Category: croquis

Dressmaker’s Library:  Drawing the Fashion Figure for Body Positivity

Introduction

The standard croquis favored in fashion illustration is an elongated, slender figure that can be 8, 10 or 12 heads high.  However, this style of croquis is not a modern model of beauty.  It has come and gone with variations throughout the 20th century and into the current time.

Fashion designer Erte favored an elongated figure upon which to draw his extravagant designs worn by high society women and actresses on stage during the late 1910s.  The boyish, angular fashion figure of the 1920s gave way to the willowy, softly curving fashion croquis of the 1930s.  Come the 1940s and 1950s the feminine form filled out and there were some artists writing and illustrating their own books showing students, aspiring illustrators and hobbyists how to draw male and female figures more reflective of the everyday body shapes .

In this posting I share screen shots of three fashion illustration books that I hope put the subject of body positivity and fashion illustration into a historical perspective.

My purpose is to set forth a balanced perspective not only in books that provide croquis to trace over.  I also want to make more widely known books that show you how to draw a body positive croquis in a step-by-step approach.  All croquis are based upon preliminary drawings consisting of ovals, rectangles, cylinders, circles and wedge shapes.  With practice you can gain even a rudimentary ability and in time you will be able to do quick sketches.  The key is to practice and let your hand movements flow without fear or worry. Enjoy the process and discover what is waiting to be expressed.

It is good to know how to draw croquis of different sizes and styles.  This diversifies your skillset and helps connect you as a dressmaker to a broader sense of proportion based on different sizes.

The style of croquis you use should be the one that pleases you and best expresses the idea you are working on.

Fashion Illustration 1920-1950
Techniques and Examples
by Walter T. Foster

From left to right: cover croquis of the 1930s, middle 1920s, right 1940s.

Foster’s book offers detailed diagrams for figures and clothing of the period from 1920s to 1950s.  This is one of my favorite books for fashion illustration because the figure changes with each decade.  Male and female figures are given and detailed.

Drawing the Head and Figure
by Jack Hamm

Croquis with upper and lower torso each 2 heads high. 1940s-1950s style

This book was published in 1963.  The croquis and technique used will help you draw figures in tune with the current call to create more realistic renderings of female body shapes.  The technique used in the book will provide looks that work well with retro styles of the 1940s and 1950s.  Examples are also give for drawing the male figure.

Gertie’s New Fashion Sketchbook
by Gretchen Hirsch

This page contains the very faint croquis meant to be drawn over.

The premise of Gertie’s book is a good one.  Gertie’s body positive croquis are intended to represent the a more realistic body upon which clothes can be sketched. The croquis are smaller than most standard sized croquis.  The upper and lower torsos are each two heads high with the length of each head being about 3/8 to 1/2 inch high. Each page has two to three croquis in different poses (front, back and side views).

The drawback is how faint the croquis are on each page. This is not a book of figures to trace over. Rather these are figures to draw on.  Each page is perforated and meant to be torn out and drawn over.  Because the figures are so very lightly printed I’d recommend using the pages over a light box.  Otherwise a very bright desk lamp is needed to ensure you draw the lines as best as possible.

Gertie’s croquis remind me of the ones Jack Hamm drew, only his are bolder and easier to render if photocopies are made and then traced over.

The Fashion Croquis: Muse and Model, source of inspiration!

Introduction

The fashion croquis is meant to represent a stylized version of the dressmaker’s or designer’s muse. The form does not have to be realistic. The purpose is to use a representation that enables the imagination to become inspired. The croquis is a means upon which to bring an idea to life in it’s very first stages.

Sources of Inspiration

The appearance given to the croquis is meant to be dramatic. It should tell the story of the creator’s vision and the aesthetic upon which the designs are based. In the initial stages proportions, colors and poses can all be exaggerated. The key word is inspiration.

Realism of the figure and the proportions of the garment details are worked out later, once the draping or patternmaking begins.

My personal choice is the 10 or 12 heads croquis that represents a tall, willowy and slender woman. My inspiration is rooted in the artwork of Erte. As well, I take inspiration from the illustrations in the stylebooks of Marfy Studio. My reasons for choosing this style of croquis is that I find great enjoyment in the sketching as well as the sources from which I derive that inspiration.

IMy sketches always have a cartoon-like quality to them. Again, it is to give the finished sketch a sense of light-heartedness. When it comes to sketching a design it is up to the individual to choose the kind of croquis they use. Nobody can dictate which one is right or wrong. Go with what best expresses your creative vision and move forward from there.

My 3/4 Croquis which you may copy, distribute and use

3/4 croquis

My sketches using the 3/4 croquis

The above sketch was made using the 3/4 10-heads croquis. Notice how it is filled out. The croquis because it represents the bone structure of the figure will always be slimmer than the final sketch. I like my sketches to look old, as if they came from a vintage sketch book, comic book or series of drafts from long ago. To get that look I use colored pencils and color from the wrong side of the sketch. I also use crayon on the wrong side and then smudge with a Q-tip.