I’m going to stick my neck out and say that observational drawing is the only art skill you’ll need to design clothes.
The kind of drawings or sketches you’ll create in the process of designing your own clothes will help and support you. Please, please don’t worry about how ‘good’ you think they are. They’re not destined for a gallery or exhibition. They’re there to get you to think creatively and positively about what you want to create.
Nor do you need to spend time and money on art materials. Pencil and pen or paper will do, and a sketchbook or sheets of paper that you can bind together.
Drawings and sketches = visual communication
What you’re aiming for is clarity and strong communication. Not only are you clarifying things in your own head – you’re also doing a favour for anyone you’ll share your ideas with. Your drawings and words will support each other – annotation is your friend here. I use it a lot, as in this sketch from 2016.
Don’t worry about drawing perfectly even gathers, or the exact amount of cables or pattern motifs. Instead, label the lines as gathers; label the stitch patterns. It matters far less than you think about your shirt collar not looking exactly like a shirt collar. Annotate the sketch so that there’s no doubt, and others can see what you meant.
Even the most meticulous drawings benefit from annotation, because the goal is good communication and articulacy. Let your words AND drawings do the talking. They’re a match made in heaven.
Photographs are also included. Again, they don’t have to be glamorous – the one below of the Kim poncho certainly isn’t! But it is clear, and it captures the important details. In a way, the mundane setting forces you to focus on the knitting. There’s nothing particularly attractive about a footstool, radiator, and beige carpet. At least, not compared to the poncho 😉
The drawing is only the beginning
Drawings and sketches are just the beginning of the design process, or the starter course. Any fashion buyer, commissioning editor, or course tutor will tell you that it’s disappointing when sketches don’t live up to their hype. That is, the finished item looks nothing like the beautiful sketch that was sold to them.
It’s like ordering something online, unpacking it, and wondering if this was really what you bought. Or, that the quality doesn’t match up to the photograph. We’ve all been there!
Three takeaways to build your confidence in your drawings
So if you’re not confident about your drawing skills, or feel insecure about your sketches because they don’t capture your skills as a knitter, crocheter, or sewist, take heart because:
- You’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you can deliver a quality pattern and finished item – which is what you want at the end of the day, not a nice drawing that can’t clothe you;
- Anyone who’s silly enough to judge you based on sketches alone will be exposed for the fool that they are, because your gorgeous swatches will do the talking too;
- Practice is on your side! As is time. It takes far less time to improve your drawing skills than it does to improve your pattern cutting skills, knitting, sewing, crochet…all that technical clothes making prowess. Invest wisely ;-). What serves you most in the long term? 15 minutes of drawing every day has a greater long term impact than 15 minutes of knitting. You can definitely fill a few pages in that time!
Everything else to do with drawing – fine art skills, CAD skills – can be added once you get set with pencil and paper. There are some specialist books that can help with technical drawing and making the most of computer technology, but nothing beats the power and magic in your hands. I’ll share some book reviews next month, but for now – DRAW 🙂
A parting gift | Introducing Elinor Trier
My last gift to you is Eli Trier, and her YouTube channel. She’s a brilliant fine artist, and her sketchbook tours are wonderful. This is something you don’t want to miss if you want to know how artists REALLY use sketchbooks, and hear her insightful and engaging commentary as she takes you through each and every page. Here’s a taster for you.
Finally, thank you for reading, and a big thank you to Katie and Connie for their ongoing support via Ko-Fi! If you’d like to support my blog regularly or contribute to the tip jar, click the pink button on the bottom left. And if you found this post helpful or inspiring, please share it with others who might need more self-belief and confidence in their drawing skills.
Pingback:Why flat drawings are often the best drawings - Natalie in Stitches