Like opinions, reading, too, is subjective. You might not like it at first, but it’s like that one song you skipped only to find out it was a banger. If you decide to pursue fashion design, you’ll want to learn more about it than what one site offers.
If you want to know more about fashion & illustrations, this blog is for you. But before focusing on the books, let’s start with the basics.
What is fashion illustration?
Fashion illustration, also referred to as fashion sketching, is the art of expressing fashion concepts visually. It is the representation of the essence of fashion through illustration, drawing, and painting. Fashion designers primarily use it to generate ideas on paper or digitally, before making actual apparel to examine and visualize their ideas.
Fashion illustration is more than just a creative outlet. It is also a beautiful art style in its own right. Do you want to know how to create eye-catching fashion illustrations? Fortunately, there is a plethora of educational books available to teach you the necessary skills. We have just the right set of fashion illustration books ready for you!
6 best books of fashion illustration for beginners
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Fashion Sketchbook (6th Edition) by Bina Abling
With vibrant illustrations and step-by-step directions, Bina Abling explains the fashion drawing process. With very clear idea interpretation, simple directions, and sketching tutorials, the book is geared toward beginners in fashion design.
The following topics are covered in Fashion Sketchbook:
- Various drawing techniques
- Drawings of children, men, and women
- Illustrations of accessories and garments
- Photos of runways and showrooms
- Poses of figures
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9 Heads – A Guide to Drawing Fashion (3rd Edition) by Nancy Reigelman
9 Heads offers developed thinking and interprets angles to show numerous ways to draw. It is helpful for beginners as it details what to look for in a finished product and how to achieve perfection in design.
This book on fashion gives more knowledge on:
- The realms of men’s and children’s fashion
- Modern clothing crochet
- Design for clothes and technology
- Drawings of faces, hair, and body parts
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Fashion Design Essentials – 100 Principles of Fashion Design by Jay Calderin
If you wish to get into prestigious fashion design programs, you must read this book on fashion design. For those just starting their design careers, Fashion Design Essentials is a fantastic source of creativity and inspiration. This book has a tonne of insightful information for prospective designers who are still developing their sense of style.
The following details are what designers might anticipate finding in this book:
- Images of enduring styles
- Tips for looks with everyday clothing
- Theories on fashion from renowned professionals that work with Vogue and Elle magazines
- Concepts for fashion design that are well explained via beautiful illustrations
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Fashion Design – Process, Innovation and Practice (2nd Edition) by Kathryn McKelvey and Janine Munslow
This fashion textbook features top-notch drawings and solid design principles that were drawn from an extensive background in visual communication and fashion research.
Fashion Design provides a foundation from which you may gradually improve your skill set by laying out fundamental concepts and exercises that make fashion design a logical process.
When you open this book, you will find the following:
- Creation of Computer-Aided Design
- High chances of work opportunities
- Development of experimentation and adaptability
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Fashion Design Course – Principles, Practice, and Technology: The Practical Guide for Aspiring Fashion Designers by Steven Farm
The contents of the book are meant for aspiring professional fashion designers. It provides a comprehensive explanation of design principles, the history of the fashion industry, and its most influential designers.
In this book, Farm trains his readers on the following using more than 450 color images, tutorials, and exercises.
- Professional and Business Attire
- Athletic wear
- Denim wear
- Evening and party attire
- Accessorizing
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Colors for Modern Fashion by Nancy Reigelman
Colors for Modern Fashion presents intriguing and original concepts for colored marker drawing techniques, photo sequences, and textural explanations. All of this information is presented in a cocktail with Riegelman’s outstanding sketching abilities and methods, along with plenty of illustrations and in-depth explanations.
The following subjects are covered for you in this book:
- Illustrations of concepts and fashion examples
- Theory of color and design
- The use of a variety of fabrics in contemporary fashion design
- Inspiring upcoming fashion designers and their capabilities
Fashion illustration sketches serve as the base for the profession of an aspiring designer. You will learn to draw utilizing a wide variety of art media and techniques in an illustration training course, from hand sketching to sketching with graphics software, developing the skills necessary for fashion drawings.
While these fashion illustration books can provide you with all the knowledge, here is a quick guide on how to draw fashion illustrations!
How to draw fashion illustrations in 3 simple steps!
A crucial component of fashion school is learning how to draw fashion figures and fashion illustrations. However, there are important differences between acceptable body proportions in art and fashion.
- In art, the proportions of the body are expressed in heads. With the actual head included, the usual figure is roughly 7-7 1/2 heads tall.
- To better depict the models, who are taller than usual, the body proportions in fashion are extended. The figurines grow to reach 8–10 heads tall as a result.
- Each illustrator adds their style to the fashion figure’s basic dimensions, which are about the same—within 1/4 to 1/2 of a head.
After reading this list of the best books for fashion illustrations you may be curious to know how to proceed. The first step is to enroll in the best design college in India AKA us.
How can ISDI help:
ISDI offers various design programs such as Fashion Design, Fashion Communication and Styling, Interior Design and Strategic Design, Communication Design, Product Design, and Management. Pursuing one of the degree programs, that is, Bachelors in Design (BDes) – 4-year program or Postgraduate In Design (PGDI) – 11 months program. Either of the programs is an alternative to a career in fashion and design.
The ISDI campus is located in the business district of Mumbai, the commercial center of India. ISDI consists of a curriculum that is based on that of the Parsons School of Design, experienced and industry-leading faculty, and practical project-based training, all situated on a state-of-the-art campus. ISDI is just the right place for someone looking to start a career in design.