Fashion Drawing For Dummies

by Lisa Arnold, Marianne Egan

Overview

The fast and easy way to learn the art of fashion drawing

This fun guide gives you dozens of step-by-step diagrams that walk you through the process of preparing creative illustrations that you can later develop into dynamic presentations for your design portfolio. Plus, you'll not only learn how to draw clothes and fabric, but also how to show details that make up the total look: faces and hairstyles, fashion accents, and a wide variety of textures.

If you're an aspiring fashion designer, you know it's essential to be able to draw, prepare, and present a fashion drawing. Whether you have little or no prior drawing experience, Fashion Drawing For Dummies gives you easy-to-follow, non-intimidating instructions for mastering the drawing skills you need to design like a pro.

• Learn the rules and techniques of fashion drawing
• Draw the fashion figure in different poses and from multiple angles
• Discover how to complement your drawings with accessories, clothing, and style

If you're a fledgling designer looking for non-intimidating guidance on learning the ins and outs of fashion drawing, this friendly guide has you covered!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780470887646
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	04/06/2012
Series:	For Dummies Books
Sold by:	JOHN WILEY & SONS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Marianne Egan teaches fashion illustration and design, apparel construction, and more.

Lisa Smith Arnold teaches art and drawing, including fashion illustration, at Norwalk Community College. She has also served as creative coordinator and fashion editor at several major publications.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I: Fashion Drawing 101 5

Chapter 1: Finding Your Footing in Fashion Drawing 7

Chapter 2: Gathering Supplies and Setting Up Your Work Space 23

Chapter 3: Beginning with Figure Drawing Basics 37

Part II: Building a Fabulous Fashion Figure 59

Chapter 4: Working with the Basic Fashion Drawing Rules 61

Chapter 5: Tackling the Torso 79

Chapter 6: Forming Fabulous Arms, Hands, Legs, and Feet 93

Chapter 7: Putting Your Best Face Forward 119

Chapter 8: Guaranteeing Good Hair Days 143

Part III: Dressing Your Fashion Figure 165

Chapter 9: Slipping into Shirts and Sweaters 167

Chapter 10: Presenting Perfect Pants 189

Chapter 11: Getting All Dolled Up: Evening Wear 217

Chapter 12: Outerwear for All 233

Chapter 13: Accenting the Accessories 249

Part IV: Taking Your Fashion Drawing to the Next Level 269

Chapter 14: Fabrics: Refining Style with Draping, Texture, and Patterns 271

Chapter 15: Conveying Attitude and Movement through Body Language 291

Chapter 16: Going to Extremes to Develop Your Own Style 315

Chapter 17: Building Your Fashion Design Portfolio 329

Part V: The Part of Tens 343

Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Stay Current 345

Chapter 19: Ten Steps to Kick-Start Your Career 351

Index 357

Interviews

Cheat Sheet For Fashion Drawing For Dummies

From Fashion Drawing For Dummies by Lisa Arnold, Marianne Egan

Fashion drawing is all about attitude, exaggeration, and style. As you develop your fashion illustration skills, infuse your work with personal flair — your signature — to create a look unlike any other. Start by observing the golden rules of fashion drawing, mastering the S curve and other figure drawing techniques, and putting a creative spin on the fashion drawings you create.

Following the Rules of Fashion Illustration
Fashion drawing isn't known for having a lot of rules, but it does have a few pointers. When drawing fashion models, remember the following guidelines:
• Know the difference between figure drawing and fashion drawing. In fashion drawing, go for a stylized look over realism. Show just a few key folds or shadows instead of every detail, and leave some white space.
• Exaggerate!
• Render proportions appropriate to the model's gender and age. For adult figures, keep heads small for a graceful look.

Start with a stick figure to set your pose and proportions and make sure the model looks balanced before you get too far into a drawing.
• Diversify your fashion poses and views (front, side, back, and three-quarter) to draw audience interest. Tilt the shoulders and hips to create active poses.
• To avoid a flat look, curve lines with the figure's body. Have necklines and hemlines wrap around to the back of the figure. Let fabric prints cut off at the seams or disappear over the edges.
• Experiment to keep your art fresh.
• Know when to fix a drawing, stop it, or scrap it.
• Practice, practice, practice.

Developing Your Own Fashion Illustration Style
When you first start drawing fashion illustrations, it's easiest to imitate someone else's style. But eventually, you need to develop your own signature look. Try these methods on for drawing style:
• Experiment with exaggeration and play with proportions. Draw attention with outrageous hair or go for a minimalist look.
• Specialize in the clothing types you like best.
• Study other artists' work. Borrow design elements from them but don't copy their style.
• Keep up on the latest fashion trends. Read magazines, visit websites, and scope out styles at department stores, boutiques, and vintage shops. Perfect the art of people-watching. Watch old movies and find inspiration in costumes from film and stage.