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to your current job?Àíäðååâà Drawing to communicate your ideas Please describe your current job I am a freelance design consultant, working within the industry and related areas. I am also involved in a project at a more fundamental level, creating a pilot fashion design module for schoolchildren who are interested in design. What was your career path to your current job? I have basically been practising as a design professional since I left college, first with my own line and later choosing to immerse myself in the mass market. I worked full-time in the industry up until last year when devastation hit with the credit crunch and many designers were made redundant overnight. Consulting is what many of us have opted to do until the industry recovers – or possibly permanently. What makes a good fashion sketch? Attitude, line, clarity – I like to start with a great hairstyle and face. Attention to detail, such as accessories, can accentuate the vibe you’re trying to communicate. It’s important for me to be excited by what I see and I should be able to get ‘lost’ in them. How would you describe your drawing style? Realistic but not realistic, sometimes caricaturist (which design sketches can be), comical and whimsical, exciting, usually with movement and flow in the lines. What type of media do you like to use when you draw? I almost always start with pencil on layout paper. I rough out some good poses either from life, from my head or magazines. Then I love to ‘clean’ them up by loosely tracing them with Indian ink and a dip pen. This forces you to draw pretty quickly and gives you clean, meaningful lines with varying widths – I love using this method. Then I work by lightly filling in colour using pastels. I also make copies and use colour pencils, Pantone and highlight with gouache if necessary. Who or what inspires you? Normal people inspire me... I could be sitting on a train and notice something amazing about a girl or boy who’s done something cool with their uniform or something. I can be inspired by an old lady who wears her hat a certain way. I was once inspired by a NY street vendor who, amazingly, had his teeth set with emeralds and rubies to look like dice. Do you have any advice for someone starting out in the fashion industry? Be patient, there is so much to learn and college can only prepare you with the basics. Something new (both good and bad) is always lurking around every corner. Follow your gut feelings and keep your standards high, particularly if you choose the mass-market route where small, not-quite-right things can become big ones in production. Believe in yourself, otherwise no one will believe in you.
Drawing to communicate your ideas Please describe your current job I'm working on drawings for Bloomingdales, which they are using in their various kinds of communications for their department stores. What artistic training have you had? I studied design and drawing at Beckmans School of Fashion, and then went on to study at the Royal College Of Art, Stockholm. How would you describe your fashion drawing style? Adrenalin kick-style, quick and clean and rough. What type of media do you like to use? Ink feather, pen and brush using ink are my favourites, and my style is pretty much that. I mix materials depending on mood, such as felt pen, a lot of coloured pencils, a variety of ball point pens, crayons, basic pencils and so on. What makes a great fashion drawing? When you sort of feel the quick move of the brush or pencil, understanding the anatomy instantly in your stomach by the first look. What advice do you have for a student to develop their drawing skills? To really practise your eyes and hands to draw what you see, and to practise drawing anatomy by nude studies, over and over again, until it comes automatically like walking or riding a bicycle. What or who inspires you? Music influences me a lot, it gives soundtracks and moods to my pictures.
Having looked at the purpose and evolution of fashion drawing, both as a statement of style and a means of communicating an idea or design, it is important to apply a greater understanding of the fashion figure to the development of a contemporary and personal drawing style. In this chapter we will look in more detail at the fashion figure and consider the value of working with a life model to gain primary drawing perspectives. We will also examine the differences between observational drawings of the human figure and the idealised forms that characterise the fashion figure for men and women. Different approaches between drawing men and women are compared and contrasted as we consider how to proportion the human body to a fashion scale. We look at the value of working with poses to communicate an attitude and create the desired look, along with associated gestural attributes, which are characteristic of figurative fashion drawing. The use of drawing media and line quality will also be presented and considered in relation to the evolving fashion figure. 1 Illustration by Holly Mae Gooch. ‘ The fashion figure I like the body. I like to design everything to do with the body.’ Gianni Versace Drawing to communicate your ideas > The fashion figure > Technical drawings1 The fashion figure The fashion figure 1 Sketch by Helena Kruczynska. 2 Nine-heads figure template by Helena Kruczynska. Understanding fashion proportions The proportions of a fashion figure are often exaggerated and stylised, particularly for womenswear drawings. This can sometimes be slightly confusing to the untrained eye but in fashion terms it represents a statement of an ideal rather than an actual body shape. This ideal is then aligned to a contemporary look that is viewed through the visual lens of fashion. Since the late 1960s and 1970s exaggerated proportions have generally prevailed and continue to exert an artistic influence over most fashion drawings. Most standing fashion figures are proportioned between nine and ten heads in height (if the figure’s head is arranged vertically on the page alongside the complete standing figure). Most of the additional height is gained through the legs, with some added to the neck and a little added to the torso above the natural waist. Most women in the real world stand around 5ft 5in or 5ft 6in, but a fashion figure needs to project greater height in order to better show off the clothes and communicate the look to an audience, usually through exaggerated gestural poses. Of course, a woman who might be 5ft 2in could be proportioned the same as a woman standing 5ft 10in but for fashion purposes neither would offer the desired ideal proportions for communicating the look. When drawing the fashion figure the look might refer to the prevailing styles of the season, such as the position of the fashion waist, or it may be an exploration of voluminous or contoured clothing styles with reference to influences from a particularly favoured model or celebrity. There are fundamental differences between the fashion proportions for drawing men and women. Women’s fashion proportions are mostly concerned with extending height through the legs and neck, with the resulting drawings taking on a sinuous and gently curved appearance. For men the drawing approach is altogether more angular. (See Drawing men on page 70.)50 / 51 Understanding fashion proportions > Drawing from life The fashion figure The fashion figure 1 Observational drawing from life model, by Helena Kruczynska. Drawing from life Drawing from life, which is an excellent way to develop and refine your drawing skills, involves observational drawing of real-life male or female figures. It is important to consider the appropriate art materials and media, such as charcoal, pen or pencil, as well as paper type and the eventual scale of work. Working to larger sizes, such as A3 or A2, is often best when starting out or simply for loosening up (see page 166 for more on paper sizes). Drawing is a process that can be improved and enhanced with regular practice and life drawing offers the particular opportunity of developing and improving hand-to-eye coordination. This is essentially about trusting yourself to spend more time looking at the figure in front of you, rather than by glancing at the figure then looking at the emerging drawing itself and drawing from memory. This is a common mistake among life-drawing students. It is very important to study the figure before you start to draw. Try to make sure that you are in a good viewing position and then analyse the pose. If the figure is standing it is essential to establish which leg is taking most or all of the weight; this will critically determine the stability of the pose in relation to what is called the ‘balance line’. The balance line is an imaginary line that drops from the base of the centre of the neck down to the floor at the position of the foot. It can be drawn on the paper and used as a guide to ensure that the figure remains standing without ‘tipping over’ on the page. As a general rule, the leg that is supporting the weight of the pose, which should always be drawn before the other leg, will curve down to the floor and should join up with the balance line at the outside edge of the foot. 52 / 53
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The principle of the balance line applies to all standing fashion poses including those simulating a walking pose. It is also applicable to menswear although men’s poses are generally made less dramatic and gestural than for women’s fashion drawing. Studying the pose first also allows time to evaluate distinctions between the ‘actual’ figure and the expression of an ‘ideal’ fashion figure for womenswear or menswear. Proportions in fashion drawing represent an ideal, so it follows that the life figure does not need to be drawn as an exact representation. This requires interpretative visualisation, which is an essential release for fashion drawing. 1 The fashion figure The fashion figure54 / 55 Understanding fashion proportions > Drawing from life > Creating poses 1–3 A series of observational life drawings by Helena Kruczynska.The fashion figure The fashion figure 1 Line drawing of pose by Holly Mae Gooch. Fashion drawings are frequently characterised by gesture and movement, both of which are ideally suited to exploration through drawing the fashion figure from life. Part of a fashion drawing’s allure is its seemingly effortless style, which is sometimes the result of a careful selection of lines and what is left to the imagination of the viewer. In this regard it is important to note the value of line quality in the fashion-drawing process. Line quality describes the varieties of drawn lines or marks that have their own inherent characteristics depending on the media that is used, the paper quality, the speed at which the line is made and even the angle of the pen or pencil as it moves along the surface of the paper. Distinct from adding tone and shading techniques, the use of line to convey essential information is integral to most fashion drawings. Some of the most expressive and visually engaging fashion poses are the result of linear drawings, where selective line quality is used to maximum effect. An understanding of fashion proportions and the standing balance line is essential as a building block for more gestural poses, which instil movement and personality into a fashion drawing. In addition to studying poses from life, it is also possible to develop poses by tracing over figurative photographs in magazines, but this needs to be approached with care: consider the image only as a starting point. Fashion is, after all, a human activity so it follows that developing and creating studied poses is a useful exercise and will aid the development of templates or croquis for future use. Creating poses56 / 57 Drawing from life > Creating poses > Fashion heads, faces and hair It should be possible to use a pose more than once and for a template figure to present different design ideas. While the pose should be relevant to the context of the clothing (for example, it would make little sense to draw a sporty pose for a wedding dress or an evening gown), creating the pose is much more about the body underneath. Look for movement lines that run through the body – not the outline of the figure – noting the intersections of the pose at the bust, waist and hip positions. The leg supporting the weight must be grounded, but the other limbs can be modified or adapted to enhance gestural qualities. In this way, the resulting fashion poses can exaggerate the ‘actual’ to project a more expressive ‘ideal’. Croquis Croquis is a French word for a sketch. In fashion terms, it describes a linear drawing of a figure that may be used as a template over which to trace and draw a design or garment. Figurative fashion templates or croquis are typically exaggerated to a nine- or ten-heads proportion.2 1 The fashion figure The fashion figure58 / 59 Drawing from life > Creating poses > Fashion heads, faces and hair 1–4 Selection of drawings by Holly Mae Gooch. The figures in 2 and 4 are line drawings of different poses; 1 and 3 show studies of poses in a fashion context.1 The fashion figure The fashion figure 1 Developing a study of a fashion face by Holly Mae Gooch. Fashion heads, facial features and hairstyles are worthy of special consideration in fashion drawing; they can convey a multitude of essential style and gender information. The very personal and unique attributes that a face can contribute to a drawing are worth exploring through practice and exercises. Much like the evolution of fashion drawing itself, the ‘ideal’ face changes over time and takes on many guises. Make-up trends continue to have a direct influence on contemporary fashion faces and it is always useful to collect magazine tear sheets from which to study and evaluate different faces and proportions. Fashion heads, faces and hair60 / 61 Creating poses > Fashion heads, faces and hair > Arms, hands, legs and feet1 The fashion figure The fashion figure62 / 63 Creating poses > Fashion heads, faces and hair > Arms, hands, legs and feet 1 Study of a fashion face by Holly Mae Gooch.1 2 The fashion figure The fashion figure Faces Although faces can be drawn in the linear style that is so often used in fashion, they can also lend themselves to applications of tone and shade. Structurally, the forward-facing head is oval in shape for women – much like an egg shape – and should be horizontally intersected at mid-point to position the eyes. The mouth is usually arranged halfway between the eyes and the base of the chin. The mouth could be considered in two parts with its upper and lower lips. The upper lip should include an ‘M’ shape definition. The nose may either be represented with dots for the nostrils above the top lip of the mouth or with an added off-centre vertical line from the front of the face as if to indicate a shadow. Noses are rarely given any prominence in fashion faces as the eyes and lips become the main features. Eyes lend themselves to thicker lines and smudging effects but take care not to overwork them. Eye shadow can be added for greater effect and to provide colour. Lashes should also be considered and can have a dramatic effect on the overall visual appeal of the drawing. The ears may be discreetly added at the side of the head starting at eye level and ending just above the nostrils; they can be useful for displaying earrings, if appropriate. 64 / 65 4 3 Creating poses > Fashion heads, faces and hair > Arms, hands, legs and feet Hair The hair should be carefully considered as this can have a transforming effect on the appearance of the fashion head. Again, collect tear sheets from magazines in order to build up a visual file of hairstyles as it can be quite challenging to imagine them without a reference point and of course, hairstyles for women vary enormously. If it is visible the hairline should be drawn around a quarter of the way down from the top of the oval shape of the head. Line, shade and colour can all be added according to the style requirements and context. 1–2 Study of lips and eyes by Holly Mae Gooch. 3–4 Two hairstyle studies by Holly Mae Gooch, showing the drawing development.2 1 The fashion figure The fashion figure 1–3 Studies of hands and arms by Holly Mae Gooch. When drawing a fashion figure it is important to consider the hands, arms, legs and feet in relation to the pose and gestural qualities. The standing figure needs to be drawn with due consideration of the balance line, so that the leg that supports the weight of the figure is drawn at a gentle curve down to the floor, with the outside edge of the foot placed where it meets the balance line. Correctly positioning the leg that supports the weight of the figure is critical in determining the credibility of the pose; consider this in relation to the upper body position and the placement of the arms, which can often counterbalance the exaggerated form of the legs. Although it is helpful to understand anatomy and muscle tone in relation to figure drawing, for fashion drawings the arm muscles are not emphasised on women. Instead, the lines of the female figure should remain gently curved and drawn as a continuous line wherever possible. Longer lines are a discernible characteristic of fashion drawing and help to convey a sense of style and confidence. Arms, hands, legs and feet66 / 67 Drawing arms and hands When drawing an arm, consider it in three parts: the upper arm, the elbow and the lower arm. The upper arm is attached to the shoulder from which it may pivot depending on the angle of the torso. It has a smooth, gently tapering upper section that reaches down to the elbow position. The elbow can be drawn in a variety of ways depending on whether the arm is viewed from the front, in which case a discreet line is usually sufficient; or from the side, when its flexible, more ‘pointed’ character defines the angle of the lower arm. This part of the arm tapers more visibly to where it joins the hand. Women’s wrists should be narrow just above the hand and may sometimes be adorned with a bracelet or bangle depending on the desired look. In drawing terms, the hands have two main parts: the front or back of the palm and the fingers and thumb. Both parts may be elongated to offer the fashion figure a range of gestures and actions, which will all enhance the drawing. Consider the angle of the lower arm when drawing the hand. Fingernails may be included but knuckles are not usually emphasised: too much detail on a hand can make it look wrinkled. You could also try drawing the hand resting on the hip with the fingers hidden from view.
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The fashion figure Feet The feet are usually drawn in a simplified way that mostly assumes a shoe line. When starting out it is helpful to practise sketching bare feet, but the foot will usually be hidden from view within a shoe, which can be drawn in a huge variety of styles. The overall look will be determined by the angle of the foot and whether or not the shoe has a heel. Legs As fashion drawing is largely concerned with presenting an interpretation of an ideal figure rather than realistic proportions, so it follows that drawing the legs is an exercise in artistic licence. Fashion legs are routinely extended in the upper leg and thigh, and below the knee to where the ankle meets the foot. Referring to the principle of head heights in fashion, half the total height of the female figure (i.e. four head heights) is taken up by the legs from below the crotch position. When drawing a leg, approach it as three parts: the upper leg or thigh; the knee; and the lower leg or calf, which joins the foot. The upper leg should be gently rounded and taper to the knee position; this can be sketched out as a circle but on a finished drawing is usually indicated with a slightly extended line from one side of the upper leg to indicate its forward position. It is not emphasised but marks the position from which the lower leg starts and gently curves down to the narrowest part of the leg just above the ankle. 68 / 69 Fashion heads, faces and hair > Arms, hands, legs and feet > Drawing men 1–2 Legs and shoes by Holly Mae Gooch. 3 ‘Talons’ illustration by Lovisa Burfitt.1 The fashion figure The fashion figure 1 Linear menswear drawings by Fiona Hillhouse. 2 Menswear illustration by Thomas Rothery. It has already been noted that fashion drawing is largely concerned with presenting an ideal figure rather than an actual body shape and this principle also applies to drawing men. Physical gender differences must be taken into account and are usually emphasised in order to assert a position of masculinity, depending on the desired age and attitude to be conveyed. In fashion drawing terms, men can cover a wider age range than most fashion drawings of women, rather like male models whose careers tend to extend beyond their female counterparts. The male figure can be elongated to nine or ten heads in height; when compared to the female figure the torso is longer and correspondingly the overall leg length is slightly shorter, particularly the lower leg from below the knee. Perhaps the most striking difference, however, is the emphasis of muscle tone, which is applied more readily to the male figure. When drawing male and female fashion figures on the same page, the male figure should stand slightly taller than the female, or at the same height. Drawing men70 / 71 Arms, hands, legs and feet > Drawing men > Howard Tangye2 1 The fashion figure The fashion figure The male fashion figure Starting from the head and working down to the feet, let’s consider the male figure in more detail. First the head shape is drawn differently. Instead of an oval egg shape the head usually appears more angular and chiselled with a squared-off jawline. A jaw dimple is sometimes added. Eyes are positioned at mid- point. Eyebrows add definition and can be emphasised as a horizontal line, but not the upper lid of the eye as this might appear like make-up. The mouth is drawn wider and straighter than for women; ears can be added to the side of the head from eye level to just above the nostril level. The neck is not used to gain height and is drawn to a more natural length than for women, appearing thicker and less curved as it joins up with the shoulder. The upper torso of the male figure is drawn as the widest part of the body before the addition of the arms, and tapers slightly to the waist. The waist size is much thicker than for women but the line from the waist to the hips is almost parallel and should always appear trim, as the hips are not emphasised on a man and should look noticeably narrower than the chest width. Stomach muscles may be defined where it is appropriate to the look. The arms and shoulders add further width to the male silhouette and are thicker and more muscular than for women. Wrists and hands can also be drawn thicker; the fingers are blunter and less tapered than for women. It is interesting to note the different approaches to male and female gestures. Arms are generally drawn closer to the body unless specifically engaged in an activity such as holding a ball or an umbrella. The hands are not used as expressively as they are for women, much beyond gripping objects or being positioned in pockets. Overall, fashion poses for men are typically less dramatic and certainly less fluid than for women. 72 / 73 4 3 Arms, hands, legs and feet > Drawing men > Howard Tangye The principle of the balance line applies equally to standing poses for men as it does for women. Men’s legs are not drawn with the same degree of curve and are correspondingly thicker and more muscular in character. The knees can be drawn more prominently than for women while feet are drawn larger and more angular. Men can be drawn in activity poses such as walking, riding a bike or climbing and can also look credible when they are cropped, appearing to be closer to the viewer, which also adds to their physical presence. Drawing from life provides a valuable means of learning to draw men by directly observing and studying male proportions and credible masculine poses. Magazine images can also be useful for referencing hairstyles and a range of movements. Longer lines are generally preferred in fashion drawings and while this is also true for drawing men, the lines tend to be straighter. They can almost appear joined up, like a series of interconnecting points, or with inflections, which interrupt a line that might otherwise look too graceful and feminine. Poses 1 Illustration by Aaron Lee Cooper. 2 Line drawing by Holly Mae Gooch. 3–4 Sketches by Richard Haines.1 Howard Tangye, fashion illustrator and senior lecturer at Central Saint Martins The fashion figure Please describe your current job and your career path I am the senior lecturer for womenswear in the Fashion and Textiles School at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. This involves working with large groups of very talented people who have varying points of view and tastes. Being part of student development in art and design and their related skills is incredibly interesting and inspiring. My responsibility is to keep the students inspired and challenge their ability; to set project briefs and encourage a dialogue, so that there is always something new and in-depth coming through. I have worked professionally as a designer and an illustrator. But my teaching position is now full-time so I have to maintain a discipline of sorts to practise my own personal work alongside that. It works because I love both equally. How would you describe your drawing style? I think my drawing style has evolved with, and been affected by, the changes in my life. As a child I drew naturally, in a naive way, from my imagination. I loved colouring books and illustrated reading books at school. Then I was very fortunate to be taught by Elizabeth Suter as a student at Central Saint Martins. She taught how to look properly, to be aware of the body, in its movement, proportion, the bones, details, using the layout of the page, use of media and so on. This affected me in the most profound way. Drawing was an elective subject in the design school. When working in the drawing studio we always drew from life models of various shapes and sizes. The quality of the teaching was evident in the results and the standards of both design and drawing in the school. All the tutors were able to draw. The philosophy of the school then, as now, was to enable the student to develop their confidence, to be themselves. 1–4 A vibrant use of colour is characteristic of Howard Tangye’s work (figures 3 and 4 shown overleaf).74 / 75
Drawing men > Howard Tangye I have two different approaches to drawing: working from the model, looking and feeling the line or texture; and from my imagination, usually in small and intimate sketchbooks. The two come together at some point. What type of media do you like to use when you draw? I like to work with mixed media on paper: oil sticks, pastels, graphite pencils, inks, gouache, brushes and pens. The quality of paper is very important to me, both in terms of the texture and also its ability to hold all the above and I like to see the paper through the media. I also like to see what happens to the media afterwards when it is viewed under a magnifying glass. It is a whole other world of marks and colour not seen when just viewed with the naked eye. It’s magic. What common mistakes do students make when drawing? The most common mistakes students make when drawing are that they do not look at the figure closely and they don’t concentrate. Both are essential. What elements make up a visually engaging composition?
Ïî ñïèñêó The elements that help make up a visually engaging composition are the use of the negative space and how the figure is placed on the page. Traditional Japanese artists are masters of it. What or who inspires you to draw? Drawing is hard work. It is demanding but I am inspired to draw the figure by people who have caught my eye, by the way they look, the way they move, their posture and so on. Everybody has individual qualities that are attractive but certain temperaments can be the key. It’s a two-way thing: the sitter has to work at it too. 3 Howard Tangye, fashion illustrator and senior lecturer at Central Saint Martins The fashion figure The fashion figure76 / 77 Drawing men > Howard Tangye78 / 79 This chapter considers the importance of understanding how to draw individual garments as part of the fashion drawing process. In contrast to the more stylised approach used to draw the fashion figure, this chapter introduces the realistic proportions and techniques for drawing flats and specifications, or specs as they are more commonly known. We discuss the role of computers in fashion drawing and their application to a variety of presentation enhancements and visual formats. This includes an introduction to dedicated software programs that continue to be developed and refined to meet the needs of the fashion industry. Visual examples distinguish between the different presentation requirements of technical drawings for fashion. Finally, there is an insightful interview with the director of a design consultancy that produces specs for a number of international clients. Technical drawings 1 Students working with Lectra software program. Even when I work with computers, with high technology, I always try to put in the touch of the hand.’ Issey Miyake The fashion figure > Technical drawings > Colouring and rendering ‘1 Technical drawings Technical drawings 1 Specification sheet by Elmaz Hüseyin. Understanding garments The ability to demonstrate an understanding of individual garments is fundamental to fashion design and covers an area that we might broadly describe as ‘flats’ and ‘specs’. While both terms are widely used in design education and across the ready-to-wear fashion industry, there are some important differences between them. A flat is an individual garment, or series of garments, drawn in the flat to represent a three-dimensional form as if it was laid down and viewed from above. Front and back views are usual, although side views can also be included depending on the visual information to be conveyed. Flats are essentially linear drawings, which may be enhanced for presentation purposes. A spec (short for specification) is a more technically orientated and exacting presentation of an individual garment, drawn in a precise linear style to convey detailed technical information. The drawing is presented on a specification sheet, an internal document that a company uses for manufacturing purposes, which contains essential technical information such as the assembly processes, fabric, trimmings and costings. 80 / 81 Understanding garments > Drawing fashion flats1 Technical drawings Technical drawings Garment characteristics There are different approaches to drawing flats and specs, yet each requires a fashion student or designer to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of an individual garment. Flats and specs are therefore not as much concerned with the overall look, as a figurative drawing might be, but rather with the detail and characteristics of the garment. These characteristics could be defined through a series of three main visualisation processes. The first is an understanding of the overall silhouette and proportion of the garment. Flats and specs are drawn with much more proportional accuracy than equivalent figurative illustrations, so instead of a nine- or ten-heads figure, a more realistic eight-heads figure is used. The second requirement of flats and specs is to document the style lines. This includes drawing all seams and darts that shape the garment and any additional features such as gathers or pleats. All style lines can be drawn using linear techniques that shouldn’t rely on shading, colour or tone. It is also important to include back views of all style lines to demonstrate a full understanding of the garment. Style lines such as ruffles, added fullness or pleating variations can be drawn in a variety of ways, all of which are achieved through drawing technique and practice. Look at examples of other flats or specs to increase your own knowledge and understanding. As your level of technical knowledge increases, and your practical skills improve through pattern making and draping in the studio, so too will your ability to draw garments efficiently and effectively. In short, a student who does not understand the basic elements of fit and shape will be less able to draw competent flats that are indicative of a fully resolved garment design in two dimensions. It is always a good idea to draw a flat or spec as if you had to give it to someone to cut or drape without you there to explain it. The third visualisation process that makes up a flat or spec is the application of detail lines. These include topstitching and other visual surface applications, such as a patch pocket, for example, which does not affect the fit of the garment but is integral to its final presentation.82 / 83 Understanding garments > Drawing fashion flats 1–2 A selection of flats by SnapFashun, a specialist company that provides vector graphics templates.1 Technical drawings Technical drawings 1 Presentation of flats on design board by Emma Frame. 2 Flats by Nuttawan Ness Kraikhajornkiti. Drawing fashion flats The approach to drawing fashion flats is generally more varied and less formal than drawing a corresponding specification drawing. It is important to consider what the purpose of the flat will be. This might sound rather obvious, but flats can be applied to several different end uses. The first of these might be to demonstrate a full understanding of a design that is presented as an artistic illustration or figurative drawing. It can sometimes be appropriate to include a flat alongside a figurative drawing in order to better explain the design. However, this has to be considered in relation to the compositional value of the drawing; for some illustrations it may be unsuitable. Arranging flats on a separate presentation board is another option. Another purpose of flats is to demonstrate range planning skills. In this regard flats serve an important function: they are extremely useful for breaking down a collection into its component parts. This can be by product, such as a visual analysis of all the skirts or tops within a collection; or by theme, such as grouping together all garments that make up a travel-themed capsule within a larger seasonal collection. In this way flats provide a distinct and additional presentation value to a designer’s portfolio. 84 / 85
Understanding garments > Drawing fashion flats > Drawing technical specifications Although flats can be drawn with the aid of software programs, when starting out they are best drawn by hand. Use a pencil or pen to trace over a realistically proportioned eight-heads template/croquis figure. You can either refer to an existing figure or create your own by tracing over a standing pose in a magazine and refining the pose to a simple outline of realistic proportions. Use the same template or croquis figure for all your flats within the same presentation to achieve visual consistency and scale. Hand-drawn flats can also be drawn larger than their intended scale and reduced down to the required size. This is a good way to get started and allows for an enhanced level of detailing, such as topstitching. While flats should be drawn with a high level of clarity, there are a number of views on whether a flat should be drawn symmetrically or not. It is good to practise drawing a symmetrical garment by hand: draw half the garment and fold it over to trace off the other half. However, perfect symmetry is not essential: one sleeve could be folded at the elbow, for example, to show more detail or simply to enhance the visual effect. There are limits to taking a more relaxed approach when drawing flats but by adding a few drape lines or using a variety of line thicknesses, flats can appear less ‘flat’ and begin to take on more three-dimensional qualities. Digital techniques In considering the commercial context of flats and their presentation value to buyers or as part of a fashion designer’s portfolio, it is possible to accommodate enhancements such as colour and line quality. Increasingly, presentation flats are being coloured up using software programs such as Illustrator or Lectra’s Kaledo design software.
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Technical drawings Drawing technical specifications Technical specifications or specs (also referred to as technical drawings or schematic drawings) are approached in a more formal fashion than flats. This is because a specification drawing has an industrial context that is closely linked to a manufacturing specification or cutting sheet instruction. Technical specifications contain the visual information required for the manufacture of an individual garment in relation to its associated unit costs, such as all trimmings and design details, which might include labels or an embroidered logo. They are not used for range planning or to visualise an outfit unless, for example, the garment is made up of two parts for manufacturing purposes, such as a coat with a detachable hood. Specification drawings are always produced after a design has been formulated. They are prepared in readiness for a production run through a factory unit or for a ‘sealed sample’ for assembly on a production line. Technical specifications should always be drawn in a clear and linear style: they need to be accurate and clear enough in their detail for a factory manager or garment technologist to understand them and to provide sufficient information for a sample machinist to be able to assemble the garment without additional instruction. 1 Specification sheet by Elmaz Hüseyin. 2 Spec drawing by Aaron Lee Cooper.88 / 89 Drawing fashion flats > Drawing technical specifications > Vector graphics and bitmaps The ability to draw an accurate fashion spec requires a high level of technical knowledge combined with a steady hand. Most fashion students will not be at this advanced level when starting out. Moreover, not all fashion designers will be required to produce a factory spec. However, in practice, fashion students and designers should be able to understand them and produce a detailed line drawing of a garment when working with a pattern maker. Specification drawings serve an important function in identifying and eliminating potential faults before production. As such, they are increasingly being drawn with the aid of computers using a variety of CAD/CAM programs, signalling a move towards a more integrated design and manufacture approach.1 Technical drawings Technical drawings Vector graphics and bitmaps Digital graphics media first emerged in the 1980s. Desktop scanners and more efficient graphics tablets soon followed, enabling designers to digitise hand-drawn artwork for the first time. The development of digital drawing and image-editing software during the late 1980s heralded the arrival of early vector graphics and bitmaps. In simple terms, vector graphics are geometric formations such as lines, points and curves, which are based on mathematical equations to represent a digital image. They produce clear lines that are suitable for drawing flats or specs; linear quality is not reduced when scaled up or down in size. Bitmaps are the data structure represented by a grid of pixels that makes up a digital image, measured as dots per inch (dpi). Pixels are the building blocks of bitmap images such as digital photographs and scanned images. The more pixels an image has per unit, the better the quality of the image for colour and resolution. Bitmaps are also known as raster graphics and are stored in various image files such as JPEGs or TIFFs. Since their early application, graphics software programs have steadily developed and expanded into a variety of sophisticated user platforms, which can be used for enhancing fashion presentations. 1–2 Vector graphic fashion illustrations by Nuttawan Ness Kraikhajornkiti.90 / 91 Drawing technical specifications > Vector graphics and bitmaps > Tomek Sowacki Techniques include digital drawing, colouring, rendering and image editing for visual formats. Foremost among the available software are Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, which have become industry standards. Photoshop is a graphics editing program that is primarily geared towards photo manipulation. Illustrator is a vector-based drawing program, originally developed for the Apple Macintosh in the mid-1980s. Today it has evolved into a sophisticated digital drawing tool that allows for the conversion of bitmap imagery into vector art. Illustrator’s versatility makes it well-suited for creating composite illustrations and layouts, which are excellent for drawing and presenting flats. Illustrator can also incorporate images and text with vector graphics to enhance presentations. Other software programs of note are CorelDRAW, a Windows-based vector graphics program and its raster image creation and editing counterpart, Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Macromedia Freehand is another powerful vector graphics tool that is orientated towards the desktop publishing market and now owned by Adobe.1 Technical drawings Technical drawings Fashion software Specialist IT providers have developed dedicated fashion software applications. For example, French company Lectra has developed Kaledo, a Windows- based fashion design software package. SnapFashun in the United States has developed a CAD system to serve the fashion industry, which includes an extensive library of fashion flats and garment details that digitally ‘snap’ together (see page 82). Intended to assist busy designers working in industry or fashion students with creating and drawing their flats, SnapFashun’s vector graphics templates are compatible with Adobe Illustrator. As well as their labour-saving capabilities, these graphics applications and CAD solutions offer extended opportunities for designers to modify their ideas and working processes. The ability to draw by hand will always be relevant in fashion and should be practised and maintained. But increasingly, as we shall see later, developments in fashion illustration are witnessing a synergy between hand-drawing styles and digital enhancements.92 / 93 Drawing technical specifications > Vector graphics and bitmaps > Tomek Sowacki 1–7 A selection of screen images showing Kaledo, a fashion design software program from French company Lectra. 1 Technical drawings Technical drawings Please describe your current job I work and manage a freelance design consultancy agency: <www.tsdesign.eu.com> It consists of a network of experienced and dedicated designers; we take on a variety of projects from clients in the fashion and textile sector. Our work includes fashion design, graphic design and logo design. What was your career path to your current job? After completing my MA at Central Saint Martins, I started to work for sport-specific brands such as Adidas, Puma and Tommy Hilfiger Sports, as well as lifestyle brands such as Levis and Rip Curl. I also had my own brand, Yucon, which was successful but we ran out of funding. With my overall experience as designer and manager I decided that I prefer freelancing or self- employment so my current situation, managing my own freelance business, suits me perfectly. How would you describe your artwork? Carefully thought through and usually rich in detail. How important are computers to what you draw? Computers are vital to my work as they allow me to be clear and specific in detail; any alterations can be done then and there. They make it easier to share the information between me, my clients and factories; I think they are essential to any business these days and I would be lost without them. Tomek Sowacki, design director94 / 95
Vector graphics and bitmaps > Tomek Sowacki What type of software do you need to be able to use? My favourite is Illustrator on Mac as it is fantastic for technical drawings and it links up with the whole Adobe Suite such as Photoshop and others. What makes a good fashion flat or technical drawing? I would say a clear one: when you are able to give the drawing to production and the person ‘reading’ the drawing is able to execute the design according to the information given without having to ask any further questions. Good drawings are important as they can save time and not halter the progress. What are your favourite garments or subjects to draw? I really enjoy designing outerwear as I think these garments in particular require you to think jointly about function, style and technical aspects due to the different end use (such as who will wear it, where, when, in what weather and so on). This allows me to indulge in the details of the garment, internal as well as external, to create maximum style and functionality.
Ïî ñïèñêó Do you have any advice for someone starting out in the fashion industry? Make sure you love it, persevere in the industry and find a career path that suits you! 1–2 Design and corresponding spec sheet by Tomek Sowacki.1 96 / 97 In this chapter we look at the influence of colour in fashion drawing by considering how it affects design presentations and media choices for artwork. Colour theory is also introduced and evaluated in relation to hand-rendering techniques and the development of computer-aided drawings and associated colour schemes. The particular role of mixed media and collage for fashion is considered, with a variety of supporting visuals that provide an introduction to the wide range of media choices that have become integrated into contemporary fashion artwork. We also look at the application of colour to different fabrics, textures and prints. The chapter ends with an engaging interview with a fashion design illustrator who has collaborated with a number of international fashion houses to produce colour prints and textiles for their seasonal collections. Colouring and rendering 1 Illustration by Wendy Plovmand. I like light, colour, luminosity. I like things full of colour and vibrant.’ Oscar de la Renta Technical drawings > Colouring and rendering > Presentation formats ‘Colouring and rendering Colouring and rendering Colour for fashion Colour media for fashion has evolved over the years and it has had a direct influence upon the visual style and presentation of fashion drawings. The introduction of marker pens in the 1960s confirmed a particularly significant shift towards faster and more responsive media, which were specifically design-orientated rather than historically rooted in a tradition of artist materials. Marker pens still exert a powerful influence over fashion sketching styles and drawing techniques. Today, however, the range of colour media that is available to fashion designers and design students must also be considered in the context of computer-aided design software. Let’s start by briefly considering what colour represents from a fashion perspective. When most of us look at images of clothes in a magazine or see a fashion window display we are immediately drawn to the colour of the clothing and accessories. Moreover, fashion collections are routinely designed and visually merchandised into seasonal colour themes. Colour is a fundamental, powerful force in the design process, from fabric selection through to the completion of a design. It is also a vital component in fashion that can have a transforming effect upon audience perceptions and reactions. Some designers such as Matthew Williamson or Manish Arora are well-known for their engaging use of colour, while other designers use colour to make a statement or add specific pieces to their collections. Colour can also be expressed through embroidery, appliqué and a variety of trimmings such as zips and buttons, as well as colour dyes and printed textile designs. Fashion labels such as Basso Brooke, Cacharel and Eley Kishimoto are all known for their use of colour through printed textiles. The selection and application of colour is a decision driven by emotion but it can have a transforming effect on a design. Consider, for example, a dress design conceived and drawn in beige and then the same design presented in red. We would respond to them differently, even though the dress would be in the same style. Such is the emotive power of colour. 98 / 99 Colour for fashion > Fabric rendering 1 Manish Arora S/S08. Catwalking.com. 2 Matthew Williamson S/S09. Catwalking.com. Despite personal preferences there is really no such thing as a bad colour. It is an artistic or design decision to select a colour and apply it to a design, choosing whether or not to combine it with another colour. The appearance of a colour is dependent on light: it will take on a different appearance when viewed under different optical conditions. The multitude of shades, tones and hues that are available today through synthetic or natural processes can be broadly identified within a colour wheel classification.2 Colouring and rendering Colouring and rendering The colour wheel The colour wheel visually represents the basic principles of colour theory. The wheel is divided into three categories: primary, secondary and tertiary. The three primary colours are red, yellow and blue. These may be considered as the foundation colours since they are used to create all other colours and are equidistant on the colour wheel. The combination of two primary colours creates three secondary colours: orange, green and violet, which are also equidistant on the colour wheel. The six tertiary colours are made by combining a primary and an adjacent secondary colour. These equidistant colours make up red-orange, red-violet, yellow-green, yellow-orange, blue- green and blue-violet. Colours may also be divided into cool and warm categories: cool colours are classified as green, blue and violet. Warm colours are classified as red, orange and yellow. When mixing colours, a tint of a colour is made by adding white, while a darker shade is made by adding black. When working with colour media it is worth remembering that there are three basic colour schemes. The first is a monochromatic colour scheme, in which a single colour is used with its various tints and shades. The second is an analogous colour scheme. This is when a colour such as red is used in combination with its adjacent hues such as red-orange and red-violet. The third type of colour scheme is made up of a variety of contrasting colours and includes the complementary scheme. This is when two hues that are opposite each other on the colour wheel are used together. For example, red and green are opposites, and are considered complementary colours when used together as they make each other appear brighter and more intense. Other colour combinations exist such as ‘split complementary’, which is a derivation of the complementary scheme and uses three colours comprising any hue and the two adjacent to its complement. This could be, for example, a combination of red, yellow-green and blue-green. 1 The colour wheel. 2 Examples of different colour schemes. Colour schemes Complementary Split complementary Triads100 / 101 Colour for fashion > Fabric rendering Analogous Mutual complements Double complements3 1–2 Colouring and rendering Colouring and rendering Selecting colours – or, more specifically, the right colours for a particular season – is crucial in the fashion industry and can mean the difference between success and failure in terms of a label’s image and sales. Fashion designers will often visit their suppliers to discuss colours for the coming season Date: 2015-12-17; view: 1362
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