It’s still “Day 5” of my 9-day course in fashion illustration, and I’m still having fun. Lots of fun. I’ve found myself a bit obsessed with proportions. I think it’s amusing to see how far fashion illustrators have taken the concept of long and tall.
In reality, we humans are approximately 7 heads high. Artists, however, sometimes paint with “heroic” proportions, making the body — think of those Greek gods and goddesses of mythology — 8 heads high.
Fashion takes us far beyond those mythological standards of perfection to either 9 or 10 head body heights. As I’ve continued my studies of fashion illustration I’ve actually found 11-, 12-, and even 13-head croquis! And then so many women wonder why the clothes they see in high fashion drawings just don’t seem to “look right” when they wear them.
As I did more “croquis” today — trying out different poses — I browsed online and came up with a lovely little tutorial from fashion designer and Project Runway contestant Nick Verreos.
In addition to having his own fashion line and mentoring aspiring designers on various Project Runway spin-offs, Verreos has written a book on fashion — A Passion for Fashion: Achieving Your Fashion Dreams One Thread at a Time.
He also has a YouTube channel, Fashion School with Nick Verreos. He tells viewers straight out that while the tuition is free, you’ll be learning a lot.
I enjoyed watching his video on how to create a 9-head croquis for “flat sketches” — and I certainly did learn a few things, such as “what is a flat sketch in the fashion industry?
Here is a link to the video: How to Draw a Croquis.
I’m delighted to have come across this free “fashion school” and excited by all the videos available. While he wasn’t my favorite designer on Project Runway, he’s become a favorite now, for sure. It’s nice that he’s willing to share his considerable knowledge with others.
I’m off now to draw more croquis — both 9-head and 10-head. And I’m looking forward to learning more from this fun new “fashion school” with Nick Verreos.
Artistcoveries 