Tap to Read ➤

How to Sketch Fashion Clothes

Pragya T
You may have some ideas of fashionable clothes or certain costumes but not know how to sketch these. Here are some tips and tricks on quick and easy sketching of fashion designs.
Fashion sketching does require some drawing skills and techniques to show texture, pleats, stitches, etc. However, if you have lots of ideas regarding fashion clothes or certain costume designs but don't know how to sketch, then there are some easy tricks with which you can learn some basic techniques.
For this, you will need some basic sketching material like pencils, normal plain papers, tracing paper, croquis template, and an eraser.

Sketching for Fashion Clothes
The first step is learning to draw croquis. It's a simple sketch of a fashion figure used as a base to draw any clothing you have in mind.
On a grid paper, draw a basic croquis sketch. Grids offer better reference points. Keep it simple with just lines and forms, without adding facial features or details like fingers/toes.
If drawing skills are limited, find free croquis model sketches online. Choose simple poses like front, profile, and back for your fashion drawings.
Designers use these croquis as a template for fashion sketches. Keep printouts for your own sketches.
On top of this, place a tracing paper. A tracing paper is an opaque, smooth paper which allows you to see the sketch placed under it. If you don't have a tracing paper, then you can also use a light box, which will allow you to see the base layer of croquis.

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video.
Sketch the clothes in your mind, keeping it simple. Use flowing lines and basic pencil techniques for details like texture, zips, stitches, buttons, and embroidery.
some tips to help you represent the designs properly in your sketches
- For seams, use solid lines, and for topstitching, use dotted lines. Use dotted lines for zippers, but include a zipper pull for invisible zippers.
- Add texture with pleats, folds, and patterns. Use darker strokes for pleats and folds, and uneven lines for fullness. Patterns should follow the garment's shape.

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video.
- You can depict the garment's interior by adding pencil shading to show darkness underneath. Include a back view thumbnail next to the main sketch.
Use these steps and tips on fashion drawing techniques, and get a good croquis model as a base for your fashion sketches to create successful patterns.