[bektar]

hi i'm new here, but i thought i'd chime in and give you a few recommendations. i'm a fashion design major at FIT, so a lot of what i do is sketching. like some other folks here have said, work on your figure drawing. it's so important to understand how the body moves in order to sketch more elongated, stylized fashion drawings. once you have the basic figure down, try stretching it out a little from 8 heads to 10 heads. also, remember that your style is your style. if you like longer legs, draw your croquis with longer legs. if you like smaller heads, do it. there really is no right or wrong as long as it looks good. just practice! it took me a while to get my sketching to where it is.

you can also use the work under technique, where you put a good croquis you've perfected under a sheet of paper and draw the design on top, so you don't get so hung up on whether or not you're figure is right (because you know it is!).

as for supplies, bienfang marker paper is amazing. it's great for rendering on. i don't use much pencil, unless it's for details and then i use prismacolor pencils. the markers i use are usually chartpak, they're wetter and richer. and for outlines i just use drawing pens... nothing special.

if you need to know anything else, feel free to ask!

[agherit]

I have drawn quite a lot on paper but dont know how to use photoshop to do anything to it. I'm sort of stuck because I've got all these sketches and photoshop but dont know what to do next.

any ideas please on how to use photoshop for my sketches?? thankssssss

[bektar]

photoshop is a great tool for sketches... you can make great layout pages or even render within photoshop which is what i do a lot. the easiest way is to do line drawings (make sure all of your lines connect also, it will make it easier to fill and to add textures) and scan them into photoshop. use the magic wand tool to select whole, enclosed areas and you can either paste textures into this area or use the paint bucket to fill. dodge and burn can help with shading also. these are just some basic ideas to get you started

[Colette_B]

i like to draw the body first, and then sculpt the clothes around it...most of the time i won't even have an idea of what i'm going to design. it just happens as i draw

[VICTIM]

with a fashion illustration why have 10 heads? why be so technical measuring? its such an old way of thinking, does anyone else find when someone draws like this the image looks a little stiff - be more free!

[bektar]

i don't think it's a matter of being technical with the 10 heads... it's more to just emphasize the elongated proportions of the fashion figure. once you get used to these proportions, your figures should loosen up a bit and stip being stiff. it's all about putting movement into them.

[ShesElectric]

I don't like to be too precise. I have a sketchbook FULL and all of them are more ARTISTIC disproportionate figures but you can also see the clothing on them pretty clearly. Turn sketching into a hobby - make it fun - something you do when you're bored. That way when you need to get serious, you've learned many of your own personal do's and dont's as everyone has a different eye.

But that's just my opinion and I'm no expert. Anyway, good luck!

[sullen_femme]

I can't sketch at all, but I design in my head. There's just no way to show it to other people. I try, but I can barely draw a stick figure.

[uberQuirkiness]

hullo. i couldn't find a thread on the sorts of art materials/techniques we use for art/illustration/design and such, so i decided to make one. yeah..so we can discuss the best art supplies...paints..brushes...etc.... as well as cool techniques.. Yah
first Q: anyone know which markers work the best? tria markers.. tombow... or prismacolors? i get so lost when i go to the art store. (they're so pricey too!)

[tangiblelove]

can anyone reccomend great watercolors?

[Estella*]

^schmincke is very good...
also caran d'ache of course.

[tangiblelove]

thanks estella!

[fab_fifties_fille]

uberQuirkiness I'm not sure about markers...I've never really used them.

Coloured pencils though...I use Karismas, but unfortunately they've recently been pulled off the market...I really don't know why, I can't imagine they'd gone bankrupt because they're a very popular make. The pencils are fantastic quality but rather expensive, they have a really beautiful waxy finish and are great for blending. You might still be able to pick some up that shops have bought before they went out of production...or even possibly on ebay. You can pay upto about 140GBP for a box of 120

Supposedly 'prismacolor' is their new name...but they're only stocked in the states?!

[two months off]

For markers, I've always used cheap, whatever brand ones. No problems with them whatsoever! Even Crayola markers work fine. Prismacolors I've always wanted to try out, but they're so expensive!

Good watercolor? I like Talens, the Rembrandt ones.

[two months off]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fab_fifties_fille Supposedly 'prismacolor' is their new name...but they're only stocked in the states?!

I found this at a blog:

Karisma, originally a Berol UK brand, is the Sanford U.K. brand name for the Prismacolor range produced by Sanford here in the US market. Originally Berol produced the Karisma in UK, but production was eventually consolidated into the US either by Berol or later by Sanford after their acquisition of Berol. I expect this is likely why certain colors were eliminated from the Karisma selection in order to conform to the Prismacolor selection here in the US where there is higher sales volume.

The Karisma pencils use the same cedar casing and color cores as Prismacolor. Though they are left with a natural woodgrain finish and an interesting angled end cut which is a unique feature.