Ankara Fashion Illustration…. If you’re passionate about African fashion and Wax Prints, like me, you’ll enjoy this.

Remember that  If you want a better look, zoom in close to see finer details.

Digital fashion sketch, above.

Marker fashion sketch, below

Ankara Fashion illustration on iPad or Gouache

The approach is the same whether on paper or ipad, I use the same framework and structure for Ankara fashion illustration.

I created today’s fashion illustration last night using Adobe Draw App (now known as Adobe Fresco app when you use the  “vector” brushes)  last night on my iPad Pro with Apple Pencil.

CREATING A COLORED BACKGROUND for your sketch

LASSO TOOL

To create a colored background (tinted paper effect) , I just draw a large closed rectangle with the lasso tool.  

FILL TOOL (PAINT BUCKET)

Then I tap inside the rectangle with the fill tool (paint bucket). 

GOUACHE TECHNIQUE

If I’m working with straight gouache, I would tape my paper down on all four edges with masking tape to keep it flat until dried.

Then, I would use a flat, square brush (“wash brush”) to lay down a flat tone with vertical, then horizontal strokes, then allow to dry.

Ankara fashion

Is breathtaking! These stunning fabrics, shapes, and style.

Maybe people are more used to it now, in 1992 as a North American from NYC, it was mind-blowing!

The print (I think this one is called “tortoise shell”) is traditional and I’ve seen it a zillion times in Paris and NYC.

**Still, this is not the kind of Ankara fashion that I saw in Paris.

Don’t worry, I’ll share more of those kinds of looks later (hint-they are more traditional, including amazing sculptural headwraps. They’re often more loose fitting too) .

I’ll also be sharing more this year about how African Ankara Fashion changed my life, my aesthetics, and my eye for design in a hundred ways.

In the meantime, I’ll share today’s Ankara Fashion Illustration. It’s a western -styled dress, featuring a gathered dirndl skirt, with a  waistband, and neck tie detailed blouse.

FASHION ILLUSTRATION PROCESS

Below, you’ll see different phases of the Ankara Fashion Illustration process, to help you get inspired to create your own original drawings.

Digital ankara fashion illustration

Hey, don’t worry– even if you don’t work with digital illustrations, you will catch useful tips that you can use for watercolor, markers or inks.

SKETCH LIGHTLY

First I lightly and loosely pencil sketched out the pose and proportion.

This way, I can always correct or back-track or fix anything that doesn’t feel right before getting detailed.

SHADING YOUR  FASHION ILLUSTRATION

Don’t forget that mapping out major shadows makes major impact on your drawing.

Here you can see that I sketched out the neck tie, and skirt gathers, armhole seams, but also shadows in the skirt.

Shadows affect the look and feel of your ankara fashion illustration more than you can possibly imagine.

Mark my words!!

Next, I moved on to the face and hair

Because I almost ALWAYS do skin tone before ANYTHING else.

It’s not a RULE, it’s a TOOL.

For me, and for anyone, it’s super-helpful to have a “road map” and an approach that you use. It’s like a framework that I can apply to any drawing situation that helps me organize my thoughts.

Another great reason

To start with the face is because faces SAY SO MUCH. (So much, in fact , that I created an entire course especially to teach features, heads, and hair on ipad or digital device).

If you can create a face that you love, you’re more likely to love the whole illustration. I know that sounds weird, but it’s true. It’s a psychological thing. :0)

It was SUPER-FUN to capture the shape and texture of her hair.

Was I overwhelmed by the complex African wax print pattern?

OF COURSE I was. In fact,

I always am. Before I start.

Especially Ankara Fashion.

I mean, there is so much going on in there!!

But I always quote Ernest Hemingway for saying “say one true thing”.
Actually, he was talking about writing, but arts are arts!
Expression is expression!
Love is love! And, truth is truth.

IDENTIFY THE DOMINANT COLOR IN THE AFRICAN PRINT

I looked at the photograph of the dress,  and started looking for the largest motifs first:

Where were they? 

How large were they? 

What color were they? 

What did the edges of them look like?

Ankara fashion prints

Are so full of details, textural effects, col.ors, and stimulation!

Don’t worry, take it one step at a time.

Finally, I picked out the most prominent colors and elements of the print and laid them down, one at a time.

That means of the green gets laid down, then all of the blue, then all of the red.

That’s my system!