Illustrating Fashion: Concept to Creation



Steven Stipelman has done it again with the latest edition of his book Illustrating Fashion: Concept to Creation (3rd Edition). Stipelman's book is an excellent resource for anyone, from the aspiring student to the experienced and working fashion illustrator. The book includes step-by-step tutorials on how to draw everything from the basic fashion figure, hands, feet, and faces to clothing details like fur cuffs, tweed, lace and tulle.
In one of my very first posts on Fabulous Doodles I shared the first edition (here), as its been a staple on my bookshelves since college. In this latest edition Stipelman has updated it by redrawing more than 1,000 full color illustrations and referencing designer garments and time periods for accurate historical references.
Illustrating Fashion Concept to Creation (3rd Edition) is very easy to navigate through and use as a reference. Its divided into five main sections:
  • Getting Started: Supplies, lines, etc.
  • The Fashion Figure: Hands, feet, shaping the body, gesture and balance line.
  • The Fashion Details: Silhouettes, necklines, drapery and bias, tailored clothing and accessories.
  • Rendering: Stripes, plaids, knits and other intricate rendering techniques.
  • Extras: Walking figures, menswear, children, flats.
Stipelman is an incredible teacher and seasoned fashion illustrator, so to sit in a classroom and watch him sketch was a privelage. (I was lucky enough to have Stipleman as my professor for four consecutive semesters!) Now you can observe and learn form him as well, because with this book comes a dvd of demonstrations by Stipelman! Watching my professor and friend drawing made me feel like I was 19 again, gathered around his desk with other FIT students mezmorized by his illustrating.
This book is used as a textbook for all of FIT's fashion design students and is a splurge worthy necessity for any fashion illustrator. You can check it out, along with a few of my other book recommendations here, in my Amazon shop.

Leave a Comment

Amelia Howden said...

How come you never do posts with your artwork anymore?

Brooke Hagel said...

I do, the last 2 posts were my sketches. :)

Also, this is a great book for aspiring illustrators, which many of my readers are, so why not share.

Pirate of The Napkins said...

ooooo. i wanna check that out! thanks!

thestylestash said...

omg I love all of your designs!!!!!

lvoe the blog
check out mine :) Thestylestash.com


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Kylie said...

What wonderful illustrations! The bain of my drawing life is hands. They frustrate me so much I spend forever on them but they still dont have that natural feel and I can never find the right picture reference for the pose I want. Gotta just keep doin' it again and again I suppose!

Anonymous said...

Hi Brooke,

I'm a Ryerson Fashion Communication student and love doing different type of illustrations in my spare time. I wanted to ask what kind of pencil crayons you use when achieving the shiny blacks and whites on the brown paper (like your latest Instagram post)?

Brooke Hagel said...

Anonymous, I use a few different mediums, colored pencils in cool gray 90% and white, Sharpie fine time markers, a white charcoal pencil and Opaque white marker.