Design Tops and Dresses
Have you ever wanted to be a fashion designer? Start with the basics. This article will teach you how to draw a basic top or dress. The details are up to you!
Steps
- Put on some music if that helps you think, or even watch a fashion program to help you decide what style you want. You could even flip through a fashion magazine (Chatelaine, Elle, and Cosmopolitan are great) for ideas.
- Collect your supplies and decide if you are going to draw a sleeveless, long, short, spaghetti strap, strapless, or three quarter length sleeve (long sleeve and strapless are simple).
- Make sure you're drawing on lined paper so you have guidelines and a better sense of proportion. Later, you can draw the sketch on plain paper.
- Start with a basic shoulder sketch. It doesn't have to be fancy -- you can always go back and fix things later. Right now, your goal is to get your idea on paper. Details come afterwards.
- Draw a curved line. This will be the top of your top/dress.
- Then draw two thin lines coming down for the corners.
- Go down the page where the waist will be and do a slight inward curve to show that the model has a figure. Have a figure so it's more fitted. Fitted outfits are more flattering than clothes that hang on you like a sack. You can draw sack like baggy clothes if you want to.
- Do the bottom of your top/dress however you want. You could make it long or short, lacy or regular, hemmed or not hemmed, angled or straight.
Tips
- Pay attention to real clothes and fashion sketches. Notice how the garment flows and folds, how it drapes across the body. Greek clothes are great examples of intricate and beautiful folds of fabric. Other outfits may cling to the skin or have a set figure.
- Be creative! Creativity and things you like will inspire others and suit your style.
- Cute accessories can complement an otherwise plain outfit, but they can never save a terrible one. Think of designing a belt to draw the dress closer to the waist, or a pair of leggings under a short skirt.
- You can now make the outfit if you want to. Go to a fabric store, or a hobby store. Look at fabrics and designs from books containing patterns and other ideas.
- Be open to new ideas. Flip through fashion magazines and watch a fashion show on the internet.
- When you have done your sketch, on plain paper, redo it and add details.
- Don't worry if you get it wrong; it hardly ever goes right the first time.
- Unless you intend to get busy with needle and thread, don't worry about how your drawing could be converted into an actual garment.
- Draw a full body.
Warnings
- Never copy someone else's design! Instead, be original.
- You probably will mess up. Try, try again! You'll get better and better.
- Use a pencil and a good eraser. No pens allowed!
Things You'll Need
- lined paper
- pencil
- eraser
- sharpener
- plain paper
- folder(optional)
- CD's and CD player(optional)
- fashion magazines(optional)
- scissors
Related Articles
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- Draw Fabric Folds
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- Design Your Own T Shirt
- Design Clothes
- Draw Clothes on a Fashion Figure
