Fashion Illustration - Session 1

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to the Blog. It was a pleasure meeting you this past Saturday. If you were late, absent or just need a refresher to Saturdays 1st session; I will post the demo here every week for your reference.

OK. The first demo was: basic fashion illustration and proportion - standing front and standing side.

Step 1 :

Take a 9x12 pad of paper and turn it horizontally to the side. With a ruler separate the page into 9 equal parts, making each segment 1" high. Number each segment 1 through 9. (Fig. 1)

Fig. 1

Step 2:

Make a perpendicular center line from top to bottom 2" from the left side of the page. (Fig. 2)

Fig. 2

Step 3:

Start from the top of the page and draw the head. The head @ 1/2" wide and 1" high.

Step 4:

Mark the eye placement which is half of the head (1/2" down from the crown of head).

Step 5:

1 1/2" down from the crown, mark the location of the shoulder. The shoulder should be @ 1 1/2" wide.

Step 6:

2" down from the crown mark the location of the breast point. Each breast is @ the same width of the head (1/2" each).

Step 7:

3" down from the crown mark the location of the waist, which is the same location of the bottom of the elbow. You can make the waist as small as you like. I usually make it slight smaller than the chest (@ 3/4").

Step 8:

4" down from the crown, mark the location of the crotch, which is also the same level as the wrist. The hips should be at least the same width of the shoulder (@ 1 1/2") or larger (never smaller - that would a man's measurement).

Step 9:

5" down from the crown is the finger tip length (long slender hand looks more elegant).

Step 10:

6" down from the crown, mark the location of the bottom of the knees. They touch at the center line, and are @ 3/8" in width each.

Step 11:

7" down from crown is the shin. A good reference point for designing capris.

Step 12:

8" down from the crown, mark the location of the bottom of the ankle. They touch at the center line, and are @ 1/4" in width each.

Step 13:

9" down from the crown, mark the location of the toe.

Fig. 3

Step 14:

Connect all the reference points to create basic fashion illustration using the "9 heads high" principle.

Step 15:

Sid view is handled differently. The centerline has only 4-5 reference points touching; the nose/chin, the breast point, the waist, the knee (optional), and the toe. You can also illustrate a standing view with the leg straight from hip to toe, but I prefer the leg slightly bent with the knee touching the centerline for added stability. All the other reference points (eye, shoulder, elbow, wrist, crotch, finger tip, shin and ankle are the same location as the forward standing view.