How to become A Fashion Illustrator

Fashion Illustrators are inspired by style and express it artistically with the mighty pen, creating fabulous illustrations that get the imagination soaring. They use their creative art and design skills to communicate through pictures and images across a range of mediums.

• Fashion Artist

What do Fashion Illustrators do?

A Fashion Illustrator would typically need to:

• Create designs for garments, shoes, fashion accessories, and other apparel for use in catalogs, magazines, brochures, flyers, commercials, and other advertising media
• Sketch drawings and produce layouts to communicate unique and attractive fashion ideas, using various mediums including paint, charcoal, colored pencils, and computer software programs
• Liaise and maintain open communication with fashion designers, art directors, and buyers to understand and interpret their business needs
• Draw the attention of the buying public to a particular clothing line; bring the vision of the fashion designers to life through the illustration of the actual design plan
• Select the appropriate colors, sounds, and animation that go well with the existing fashion concept; develop fabric patterns and designs as a blueprint for apparel manufacturers
• Negotiate pricing and deadlines, bill clients promptly and appropriately, and keep track of expenses
• Line up new jobs when a current project ends; think imaginatively and creatively to produce new ideas; reach out to potential commissioners to seek new sources of work
• Gain knowledge of appropriate styles and keep abreast with the latest fashion trends; create original pieces for self-promotion; research suitable venues and mediums to exhibit work
• Run the business when working freelance

Fashion Illustrators may work in well-lit, organized workspaces with room to accommodate their tools either in an office environment or at home if they are freelancers.

In general, Fashion Illustrator professionals work very closely with fashion designers, editors, art directors, and models. They make sketches from designers’ notes or sketch live models during runway shows or other fashion presentations. You may use pencils, pen & ink, charcoal, paint, airbrush, computer technology, or a combination of media.

There will sometimes be travel within a working day to meet clients, but overnight absence from home as well as overseas work and travel are uncommon. The preferred dress code for Fashion Illustrators seems to be something comfortable and casual in black. Black is versatile; it does not show all the paint/ink stains.

Some Fashion Illustrators soon discover a market for their talents and receive many commissions, while others may have many rejections before securing work. To establish and maintain your reputation, it is imperative to keep to deadlines. It may sometimes result in working long hours, weekends, and evenings to deliver a brief.

A career as a Fashion Illustrator will allow you to combine aspects of fashion design and art. You can create fashion illustrations for your designs, which may even make their way into magazines, catalogs, advertisements, websites, and newspapers.

Most Fashion Illustrators work as self-employed freelance artists, although trend forecasting (fashion) offers a limited number of full-time employment opportunities. You need to market your work to potential employers. If you freelance, you can use agents to generate and market your work. Jobs are available in most areas, but proximity to a city is an advantage, especially for Fashion Illustrators without an agent.

Fashion Illustrators are generally employed by:

• Fashion Designers
• Fashion Publications
• Design Houses
• Clothing Manufacturers
• Fashion Forecast Firms
• Clothing Pattern Companies
• Clothing Catalog Firms
• E-zines & Retail Websites
• Department Stores

Professional associations and organizations are critical for Fashion Illustrators interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

• A fluctuating workload from no commissions to too many; low and irregular pay, according to the state of the market
• Patchy earnings during the first few years; need to take on additional part-time jobs to supplement income as a Fashion Illustrator
• Extremely competitive and fast-paced work environment; the pressure of deadlines and demanding personalities

You can explore this field and build experience by taking drawing classes at school and becoming a member of local organizations such as community centers. School art clubs will allow you to meet with others who share your interests; they sometimes sponsor talks or meetings with professionals.

Join the school yearbook, newspaper, or literary magazine staff, which uses visual art to accompany their text. Look for part-time or summer work at an art supply store or assisting a professional artist. It will allow you to become familiar with many tools of the trade.

Fashion magazines will help you keep pace with fashion trends, models, and the work of other illustrators. Try drawing or sewing your creations or getting a job at a clothing store. It will give you experience working with people and clothes and you might even get to offer fashion tips to customers.

You must build a good portfolio showcasing your natural ability and your technical skills. Aspiring Fashion Illustrators must acquire relevant work and field experience through internship and apprenticeship programs. Finding entry-level Fashion Illustrator positions will allow you to hone your skills and talents as you build an impressive portfolio.

To work as a Fashion Illustrator, one must have a clear understanding of fashion design and art.

Although the field is open to all graduates and diplomates, an associate or bachelor’s degree in fashion design, fine art, graphic design and illustration, printmaking, and visual art from accredited institutions will increase your chances of gainful employment. There are numerous reputed fashion design schools to choose from.

Courses should include fashion interpretation, an illustration of live models, accessory and figure composition, fashion image drawing, anatomical life drawing, and advanced media color rendering.

Job requirements vary greatly depending on the preference of the employers. Natural ability plays a powerful part in the successful development of artistic skills. Qualifications and the subject of study are far less important than a talent for illustration, promotional skills, and the ideas contained in your portfolio.

You can take diverse classes in high school to help you determine the extent of your talent and prepare you for work as a Fashion Illustrator. Take as many classes as you can, in studio art, math and communication.

Certifications in business and management skills will help you manage your career in a lucrative manner.

On average, it takes Fashion Illustrators around five or six years to build a reputation and become established in the industry. Fashion Illustrators who are employees of organizations may progress by taking on supervisory roles or working with specific accounts. They may also aim at owning their illustration business one day.

Starting as an assistant to an established Fashion Illustrator, you may work your way up to Fashion Illustrator and from there to being the Owner of a fashion illustration firm. Setting up as a freelance Fashion Illustrator is risky, so you may decide to build up contacts and clients gradually while doing other paid work.

Career progression is relatively limited. The majority of Fashion Illustrators remain freelancers and may enjoy a highly successful career with a growing clientele and higher earnings. As you become better known, you can charge more for your services and be more selective about your jobs. Some will successfully combine illustration with teaching. A small number may work as Agents for other illustrators.

Freelancers have promising job prospects. Those who have natural artistic talent, strong computer skills, and experience with illustration software programs will have the best job prospects.

While you do not need a pre-entry postgraduate qualification, either a diploma or a master’s in fashion design or illustration may be advantageous, especially if you are interested in teaching. Courses last from one to three years and may be followed part-time while you are developing freelance work. Most postgraduate degrees include a series of studio-based modules, self-directed learning, individual research, and professional practice.

Evening classes, competitions, and workshops are a great way of keeping your portfolio up to date and varied as well as potentially generating extra exposure. It is useful to consider part-time training to update your skills in computer-aided design (CAD) packages, such as Illustrator, QuarkXPress, InDesign, Freehand, and Adobe Photoshop. It may help generate more work. Good knowledge of digital media and web marketing skills will be helpful.

As a member of a professional organization, you will receive a regular newsletter, the opportunity to attend seminars on practical issues, help with your portfolio, and advice on invoicing and pricing. An online discussion board covering all areas of practice may be a handy option. You may also be included in their directory of members, alongside examples of your work, which can be a good source of future commissions.

Your business skills are as important as your creative skills. Short self-employment courses offered at local career services and enterprise agencies can help you understand all aspects of business and marketing.

From Sketches to Sales

The artistic focus of a Fashion Illustrator is specifically on styles of clothing and personal image. The images, sketches, and layouts that Fashion Illustrators create and develop are usually integrated into print ads, television commercials, and online advertisements. They help to advertise new fashions, promote models, and popularize designers, encouraging clients to try out fashion products and accessories up for sale.

Web Presence

In an increasingly global market, your web presence is an essential tool. Many sites host searchable databases providing links to websites for potential commissioners to search, although you should carefully research each site’s management/marketing before registering for these services. Fashion Illustrators work in creative environments where visual images are highly valued.

A Handy Checklist

Understanding human anatomy will help you draw fashion figures in a variety of poses. Stylize to optimize the garment, accessories, or design depicted. Create figures in motion to keep your figure from looking static and stiff.

Use both positive and negative space to get the most out of your composition. Render textiles and show their weight and movement in ways that viewers understand what sort of fabric is being illustrated. Draw patterns within your textile designs to create more interesting clothing or tell stories within your work.

Don’t forget how important hair and hairstyles can be to design, composition, or overall illustration. Also, remember that accessories can complete an illustration or be one in their own right.

Understanding perspective and how objects interact with one another or a figure within space will help you draw nearly anything needed for your illustration. Render non-textile surfaces in a way that the viewer understands the difference between each surface within your illustration.

Potential Pros&Cons of Freelancing

Being a freelancer offers freedom with flexible schedules, working hours, and location. They have full ownership of the business and can afford selectivity in terms of the variety of projects and clients presented. While it has unlimited earning potential, it also has less stability and security, with inconsistent work and cash flow. There is more responsibility, effort, and risk involved. Paid holidays and sick/maternity/paternity leaves become unaffordable. There is the added pressure of a self-employment tax and no eligibility for unemployment benefits.

A full-time employee, however, has access to company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. They are susceptible to potential boredom and inability to pursue passion projects due to their lack of time or effort. There is a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety, and need to budget extra money for commuting and attire costs.

The stock price market decides the dress length in trend.

As a talented and skilled Fashion Illustrator, you will help fashion designers flesh out their ideas; your hand gets their ideas onto paper and ultimately onto a model and eventually the customer.

"There’s an old blog post on gapingvoid that talks about ‘The Sex & Cash Theory.’ There will always be the sexy jobs you do, and then there are the cash jobs you do. No matter where you are in your career, you’re never going to transcend that. Even if you are a big movie star, you can do a super cool indie movie, but then you also have to do a super dumb superhero movie to pay your bills.”