The finished vector camo fashion design illustration.

Using Adobe Illustrator for fashion design illustration can be a powerful tool to help visualize concepts for development and presentations. Mostly, we’ve been accustomed to view highly stylized sketches building on the technology’s inherent razor sharp gradient filled vectorized shapes. But using Illustrator’s Brush Tool experimenting with the Brush Library combined with your hand strokes replicates natural line drawing. Add the Wacom tablet and pen, and vector drawing can capture lines as natural as your personal signature.

View this tut as a broad overview instead of a detailed step by step. These concepts are the main points that I cover teaching and conducting professional seminars. I’m always impressed once students and professional fashion designers attend these demos, they quickly apply the methods.

Rendering patterns using the graphic apps, either Photoshop or Illustrator, give the ability to map patterns onto shapes or just filling with tiled designs can quickly give the impression. This ubiquitous approach I’ve used more than not, got me to reconsider as I quickly describe patterned garment shapes sketching from the fashion model in timed poses. The spontaneity suggesting the design can evoke more spirit than the literal interpretation.

Looking at the marker sketch below, I like the bold, less detailed expression of the patterned skirt and striped ribbed sweater. Using the same approach for Illustrator, I built upon an unfinished gesture from the NY Fashion Model Drawing Meetup that I organize and created a similar result.

But why use the computer for these gestural illustrations? For the same reasons to have the ability to edit, re-color, reconsider, fluidity creating presentations, and building a drawing with a myriad of mobile and sharing applications.

A marker quick sketch provided the inspiration for the vector style rendering.

The marker gesture sketch to the left is a good beginning to scan into Illustrator providing enough information describing the model’s movement while suggesting the silhouette.

The learning curve to get comfortable sketching in Illustrator becomes easier beginning with your drawing locked in a Template layer. Starting with your sketch helps to retain proportion and fluid line quality. As you become accustomed to either drawing with the Wacom tablet and pen or on occasion using the mouse to draw beautiful Beziér curves can mimic gestural lines.

The trick is to concentrate developing fluid lines depicting the movement. Sketching from the model, I prefer using marker to automatically simplify and graphically express line to a sketchy approach with pencil. Marker is a compatible translation to Illustrator’s vector object, flatly rendering colors and patterns.

Locking in the Template layer, create a new layer and begin to convert the marker gesture to vector lines. Some experienced users may already use Live Trace that can quickly convert scanned bitmap art into vector objects. Personally, I rather think of the conversion as re-drawing my original marker sketch and using Illustrator’s tools to retrace the movement. Lines that stop and start, unfinished, heavy and lighter line weights are all important attributes. Using, Live Trace while maybe the perfect choice to convert complicated textures for fills, the lines instead become shapes and challenging to edit.

As using natural media, drilling the sketch down to the fewest amount of lines but emphasizing the silhouette, creates a stronger finish.

Looking at the zoomed in view of the face in Outline mode, you can see that the character of the line weight in Preview mode is the choice of the Brush style building upon very simple paths.

Zoomed in view of face in Outline mode

Zoomed in view of face in Preview mode

The Blob Brush Tool is perfect to paint free form shapes. The brush reacts to pressure sensitivity if you’re using a tablet and pen. Another helpful feature is that you can continuously add to the shape without creating another object. As you would render with natural media, to SIMPLIFY the pattern and suggesting the movement on the body keeps the live gesture in the finished illustration.

Zoomed view in Preview mode

An easy method to create the shadows is to think of the darker areas as larger shapes and fill them with a neutral color. Experimenting with the opacity slider will preview the overlay effect blending with pattern. Again, to place these elements in a separate layer will make editing and selecting easy.

The stitching was created drawing paths using the pen tool and selecting dashed line from the Stroke pane. I used Round Cap and Join for a more graphic contrast to the free form style pattern rendering.

With the finished illustration the color story can be easily manipulated creating multiple color stories and layouts.

Have fun!

2010 Biennial poster by Charles Ray

Last night my art companion, Stacy, and I took refuge in the Whitney 2010 Biennial from the sudden change of temperature in NYC. Not having attended the Whitney’s late night on Fridays before, the mood was celebratory with live music transforming their cafe into a performance space.

My biggest surprise of the Biennial came from the large gallery space devoted to artist Charles Ray’s floral series. Posting an example on Sparked from MoMA’s contemporary drawing exhibition last year, Ray’s simple decorative graphic rendering grabbed my attention. Impressed by his reach from highly conceptual work, I enjoyed reading this LA Times interview with Ray explaining his florals are a result of relaxing and sharing the studies with family and friends.

Of course, there were plenty of political statements but surprising didn’t resonate to me personally. Maybe indoctrinated from the 24/7 news cycle works that captured organic textures, atmospheric experimenting in different mediums or humor, provided me some social relief.

The Whitney Biennial is on display until May 20th, 2010.

Pae white, Smoke Knows, 2009 Cotton and polyester, 114 x 258 in.

Scott Short, Untitled (White), 2008 Oil on canvas, 93 x 120 in.

Aurel Schimdt, Master on the Universe/Flex Master 3000, 2010 Graphite, colored pencil, arcylic, beer, dirt, and blood on paper. 89 x 52 in.

Charles Ray, Untitled, 2009, Ink on paper, 47 x 31 1/2 in.

The Curvy Can facebook group advocating healthy body awareness

The curvy global movement has been bubbling up and now has made it to the Fall 2010 runways. Both designers Miuccia Prada and Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton featured waisted voluptuous models bringing new emphasis to breasts and hips. The reinvention embraces the womanly form that has inspired centuries of artists instead of clothing that reconfigures the body.

Check out Vogue Curvy on the Vogue Italia beautifully revamped website that devotes many of its features to womanly beauty as only the Italians can do!

Fashion model Crystal Renn

Marilyn Monroe

Elizabeth Taylor

Sophia Loren

Fashion marker gesture drawing of model Sharri Sutton

Next week begins Spring Break and in NYC we’re enjoying the warmer weather. With temperatures reaching 60°s this marker gesture of our model Sharri from yesterday’s class inspired me to post. Coming up is another tut on Painting in Adobe Illustrator!

And come draw at our next Fashion Model Drawing Meetup scheduled for March 20th at The Center in the West Village.

Fountain Art Fair 2010

Maybe attending design school and not having the art school experience, I’m particularly fond of these creative “happenings”. This weekend concludes Arts Week in NYC with the established Armory, Scope and Pulse shows presenting new works by the international art community. In the mix, Fountain Art Fair has created a buzz this year showcasing independent talent. Founded in 2006, Fountain’s mission is to give smaller galleries and artists exposure to the larger art world. While art is subjective the venue for Fountain is a must see on the Frying Pan, the lightship rescued from the deep and back at Pier 66 at 26th street.

Brooklyn-based video and installation artist, Allison Berkoy, presenting In the Belly of the Lightship takes over rooms and caverns in the lightship with her life size video projections. The installation creates an unusual and surreal narrative suggesting events of the ship’s storied past.

Arts Week ends today but you can follow Fountain Art Fair for a happening in your area.

Fountain Art Fair 2010

Fountain Art Fair 2010

Fountain Art Fair 2010 | In The Belly of the Lightship by Allison Berkoy

Fountain Art Fair 2010 | In The Belly of the Lightship by Allison Berkoy

Fountain Art Fair 2010 | In The Belly of the Lightship by Allison Berkoy

Fountain Art Fair 2010 | In The Belly of the Lightship by Allison Berkoy

Posing in front of her painting Pop Shop artist Rosson Crow wears custom designed gown by Zac Posen

It’s nice to see that painters are getting dressed up for their openings! Last night’s event at Deitch for Rosson Crow’s new show Bowery Boys definitely brought back the ’80s. The minimal large open white box on Wooster Street in Soho synthesized by Crow’s nostalgia almost made you see ghosts. Receiving an invitation from our friend Alexxa, Chris and I were among the fashionable art crowd.

Crow’s subject matter captures the icongraphy of spaces and districts void of the people who created or inhabited them. Her large scale oils of the Bowery explored the history of “bad boys” in underground art and as an agent of culture in New York City. Most striking about Crow’s work is the renewed interest in actual paint. Experiencing virtual and minimal installations, art has been abstracted and reduced making brushes, strokes and imagery feel human.

Rosson Crow Bowery Boys is on view at Deitch until March 27 at 18 Wooster Street.

Rosson Crow, Untiltled (opium den), 2009, Oil, acrylic and enamel on canvas

Rosson Crow, The Pop Shop, 2010, Oil, acrylic and enamel on canvas

Rosson Crow, Barber Shop, 2009-2010, Oil, acrylic and enamel on canvas

VMAN Spring 2010 | Bow Tie and Scarf by Tom Ford

Who wears it better? Man’s best friend or the master? In the Spring 2010 issue of VMAN, photographer Adam Fedderly and stylist James Worthington Demolet answer the question. The complete issue is filled with beautifully shot menswear editorials and on newsstands!

VMAN Spring 2010 | Hat by Z Zegna Tie by Brioni

VMAN Spring 2010 | Hat and Tie by Paul Smith

The finished face viewed in Illustrator Preview mode.

The Helmut Newton homage make-up found on many of the runways in Milan’s Fashion Week inspired me to create this quick tutorial. Using Adobe Illustrator, the Brush and Blob Tool provide invaluable fun and experimentation. Just like natural media, beginning with a few simple line gestures, I prefer to use bold shapes and strong contrast to express the features. Recently, I’ve been sketching with markers from live models, and much of the quick and unfinished quality is key to sketching on the computer.

You’ll notice I don’t begin using a scanned sketch as a Template layer. I prefer sketching directly on the screen for spontaneous strokes. But, as I begun to incorporate this process, I found beginning with a sketch locked in a Template layer helpful.

To achieve the best results taking advantage of Illustrator’s brush pressure sensitivity, using a Wacom tablet or if you have the budget, Wacom’s Cintiq is important. Maybe, we can look forward to an Apple iPad drawing app soon!

The finished face viewed in Illustrator Outline mode.

Enlarged view of the Blob and Brush Tool and it’s use. The Blob Tool is great to loosely paint objects while the Brush Tool provides specific style and detail.

Demonstrating the pressure sensitivity of Wacom’s 6D Art Pen Brushes using the Wacom tablet and pen. Lightly touching the pen on the tablet creates a fine line weight while applying pressure makes the same stroke heavier.

Prada Autumn/Winter 2010 twitpic by WWD

Keeping up with the online competition, print stalwarts such as Elle and WWD that also provide a digital presence, are twitpic-ing impromptu runway impressions. As live streaming of fashion shows extends the reviewer’s experience, instantly viewing these quick snaps extends the audience vantage point. The result is often more interesting than just clothes, capturing the atmosphere that creates fashion.

Prada Autumn/Winter 2010 twitpic by mrjoezee

Prada Autumn/Winter 2010 twitpic by mrjoezee

Fendi Autumn/Winter 2010 twitpic by mrjoezee

Fendi Autumn/Winter 2010 twitpic by mrjoezee

D&G Autumn/Winter 2010 twitpic by mrjoezee

Burberry Autumn/Winter 2010

Designer Christopher Bailey for Burberry Prorsum got ahead of the curve streaming live, his message of the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection. Beginning with backstage and pre-show interviews, the production brought yet another front row perspective to the worldwide community. In a paradox between print and digital media, incorporating the social platform from Facebook and Twitter further democratizes the runway. In real time, Burberry enthusiasts and maybe even customers exchanged tweets and updates as the models swaggered the luxurious shearlings. And, before high street retailers can react, the simultaneous pre-selling of the clothes introduces fashion 3.0.

Burberry Autumn/Winter 2010 | Twiggy!

Burberry Autumn/Winter 2010 | The Kooks

Burberry Autumn/Winter 2010

Burberry Autumn/Winter 2010

Burberry Autumn/Winter 2010

Burberry Autumn/Winter 2010

Burberry Autumn/Winter 2010