1.17.2010

Exercises in fashion illustrations

I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil in my hand and I took drawing and art classes when I was a kid. Back then I drew and painted almost anything - what ever was on my mind; objects, architecture, animals, nude drawing and portraits, but later the theme of my drawings changed to being more fashion illustrations and that's mainly what I still do. 
Last year I took a class in fashion illustration and actually learned techniques behind it. I found it difficult to follow the teacher's advice because I was more comfortable with my self-taught techniques. But I stopped resisting the instructions and learned a lot from it. 
These are some of the drawings made in that class. 
These drawings all represent very different techniques. The first was a dress just hangning there. The second was drawing a live model (one of the other girls in the class) which was done without lifting the pencil from the paper. The third one was different pieces of clothes draped on a mannequin and we really had to make it realistic. The last one was started by spashing watercolour on the paper and seeing how it could grow to be a fashion illustration. 
I found that I really like being very meticulous and taking my time - it's almost like meditaion for me, which I never realised before because I'm also very impatient. 
I don't feel that secure using colors and the result is always either very good or very bad, but those that come out very good like this last one, I really love.

Pattern Magic


As we begin a new project at my school the teachers usually find us a couple of books for inspiration, and they just purchased these two; Pattern Magic vol. 1 and 2. 

The books show these amazing sculpturel patterns. they are almost like origami - and it's such a fantastic source for unlimited inspiration. 
As a fashion student you easily get nerdy about cuttings and patterns, imagining how you create products like these. I am especially crazy about the example on the first book with the squares. 
Even though the book is in Japanese the pattern development is very easy to understand so you can still use it. 
So Pattern Magic vol. 1 and 2 are just another two on the long list of books I dream about buying.