Fashion Sketching or Fashion Drawing by hand is a fun way to explore and express ideas for clothing design. Acquiring basic skill in sketching is essential for an aspiring fashion designer.
When sketching, it is advisable to have a 'croquis' or base figure as a template to draw the clothes on. The term 'croquis' is French in origin and usually refers to a simple line drawing of a human figure. Using a croquis will speed up the process and help ensure a more accurate representation and visualization of proportions.
Croquis can come in various poses, with the most basic type being a straight pose. As a beginner, it is easier to start with a straight croquis (see below). This post focuses on the female figure for designing of womenswear.
The croquis is available in my store. There can be variations of a straight pose depending on the placement of the arms. Here the arms are in a relaxed, fully extended position.
MATERIALS:
- Sketch paper (I used 70gsm A4-size printer paper)
- Pencils (I used Prismacolor Verithin Black for initial sketch and regular Prismacolor Black to darken the lines; regular HB & 2B graphite pencils will also work)
- Masking Tape to fix the croquis and sketch paper in place
- Eraser
- Pencil Sharpener
The most traditional type of fashion sketch is a pencil drawing. Place a thin piece of sketch paper on top of the printed straight-pose croquis. With the figure showing through the paper, start lightly sketching the clothing desired. Having a photo reference for the clothing is helpful. Finally, draw in areas of the figure not covered by clothing.
It is not necessary to apply too much pressure on your pencil, as you may wish to erase and adjust the design. The lines can be darkened at the end by going over them or using a bolder pencil.
The benefit of a straight pose is the focus on clarity of design and standardized presentation. Below are more examples to spark your creativity.
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