Fashion Illustration – JSS2 Fashion and Garment Making Lesson Note (Third Term)

Shading and colouring in fashion illustration add light, shadow, texture and colour to a figure drawing so that the clothes look real.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. State why shading and colouring are used in fashion illustration.
2. List the tools used for shading and colouring.
3. Shade folds and creases on a figure using a light source.
4. Show the texture of four types of fabric in a drawing.
5. Colour a fashion figure using layering, skin tones and outlining.

Why do we shade and colour a fashion illustration?

We shade and colour to add dimension, which makes a flat pencil outline look like clothing a person can touch and wear.

• Light and shadow: shows where light hits the dress and where dark corners fall, such as under the arms or between the legs.
• Texture: shows whether cloth is rough like sackcloth (burlap) or smooth like silk.
• Weight: shows whether fabric hangs heavily or is light and “breezy”.

• Link to the last lesson: the 9-head fashion figure (croquis) is the base that we shade and colour.

What tools are needed for shading and colouring?

The main tools are pencils, coloured pencils, markers and an eraser.

• Pencils: an HB for drawing and a 2B or 4B for dark shadows.
• Coloured pencils: good for layering and blending colours.
• Markers: give bold, bright colours, such as those in Ankara.
• Eraser: corrects mistakes and also lifts colour to show shiny highlights.
• Tissue paper: used with a finger to blend pencil marks.
• Fine-liner pen or sharp black pencil: used for the final outline.

How do we shade the body and clothes?

Shading is the use of dark and light marks to make a drawing look three-dimensional.

• Without shading: a sleeve looks like a flat rectangle.
• With shading: the sleeve looks like a tube with an arm inside.

Steps in shading

1. Find the light source: decide where the light comes from before you start.
2. Shade the side away from the light: if light is on the left, the right side of the body and the folds of the dress must be dark.
3. Shade folds and creases: clothes fold at the elbows, knees and waist.
4. Blend: rub the pencil marks gently with tissue paper or a finger to remove harsh lines.

How do we shade folds?

• Deeper folds: use a darker pencil or more pressure inside the “V” of a fold.
• Raised areas: leave the top of the fold lighter so the fabric seems to pop out toward you.

Why do we blend?

• Soft shadow: blending makes shadow look soft, like real skin or soft fabric.
• No harsh lines: it removes hard pencil strokes that look like scratches.

What are the ways of showing fabric texture?

There are four main ways of showing fabric in an illustration: for prints, shiny fabrics, transparent fabrics and heavy fabrics.

A designer must show the chosen fabric in the drawing without writing it down.

1. Ankara and prints

• Do not draw every tiny detail: keep the pattern simple.
• Use bright, bold colours: draw the main shapes first, such as big flowers or circles.
• Add the background colour: fill around the shapes after they are drawn.
• Follow the body: the pattern must curve with the body.

2. Shiny fabrics (silk and satin)

• Leave white paper: keep large highlights where light hits the curves.
• Use very dark shadows: place them right next to the white highlights.
• High contrast: the sharp change from white to dark gives a shiny look.

3. Transparent fabrics (chiffon and lace)

• Draw the body first: the skin must show through the cloth.
• Colour lightly over the skin: use a very pale version of the fabric colour.
• Lace pattern at the edges: draw it only at the edges to show the cloth is see-through.

4. Heavy fabrics (denim and wool)

• Use cross-hatching: draw lines that cross each other like a hashtag (#).
• Effect: the fabric looks thick and rough.

Summary table of fabric techniques

What is a colour story?

A colour story is the choice and use of colours that gives a fashion illustration a mood.

Layering colours

• Do not use one pencil only: a single green pencil for a green dress looks flat.
• Example: start with light yellow, put green on top, then use dark blue in the shadows.
• Result: the colour looks rich.

Skin tones

• Nigerian skin: it comes in many shades of brown and chocolate.
• Mixing: mix brown, orange and a little purple to get a realistic skin tone.
• Shine: leave a little shine on the forehead and nose of the model.

Outlining

• When: outline after the colouring is finished.
• Tool: use a very sharp black pencil or a fine-liner pen.
• Where: go over the important lines, such as the jawline, the edges of the sleeves and the hem.
• Effect: the drawing stands out from the page.

What are the key terms?

How do we improve our observation?

Shading and colouring depend on observation, which means looking carefully at real clothes.

• Look at your friends’ clothes: find where the shadows fall.
• Look for shine: notice which parts reflect light.
• Draw what you see: if you can see it, you can draw it.

Class activity

1. Draw a simple circle and shade it so that it looks like a round ball.
2. Choose a light source and shade the side away from it with a 2B pencil.
3. Blend the shading with tissue paper.

Evaluation

1. State three things that shading and colouring show in a fashion illustration.
2. Name the pencils used for drawing and for dark shadows.
3. How do you show a shiny fabric such as satin?
4. What is cross-hatching, and which fabrics is it used for?
5. Describe how to colour a transparent fabric such as chiffon.

Assignment

Take a piece of your own school uniform. Draw a 2-inch square of the fabric, showing its exact colour and texture.