Tools & Materials

Sketchpad or Loose Drawing Paper. Keep a variety of sketchpads or notebooks on hand in various sizes. Jot quick sketches on smaller pages; then work out your ideas on larger sheets. Be sure to use heavier papers with any wet media, such as marker or watercolor, to prevent warping.

Kneaded Eraser. These pliable erasers can be shaped to a point for precision. They never wear down, and they don’t leave eraser dust behind. They are also very gentle on paper.

Graphite Pencils. Any pencil will do, but you may prefer a mechanical pencil because the leads stay sharp and produce a consistent line thickness.

Colored Pencils. Colored pencils are a convenient and easy method to add color. Professional-grade colored pencils have a waxy, soft lead that is excellent for shading and building up layers of color. Watercolor pencils are another excellent choice for adding touches of color to your artwork.

Pastel Pencils. Pastel pencils are exactly what they sound like: traditional soft pastels encased in a wooden barrel. They draw like pencils and can be sharpened using a regular pencil sharpener. They have a slightly chalkier texture than traditional colored pencils and can be used to layer and blend colors.

Markers. Transparent water-based markers are available in a wide variety of styles. They are great for laying down large areas of vibrant color, and they also allow for layering and blending, which comes in handy for rendering sheer fabrics.

Pigment Ink Pens. These permanent ink pens won’t bleed, and they come in lots of different nib sizes. The thinnest nibs are perfect for rendering tiny details; thicker nibs and brush tips are great for bold or variable line weights.

Light Box. Use a light box to transfer rough drawings onto clean paper for a beautiful finished drawing with no stray marks. (See “Light Box & Templates” shwon here.)

Watercolor Paper. Cold-pressed watercolor paper offers a rough surface that takes watercolor paint beautifully. Its thick stock prevents the paper from buckling.

Dark-colored Pastel Paper. Dark papers are perfect for creating dramatic evening fashions. Bridal gowns, lace, and organza fabrics rendered in white pencil show up beautifully on mid-tone and darker papers.

Blue Draftsman Pencil. Blue pencil (or any light or mid-value colored pencil) is a great tool for starting off a sketch. Once the basics are scribbled out in blue, switch over to a black pencil to refine the drawing.

Watercolor Paint. Watercolor is an excellent option for coloring your designs. Use watercolor to build up vibrancy, create textures and blooming effects, and mix shades.

Watercolor Paintbrushes. Watercolor brushes are specifically made to hold water-based pigments. They come in a variety of sizes for broad washes and small details.

Waterbrush & Brush Pens. The ultimate tool for fuss-free versatility is the waterbrush. The handle is a reservoir. Fill it with water and then gently squeeze the handle to add moisture to your paint or ink. Dip the nib in the color; then apply to the paper using strokes of variable widths. Brush pens come in myriad colors. The brush-like tips lay down smooth lines perfect for graphic designs.

Masking Fluid. This rubbery liquid can be painted onto watercolor paper as a resist that prevents watercolor paint from absorbing into the treated areas. It’s great for creating patterns and details. Simply paint the masking fluid on the desired area of the paper and then apply watercolor as you normally would. Once the entire area is dry, gently rub off the masking fluid to reveal the paper beneath untouched by the paint.

Washi Tape. Use bits of patterned washi tape for metallic accents, dotted bags, hair scarves, patchwork, or other creative designs. It comes in a variety of patterns and finishes, and its adhesive back makes applying it a breeze.

Metallic Paint Pens. Add gold, copper, or silver sparkle to any design with this easy-to-use tool. Nothing captures the gleam quite as well, plus metallic paint pens can be applied over nearly any other media.

Gel Pens. Opaque details are easy to add to any illustration with gel pens. White opaque gel pens are perfect for adding highlights, as well as shiny surfaces and glittery speckles.

White Pencil. White pencil marks create a beautiful effect on darker papers. Use them for bridal designs, veils, lace, or any other delicate designs.

Collage Papers. Scrapbook paper or hand-painted scraps are fun for adding bits of pattern to skirts, dresses, hats, and more.

3-D Materials. Flowers, ribbons, feathers—even food—can add a bit of quirky fun to your designs. Make sure to photograph your illustrations so you’ll have your ideas saved for future use!

Basic Figure Drawing

Before you can design the clothes, you’ve got to draw the models. This can be the biggest obstacle for many aspiring designers. Drawing people seems hard at first, but don’t worry! There are a few different ways to draw figures.

Light Box & Templates

Using templates is a great way to get started drawing! Scan or photocopy one or more of the templates shown here. Place the template on the light box with your choice of paper over the top. Turn on the light box to illuminate the template beneath the clean sheet of paper. Trace the figure lightly onto your paper to transfer the template to the page.

You can create endless designs using one template! You can also adapt an existing template (Figure 1) to any body type. Create a larger figure by tracing along the template just outside the lines shown (Figure 2). For narrower shoulders or a slender body type, trace along the template just inside the lines (Figure 3).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

1

To practice gesture drawing, select a few reference photos.

2

Sketch quickly from your photos with a focus on shape, proportion, and balance.

3

Darken the best lines, and then add some detail and shading.

To create a template from a gesture drawing, place the drawing on a light box and trace main figure lines onto a clean sheet of paper. Then sketch a new fashion onto your blank template!

Architectural Figure Building

Architectural figure building is a useful technique for achieving accurate proportions. (It is also the technique used in the step-by-step projects featured throughout the book.) Architectural figure building requires you to start a figure using simple lines and angles as key points of reference, as shown in the steps on the opposite page.

Each figure design starts with a basic stick-like shape, but there are other considerations to take into account.

• Does a hand rest on a hip? Is an arm raised? If so, where does the elbow align with the head? In this methodical approach, visualizing and drawing these details realistically helps establish accurate proportions in the final illustration.

• Focus on the horizontal lines that denote the shoulders, chest, waist, and hips. Notice if the midline (think of it like the spine) is vertical or slanted. Also recognize if the hipline is tilted. Often, models will stand with one hip popped out, which creates an angled tilt. A model walking the runway will also have a slanted hipline.

• Indicate the joints with small dots or circles. This is a great tool for checking proportions. Elbows usually hit at the waist. Wrists are usually one-third of the way between the hips and knees.

Once you train your eye to see the underlying architecture of a figure, you’ll be able to create a template for any body type and shape.

1

Establish the internal framework of the figure. First sketch an oval for the head, and then add the “line of action,” or midline, to create the center of the torso. Next, add horizontal lines to begin establishing the figure. You should have lines that delineate the shoulder, chest, waist, and hips. As you sketch in these lines, you will establish the posture. Add lines for the arms and legs.

2

Once the basic stick figure is in place, begin filling in the form and volume of the model in any size or shape desired.

3

Begin creating the fashion you’d like to design. To make it more visually interesting, add a hairstyle and accessories, and suggest some facial features.

4

Clean up your lines with a kneaded eraser and refine the details.

1

Sketch your figure on the tablet screen, or scan a template from the book and import it to your drawing program.

2

Reduce the opacity of the figure sketch layer. Make a new layer on top of the figure sketch. Draw your fashion design just like you would if you were using a light box. When you complete your design, turn off the figure sketch layer to reveal your clean drawing.

3

Keep your line art design layer on top and “Multiply” the layer. Next, add one or several layers underneath to color your clothing. You can use a variety of different brush textures to suit your taste. Choose from pencil, paint, ink, and more.

4

Use color-editing tools to change the entire color story or to experiment with just one part. This allows for fine-tuning to get color palettes just right, while your line art layer stays perfectly intact!

Digital “Ink.”
Use a stylus to create a minimalist design using only gray or black. This effect has a modern feel to it.

Fashion for Everyone!

Fashion is for everyone—and it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all game! Today’s designers understand that fashion serves purposes outside of the utilitarian function of simply dressing people. Fashion supports creative expression, confidence, and individuality. Here are some tips to get you started designing fashions for a wide range of people of all shapes and sizes!

1

Design for everybody and every body! Practice drawing all sorts of figure proportions like the ones shown above. Find inspiration from fashion and lifestyle magazines, social media, and on television. Red Carpet wrap-ups are especially great since they show full-length poses of celebrities of all shapes and sizes.

2

Select a favorite outfit from your closet or a magazine. Adapt the design to fit a variety of body types. Don’t forget to add accessories!

3

Design an original fashion. Then tweak and alter your design to fit a variety of body types. Add details that will flatter the body you are designing for, as shown in the example at right.

Adaptive Apparel

Fashion can and should be customized to meet the needs of people with disabilities. A growing number of high-end fashion brands are rolling out lines that take these clients’ needs into account by positioning seams, zippers, buttons, and the like in areas that are easy to manage. Other considerations include using breathable fabrics, incorporating Velcro, magnetic closures, and other easy-to-use fasteners into designs, and designing pockets, tags, and other details for comfort. Design fashions that complement all body types and also accommodate mobility devices.

Making Faces

When drawing figures in fashion design, the focus is generally on the garment, so drawing simple faces and hairstyles is common. For example, drawing one eye and a mouth can be enough to indicate expression without worrying about getting the proportions right. That’s not to say that you can’t be more detailed if you like. Trust your instincts and draw your models in a way that feels right for your designs. Likewise, hairstyles can be minimal or bold. Think about the personality of your design and match your hairstyle and facial expressions to that tone.

Keeping a Sketchbook

Inspiration can strike at any time, and a trusty sketchbook is the best place to capture your brilliant ideas as they happen! Jot down an idea for a reversible jacket or sketch a diagram for a shoe. Maybe the colors in a piece of street art will inspire a quirky graphic tee or a ball gown. Or perhaps you’ll want to create a textures library. Carrying a sketchbook means you’ll be able to capture inspiration when it strikes!

Sketchy Spontaneity. Who wouldn’t love a peek inside the sketchbook of a fashion design icon? These scribbled ideas and messily sketched musings are the stuff of dreams! Fill a notebook with partial ideas, flashes of brilliance, and pencil sketches galore! Working quickly when inspiration strikes is where the magic happens, and your notebooks act as idea factories on days when the creativity is not flowing so freely. Add color with paint if the mood strikes!

Flatlay Fashions

Occasionally, you might find that you want to skip drawing figures and jump straight into the design part. Creating hand-drawn flatlay fashions—curating all of the wardrobe essentials into one complete look—is a fun way to get the creative juices flowing. The term “flatlay” refers to styling a complete outfit—kind of like you might do when you lay clothing and accessories across the bed to pull together a look.

To draw a flatlay design, sketch one central item of clothing—such as a patterned sundress—then build an outfit around it. You might add sandals or flip-flops, sunglasses, a straw hat, and a summery tote for a perfect day at the beach. Your sketchbook is perfect for creating flatlay designs.