that will highlight the form of the body. If you plaster the pattern all over it, the body will appear FLAT. This takes some practice and also drawing skill - to see the light and shadow on a form. Keep a sketchbook and work with light and shadow as well as line. RELAX when you draw.  Feeling uptight and tense will produce uptight, tense little drawings. You want to GLAMOURIZE.

SCALE and SIMPLIFY.

Prints on fabric can be so hard to tackle, unless you know how to simplify the pattern. For leopard print, figure out the scale first. Big spots or little spots? Make it accurate.

Then only apply the pattern to an area of the garment that will highlight the form of the body. If you plaster the pattern all over it, the body will appear FLAT. This takes some practice and also drawing skill - to see the light and shadow on a form. Keep a sketchbook and work with light and shadow as well as line. RELAX when you draw. 

Feeling uptight and tense will produce uptight, tense little drawings. You want to GLAMOURIZE.

Lyrical Lines When drawing from life or photos, let your lines get their fuel from beyond your mind. You know the inner critic? Shut that up and just allow the drawing to happen using your eyes and your honesty. Self criticism blocks the creative flow faster than a broken hand.

Lyrical Lines

When drawing from life or photos, let your lines get their fuel from beyond your mind. You know the inner critic? Shut that up and just allow the drawing to happen using your eyes and your honesty.

Self criticism blocks the creative flow faster than a broken hand.

If making a statement of hair and accessories - or even garment - skip the face. What is your focal point? Less is more. Usually.

If making a statement of hair and accessories - or even garment - skip the face. What is your focal point? Less is more. Usually.

GET TONED!

Shadows are your friend. In this quick 3 minute sketch of Lisa, I just used a felt tip marker in my sketchbook. Later I wanted to see her right leg go back in space - look farther away than her left, so I added tone.

If I were to add just solid black as a tone, the leg comes forward visually instead of back. Remember that black will grab the eyeballs faster than anything so be careful how you use - or misuse - it.  

Adding a soft tonal gray gives the desired effect. This is another simple design principle that deals with focal points and leading the viewer’s eye where you want it to go.

If you already knew all this, you can give me a good old fashioned eye roll. It’s good exercise.

Tone that body!

How to hold charcoal sticks

Drawing on big paper -18 x24 inch - you use your whole arm. Grasp the charcoal stick and hold it so you are “pulling” the line down the page. Newsprint paper had a “tooth” or texture to it that is a bit fibrous and the charcoal hard a very sensual feel gliding over the paper. Do you have a favorite writing pen (me: black gel ink)? Its that kind of satisfying glide.

Do not grasp the charcoal like you do a pen when writing. You don’t want to kick in those mindless instincts. Your are not writing - you are DRAWING.

Learn to hold art materials so your hand, arm, and awareness is totally engaged. Your eye is the big boss driving it all.

Pull. The. Charcoal. Line.