Fashion Design Drawing

TRUNK

The female torso is small and narrow, and the waist long and flexible. In Nature, the hips are larger than a man's in proportion to the whole figure, although actually they measure about the same. The fashion figure generally requires much narrower hips than the

living model, and the width and position of the waist are arbitrary quantities. The key points in drawing the trunk are the spine, shoulder blade, and hip bones.

DRAPERY

The representation of drapery, next to drawing the figure, is the most important part of the fashion artist's work. The student must therefore learn to express the different sorts of material in the simplest, most direct, and most convincing manner. Texture, pattern, and the varying effect of light and shade, must be studied, and the principles of drapery, which govern the fall and arrangement of the materials, must be properly understood. For this purpose a course of drapery is the best thing; alternatively, a thorough study of drawings and photographs of the clothed figure should be made, together with constant practice with the different sorts of materials. Among the old masters whose drawing of drapery should be studied, Durer, of course, stands supreme. The student practising at home, if she cannot get a friend to model for her, may quite well work from a dress placed on a stand, blocking in the figure details from memory.

The rules and applications of drapery are too various and complex to be considered in any detail here, but for the beginner studying at home two hints may be offered. First decide which are the points of support (e.g. the shoulders and the various parts of the body on which the fabric rests). Secondly, decide the exact position of folds, and the value of light they receive. The rest must come with study.

MATERIALS

The student will have learned at art school what tools are required for her work, and it will only be necessary to say that for home study a supply of cartridge paper, a really good drawing board, drawing pins, pencils, and rubber will suffice. An easel, lay figure, and all the other aids will not be necessary until later on.

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AT WORK

Drawing is at any time very tiring work, and consequently it is advisable that the artist endeavour to arrange herself and her work as comfortably as possible. The height and position of board or easel should be adjusted to the most convenient position; and the necessary impedimenta rubber, ruler, dividers, and so on placed where they will be ready to hand, but not so as to clutter up the work. The ideal light is daylight from the north or top, but this is not always possible. The thing to avoid is working in poor light or light too bright. The actual lighting of the garment being sketched will be decided by the effect it is required to produce.

The artist will find that a useful habit to cultivate is to view the work from a little distance every now and again. Poring continuously over a sketch, one is apt to concentrate too much on one particular part, and so get it out of drawing with the rest of the picture, or wrongly balanced in tone values.