Specialization in Fashion Illustration

Influences | Josefina Fernandez

Now, I'll share my influences and favorite artists, starting from my childhood to the present.

Influences | Jessica Durrant

My inspiration comes from an array of types of artists around the world. I will focus on a few that have had a long-lasting impression on my work. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Rene Gruau, and Francois Bertard were all incredible illustrators with a sensibility of ease and elegance in their line work.

Influences | Robert Tirado

I will show you what my sources of inspiration and references are, not only in the world of illustration, but also in graphics, design and music. I will tell you how, creators such as Parched Art, Vaughan Oliver or Johnny Jewel, have aroused my interest. I will show you how far this mixture of influences and points of view can serve as a source of inspiration in the generation of concepts and in the mixture of techniques.

Module 2

Learn how to create an inspiring narrative with fashion design and tell a story to the world through this unique method

11 lessons (1h 39m)

Course materials

In this class I will present the materials that we are going to use to make the sketchbook, starting with the notebook itself.

Sketchbook

Now I'm going to talk about the importance of the sketchbook for the work process and as a tool for recording ideas and memories.

Entering the story that will be told

Here I will talk about choosing and researching a theme, always remembering that one of the roles of fashion is to talk about today and position itself in relation to the present.

Opening the chakras of creativity

In this class, I will show you some exercises to free your imagination, opening your creativity chakras with music.

13m

Illustrated psychography

In this class, I will talk about the illustrative sketch as an expressive figure and drawing techniques as the encounter with various bodies.

The Skin of the Clothes

From the topic, I will now talk about choosing the skin of the clothes, that is, the fabrics and other materials that we are going to use. Remember that materials also communicate a message.

10m

Prints and surface design

Here I'm going to talk about textile design, that is, everything that comes on the fabric surface, such as prints, embroidery, textures or applications. Let's get in the sketchbook the elements that we're going to use in our clothes.

Technical Illustration

In this class, we'll bring together all the ideas from the notebook process: our references and strokes will now turn into real products.

Free Clothes. Next: Printed fabric

In this class, the notebook references will take shape. I'm going to improvise on one of the pieces I designed, creating an outfit proposal with basting, pin, masking tape, scissors, thread and needle.

Talk about Fashion. Next: Stamped Porcelain

Fashion establishes dialogues with other fronts. It's fashionable clothing going elsewhere. In this class, I will present other objects that came out of my sketchbook, such as porcelain, placemats, furniture, etc.

Ronaldo's Tips

Now I'm going to talk about the role of the fashion producer as a bridge between the world of manufacturing and the world of industry, creating objects with a soul and full of history.

Module 3

Create trend-led fashion illustrations for magazines and advertising using mixed media techniques

14 lessons (3h 0m)

Materials for Your Project

In this lesson I will show you the materials I will use during the course and I will explain the different types of tools you can use to develop your unique style.

The History of Fashion Illustration

Now I will explore the origins of fashion illustration and its evolution. I'll tell you about the first fashion illustrators and how their style has changed over time.

Characterization of the Parts of the Body: Eyes and Mouth

The characterizing element of fashion illustration is the exaggeration of some parts of the human body. Here I will focus on the analysis of the eyes and mouth: through simple exercises, you will learn to characterize them and to synthesize the lines in order to develop your style.

Characterization of the Parts of the Body: Hair and Face

Now instead I will analyze the hair and the shape of the face. I will study the main lines that make up the hair and I will teach you to understand how its shape can characterize a face.

12m

The Importance of the Line

Here you will go and practice some gestures to develop your hallmark. Through exercises with the use of china, you will understand the importance of the elements that make up a line.

17m

Form and Composition

It's time to learn how to incorporate shapes into your drawing. I will show you some simple exercises with which you will have the opportunity to break down the figure into several elements using first of all your thinking and your observation skills.

Patterns: Create an Archive and Experiment

How do you make a pattern archive in a sketchbook? Starting from various inspirations, I will guide you to the creation of simple motifs and their application within a silhouette.

19m

Choice of the Trend and Creation of the Mood Board

This will be a theoretical lesson in which I will talk about the three fundamental elements to face the brief. I will define a mood with references to hair stylists, make-up artists and seasonal trends.

First Sketches and Framing

Now I'm going to sketch some pencil drawings to choose the best framing and pose to enhance the garment that is the protagonist of the illustration.

How to color the illustration? In this lesson I will show you several techniques and analyze which ones make one shape stand out more than another. In particular, I will teach you three techniques for coloring with watercolor.

Watercolor Volumes

It's time to insert some elements with the collage technique. My approach to collage is very instinctive: in this lesson I will guide you through my creative process.

Add Items in Collage

Ink, Pastels, and Pen

Now I will define the last elements of the illustration. First, I'll create the background with pastels; then, I will detail some elements with black ink.

Line, Points of Light and Final Touches

Now that the design is defined, in this lesson I'll show you how to add touches of light with white acrylic.

Who to Work with as a Fashion Illustrator

Now I will tell you about the various possibilities of applying the work of the fashion illustrator through my portfolio.

Developing Your Style and Creative Process

Module 4

Fashion illustration techniques using markers, watercolors, gouache for rendering fabrics and textures, plus marketing and online business tips

16 lessons (3h 25m)

First of, I'll talk about how I created my personal illustration style by combining a few of my favorite things. I’ll invite you to reflect on your favorites and how to explore and find your voice. Then, I’ll take you along every step of my creative process from start to finish.

Tools and Materials

There's a world of tools and materials you can use to create your artwork. In this lesson, I'll show you the different art supplies I use for my work.

15m

Warm Up Sketches

Throughout my years as a Fashion Illustrator, I have discovered the importance of “warming up” before my drawings/illustrations of the day. This helps sharpen up your observation skills and eye, hand and pencil coordination. A quick five to ten minute drawing can set you up for a successful drawing session.

Research and References

Let's begin by gathering some inspiration. In this lesson, you'll learn how to do look for inspiration and references from fashion events like red carpets and designer collections, as well as other various sources.

Drawing a Character from the Waist Up

Now that you've seen how to warm up, you'll see how to start playing around within a couple design decisions by sketching a character from the bust/waist up.

13m

Fashion Illustration Proportions and Ratios

Now, I'll teach you the importance of composition, proportions and poses in Fashion Illustration. I'll cover the most common mistakes and how to solve them.

How to Render Fabrics and Textures: Denim, Leather, Fabrics, Sequins 1

In this lesson, I will teach you how to render different fabrics and textures, including denim, leather, and sequins with different techniques.

How to Render Fabrics and Textures: Denim, Leather, Fabrics, Sequins 2

During this second part of the lesson I'll continue teaching you some tips and tricks to create textures as realistic as possible.

To create the full-body illustration, you'll first put the references together (mood board), choose a pose and draw the garments and accessories on it.

The Pencil Sketch

Painting and Rendering with Watercolors 1

In this lesson, you'll see how to layer down the base color layers of the illustration by using watercolors. I'll also show you how a few tubes of watercolor can help you achieve a vast array of colors.

Painting and Rendering with Watercolors 2

Now, you'll learn how to add shades by using some dark tones. You'll also learn how to mix custom colors, balancing blues, black, and ochre for a realistic wash effect to create a denim texture.

19m

Painting and Rendering with Watercolors 3

To finish this lesson, I'll teach you how to use various brushes to refine tiny elements like denim bows and delicate shading for a cohesive look.

Now that the base color layers are down, I'll teach you how to add the details and dimensions. You’ll see how to do this by shading, highlighting and inking.

The Details

13m

Digitizing the Sketch

Last but not least, I'll show you how I scan and edit my illustrations using a scanner and Adobe Photoshop so that I can post them on my social media and create products with them.

How to Take Your Designs to a Commercial Level

To begin with, I'll share how I went about opening my online shop, and how building my brand and social media following helped me land projects and brand collaborations as well as customers for my online shop.

Best Platforms to Sell Your Products

To finish this unit, I'll share how I run my online business and the platforms I’ve used throughout the years.

Module 5

Bring fashion illustrations to life by experimenting with watercolor. Learn the best artistic techniques to create truly original fashion drawings.

13 lessons (2h 51m)

My Essential Painting and Drawing Supplies

Let me show you some of my favorite tried and true art supplies from my kit. I’ll show you my favorite watercolors in a range of price points, for when you want to splurge vs. save. I’ll also share what types of paper, and brushes I recommend.

Playing with Watercolor

It’s time to get painting! The best part! In this lesson, I’ll teach you the technique of wet-on-wet using watercolor.

Gestural Illustrations in Watercolor and Inks 1

In this lesson I guide you through a fun practice that is perfect for beginners approaching painting the figure. I love to simplify the fashion figure, and work in timed gestural sketches. We will work on them together to loosen up and build confidence in your own hand and line work.

Gestural Illustrations in Watercolor and Inks 2

In this section, I will show you the result of applying the mask I explained in the previous lesson and some additional techniques.

Honing your Style & Pulling Inspiration 1

As an artist so much of what you create is initially edited and filtered through our own curation of references, and inspirations. I’ll show you how to be more aware of this part of the process-through zooming out at your own work and inspiration to be more definitive with your creativity.

Honing your Style & Pulling Inspiration 2

In this lesson, we delve into the captivating world of mood boards, exploring techniques to curate diverse sources of inspiration and define your unique artistic style.

Abstracting and Simplifying Silhouettes

In this lesson I will demonstrate to you how I take my inspiration and create from it-and make each piece like a unique fingerprint. I will talk about carving out the figure and fashion with contrast, shadow, watercolor movement and contours. When we simplify our renderings we can learn the art of using the least amount of lines and colors to create a piece of art. I will provide you with fashion croqui templates to use as an added resource if you prefer, for your fashion illustrations in this course.

Creating a Dynamic Fashion Illustration with Watercolor, Depth, and Contrast 1

In this lesson I want to show you how to build up layers, contrast and depth and add your finishing touches and beautiful details to finalize your artworks.

Creating a Dynamic Fashion Illustration with Watercolor, Depth, and Contrast 2

In this lesson, I continue working on my illustration, filling in the dress and adding details to the sleeves and boots. I explore meditative techniques while creating geometric patterns and refining design elements. The lesson also covers dealing with imperfections and the significance of details in the creative process.

19m

Imitating Sheer Fabric and Floral Applications 1

In this lesson I want to show you how to build up layers, contrast and depth and add your finishing touches and beautiful details to finalize your artworks.

Imitating Sheer Fabric and Floral Applications 2

En esta fase, exploro cómo los pigmentos secos de la acuarela crean efectos fascinantes, ajustando mi enfoque a medida que evoluciona el cuadro. A continuación, me centro en una falda vaporosa utilizando una aguada gris y tinta negra para conseguir un aspecto etéreo.

Scanning and Editing Your Artwork for a Slick and Professional Look

Now we will be taking all of our artworks and scanning them in high resolution, for digital editing and finalizing. I’ll show you how I edit my artwork for my professional portfolio and client projects using Photoshop.

The Magic of Editing and Reconfiguring Your Art for Endless Creativity

Now that we have saved a digital copy of your artworks, now we can continue to play with the magic of editing your art! I will show you some of my favorite tricks in Photoshop for manipulating, collaging and reconfiguring your art further.

Module 6

Combine manual and digital techniques to create a trendy illustration

10 lessons (2h 4m)

Approach to fashion illustration

In this lesson you will come into contact with fashion illustration. Through a brief review of contemporary styles and trends, as well as different techniques and resources, they will serve as an approximation to this language. I will also tell you about the usefulness of illustrations, highlighting editorials, textile and advertising industry.

Choice of a designer, concept and documentation

To awaken your creativity, I will briefly review the work of some contemporary fashion designers. I will tell you about their aesthetic concepts, symbology and universe. I will select the work of one in particular for the development of my illustration and its contextualization.

Collage

In this lesson I will tell you the advantages of collage as a composition tool. I will share some tricks and specific uses of the tools for selection, import and handling of layers, facing the colorization phase. I will explain how to integrate the images to get personal and unique references. You will make a collage with your references, which one, you will work in layers, in an orderly manner and thus leave everything prepared for the implementation of the illustration.

Digital drawing + tips

In this lesson I will teach you how to draw with the digital pen and give you some tips to start combining techniques. You will discover the advantages of working with the pencil and some of its properties. You will test the stroke with brushes and experiment with the tool settings, from a practical demonstration of its use and application on the project. Based on the reference collage, I will draw the figure, starting with the face, focusing on details such as eyes, lips, nose, chin, etc. In addition, I will show you the differences between a male and a female face. Also, I will tell you about the way I represent hair and different visual textures such as skin, folds of fabrics and how to draw accessories and objects.

Digital drawing + tips II

Second part: digital drawing + tips

17m

Creation of textures and brushes

In this lesson I will talk about the advantages you will find in the combination of techniques. I will teach you different ways to apply traditional techniques, I will give you some recommendations and guidelines. I will make a demonstration with materials such as watercolor, aniline or acrylic on watercolor paper to generate various stains and textures. With the help of a scanner, I will digitize the textures to generate a small bank of resources that I will reserve for the colorization process in Photoshop. Then, I will convert some textures into brushes. I will explain how to take advantage of Photoshop layer blending modes and some properties of the brush tool.

15m

Color and combination of tools

In this lesson I will explain how to combine the textures and brushes that are part of our resource bank. Also, I will teach you how to color the illustration step by step, based on the details present on the face.

10m

My technical tricks

In this lesson I will explain some spray tricks and digital watercolor. I will print character to the illustration by means of strokes that reinforce the interpretation of the images. I will play with photoshop blending modes and with transparencies to generate depth and represent details to visually enrich the image.