Fashion Sketches for Beginners
While fashion sketching requires some technique, you do not have to be an accomplished artist to create a sketch. People typically find themselves in need of fashion sketches when trying to convey an idea for an outfit, attempting to design their own clothing or taking a fashion design course. As a beginner, learning about the basic techniques and materials needed to create a fashion sketch will help you transfer your ideas to paper.
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Croquis
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A croquis -- from French "croquer" meaning "to sketch, rough out" -- is a sketch of a figure or model. The croquis acts as a template onto which you place your tracing paper where you will draw your clothing designs. This basic drawing will serve as the base of your fashion sketch. Beginners can learn to draw croquis by taking a figure drawing class. If sketching a croquis for the first time, then draw your model on grid paper, which provides a reference for size and symmetry.
Templates
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If the idea of figure drawing is intimidating, many templates with croquis sketches are available online. These templates illustrate figures in many different poses. By having a collection of many different poses, you can choose the pose that best displays the clothing that you wish to sketch. If you are sketching period costumes, then make sure the model's pose in the template you choose is much more demure than if you were sketching modern clothing.
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Layout Paper
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Layout paper is a fine, tracelike paper that is semitransparent. You will draw your clothing designs onto this paper. Your croquis sketch or template will sit beneath the layout paper. Although it is thin and slightly opaque, layout paper is of good quality. Once you have sketched your first fashion designs, you can attach the layout paper to a firmer piece of paper or poster board so that you can present and display your sketches.
Other Materials
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Visit your local art supply store to gather materials such as pencils, erasers, felt-tip pens and glue sticks for your fashion sketches. For general sketching, use soft B and 2B pencils. Make sure you have a pencil sharpener on hand so you can keep these pencils extra sharp. For highlighting and shading, choose 4B pencils. If you plan on adding color to your sketch, use quality felt-tip pens. A cheap felt-tip pen will cause the colors to run and blur. Choose putty rubber for your eraser, as this will not damage or rub away the paper if you make a mistake. To mount your sketch, use a light glue stick that will not wet and wrinkle the layout paper.
Considerations
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As a beginner, sketch clothing that follows a theme. For example, your theme could be dresses of varying necklines or waist variations, or textures and patterns. Gather inspiration from fashion magazines and newspapers. Create an artist's file that contains pictures and clippings of fashion, textures and fabrics that inspire you. Do not copy these designs, but use them to influence and inspire you as you sit down to create your first sketches.
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References
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