Fashion Sketchbook (VIDEOS enclosed): Adding Color to the Croquis

(originally posted October 2013)

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Fashion Croquis Book!

Another day, another fresh start to try new things, creating in the dream of life….

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–and celebration! I’ve been reviewing the final layout and text for my BOOK!!!!

I have to say that when I opened the file, I just cried. It was such a huge job, born of such a big dream, and now my life moves on with new projects…. and so suddenly the manuscript lands in my lap like this huge GIFT, which it truly is.

Let’s hit our Fashion Sketchbooks

How to-

Fashion Illustration Layouts in croquis book Laura Volpintesta — one of my student sketchbooks, 1993 Laura Volpintesta

Here are the skintone basics, where you can watch my process of adding color to the group of croquis sketches, and there will be more videos come up in this series:0)

WHY SKINTONE?

I know lots of people who like to sketch only in black and white.

OR to color only the clothing with paint but to leave the skin paper white.

BUT LOOK, HERE’S THE THING…

I GET THE BIGGEST THRILL FROM ADDING SKINTONE TO SKETCHES!

And I KNOW YOU WILL TOO.

I am obsessed with the delicious experience of watching a page of sketches in pencil transform in the moment that I add skintone to the sketches.

AND SO, I ADD THE SKINTONE FIRST.

In the moment that the warmth of the skintone lands on the page, its as if I’m suddenly looking at a page full of living, breathing models wearing muslins that haven’t been transformed into final fabrics yet!

This point makes me better equipped to make design choices grounded in the reality of dressing people… and the pleasure and depth of the experience is so therapeutic and profound that it fuels the work involved.

Here are the fabrics I sketched for in the video below:

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EXAMPLES ARE GOOD. EXPERIENCE IS BETTER

Now that you have all of these partially painted sketches, plus the video process, it’s YOUR TURN!

IF YOU DON’T HAVE PAINTS YET:

smudge your pencil in all of the areas where this is skin. I do this all the time to bring an immediate sense of warmth to any sketch and “breathe life into it”.

Or use a quick wash, like below. Do you sense how the figure becomes more “alive” when it isn’t just lines on paper, but becomes full of rich tone?

REMEMBER THE SEASON FOR YOUR FASHION COLLECTION

a winter collection will show very little skin, because of the warmth needed.

a summer collection, however can be dominated by skintone!

If you don’t have fabrics yet

get inspired and start your fabric swatch collection! Or, take something from your closet and create designs from that fabric.

fashion COLOR palette

You can create a color palette from anywhere, but actual fabric swatches are the most effective in imagining what your fashion designs will look like in color.

FABRICS weights and qualities

Even if you’ve chosen your colors, you will want fabrics IN YOUR HAND when you sketch so that you will know what they FEEL LIKE.

SHADING SKIN TONE IN FASHION ILLUSTRATIONS

Also, notice the shading on skin tone before adding the fabrics.

Shading isn’t always required in croquis or in fashion illustrations, and yet… what a joy, what a communicator, what a tool to have in your pocket!
Shading truly makes the clothes move on the body, and the sketch jump off the page.

I’m always adding free resources and articles on the blog, so I hope you’ll stay connected! On instagram, or in a course and/or Coaching Program Package to tackle all of this and more.

Soulful Fashion Foundation Immersion was designed to bring you to a level of proficiency and self-knowing as it culminates in designing unique collections at the end of 16 weekly class modules and feedback sessions!

THE FEELING OF SKINTONE

The images on this page are here to share that feeling of skintone added, waiting for fabric to be filled in.

SKIN-TONED CROQUIS TECHNIQUE

Sometimes I literally sketch figures with skintone first, as a creative foundation to sketch designs onto in an improvisational way, to switch things up.
Here with black colored pencil, feeling into silhouette

And below, with graphite after laying down a dynamic gesture sketch. In this one, I spontaneously designed in the moment and then added my flat sketch/ technical drawing to the page while I was in the creative throes of ideation!

I’ve included digital examples as well as gouache examples all over this page, as well as links to various courses that address this topic and bring it into a comprehensive growth experience of design and artistry that will rock your world!

with LOTS of LOVE and encouragement!!