Top tips that every professional must be acquainted with
The fashion industry is known for its glitz and glamour but what often goes unseen is the amount of effort it takes to produce beautiful garments, season after season. A lot of processes are involved in the making of a garment before it is seen on the runway. Fashion design illustration is just the first step towards it. When a piece of clothing is put down in a diagram to create a certain look, the entire process is called fashion illustration. It helps the designer explain his/her vision with regard to the look and style of clothing that he/she is aiming for. So, illustrators give a visual aid to the clothes of a designer. Illustrations and fashion in fact go hand in hand. Even though the way of illustrating glamour has drastically changed, the intention remains the same.
It helps in explaining and communicating fashion. There are different kinds of illustrations for different styles of fashion. Ideally, a fashion illustration is exactly what the piece of clothing should end up looking like. Hence, the colours used need to be very well thought out. The aim is to see how the colour scheme synchs with the style, what silhouette is better and how good they would actually look. Such illustrations that are created are not only used as a piece of art that helps in educating upcoming designers but can also be seen amongst the glossy pages of high end magazines. Various illustration tools can be used to create wonderful fashion illustrations. Some of the earlier tools included pencils, pens, charcoal, water colour and Polaroid film etc. However, fashion illustration trends have kept on evolving along with technological progressions and now highly advanced software programs are used. The illustration artists must be capable enough to capture the essence of the designer’s clothes and make them look larger than life. Everything from facial expressions to the shape of the body has to be created by him/her. To keep things fresh, illustrators prefer using different media. Illustrators, therefore, keep all stationary in high regard and never underestimate the value of their equipment. There are certain qualities that make for a good fashion illustrator. Here are some fashion illustration tips to help you better yourself and improve your illustrations.
Understanding the anatomy of the human body Correct anatomical proportions make for better looking fashion illustration sketches and this is a very important thing to be kept in mind. When a fashion illustration is underway, it is important for the illustrator to know the kind of body that outfit has been made for. Knowing the target audience gives the illustrator more freedom to work because then, he/she has well defined limits. Having the imagination of what pose will look good on a certain body type means that the illustrator will not need a model to pose for him/her. This, in turn, means that the client is being saved from spending money on the same. The ability to visualize what an outfit will ultimately look like demonstrates the illustrator’s expertise and flexibility.
Highlight the fashion piece to the highest level possible It might have escaped your notice but the proportions of the human body used in illustrations are bigger than actual human proportions. When a professional creates fashion illustration for magazines, you may see long limbs and generally, a skinny body. This has a purpose behind it. The sketch or graphic is made in such a way that the best part of the style piece or clothing is highlighted. For instance, more often than not, where a dress has to highlight its side slit, the sketch model is shown to have really long legs. This also gives the illustrator an opportunity to play with the texture of the dress that he/she visualizes and allows him/her to build up the drama of the piece. Similarly, when a tiny waist is drawn, it is done so because the designer wants to highlight the midsection of the dress.
Have a purpose behind every stroke that is made For a fashion illustrator, frivolous use of drawing material is inexcusable. A good illustrator would want to showcase the sketch in such a way that it looks like it is moving within its space. Accessorizing the sketch helps in extracting the dynamic nature of the same. The job of an illustrator is to depict a story through the imagery. An excellent way to understand the anatomy of a human body and the movement of different types of fabrics is to see models during a runway walk.
Highlight the difference between different types of materials used to create clothes.
The illustrator can make the image really fun and vibrant with the use of apt strokes. The right kind of illustrating gives a certain charm to the product illustration when he/she is able to show the texture and weight of a fabric. The viewer should ideally be able to see what material will be used to make the clothes; whether it is soft or warm. A good fashion illustrator in a typical illustration services India based company would have the ability to work around patterns, prints and even delicate, lace fashion pieces. Surface designs make the image look even more appealing as it lends a greater detailing to the image. Generally, the patterns that are common during a particular time period shed light on the style trends of that era. Hairstyles are equally important when it comes to quality fashion illustration services. The point is not just to sell the clothes but the entire package. This includes the entire look. Hair is often the focal point of an illustration and sketching the right kind of hair makes a lot of different to the final look of the graphics. The hair can also reflect the culture or ethnicity of the model in the sketch. Accessories need to be included as well. As already mentioned, it is about making the entire package believable. Imagination goes a long way in creating a well-rounded image. The end result has to be an illustration that has a good and strong aesthetic presence, highlights the vision of the designer and the talent of the illustrator who makes the outcome look attractive. Fashion illustration and related graphic design services provision is a professional avenue with huge scope because the glamour industry is changing by leaps and bounds. More and more talents are being recognised and the quality of the designs and everything related to fashion is on the rise.