Teaching fashion illustration has become one of my greatest joys, and I am always happy to provide my students and other budding artists with information on how to get started. Here I share my favorite illustration books for beginners.
These are all in my library, and I still refer to them regularly for tips, tricks, and techniques. They’re all available on Amazon and range in price from super affordable to super investment, so you’ll be able to find one that fits your needs no matter what your budget. oh, and a disclaimer, because this is a thing now: this list is not sponsored or paid for by anyone in any way; These are truly some of my favorite fashion illustration books.
You are reading: How to draw fashion books
1 | essential fashion illustration by maite lafuente
budget: $
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I don’t even remember when I bought this book, probably when it was first published in 2006, so it’s been on my shelf for almost a decade. This thin and light manual covers all the important basics of learning how to draw a fashion figure, from proportions to poses to the perfect fashion face. There are a myriad of poses to learn, and it examines different parts of the fashion figure (such as arms, legs, and feet) in great detail, helping you draw them from every angle. The best part: It’s very affordable, and you can usually find it at any major bookstore with an art and design section. (in fact, I’ve never seen it at a barnes & noble). Amazon even has copies for as little as a penny, so if you snag one of those, you’ve definitely got a great deal.
2 | 9 heads of nancy riegelman
budget: $$
This is a fashion school bible. Nancy Riegelman has been teaching fashion illustration for literally decades, and her book on the subject is used in college curricula across the country. And with good reason: this is probably one of the most complete fashion illustration books you will find. It starts with the body, then goes into very specific detail about drawing faces, hair, clothing, fabric textures, and even facial features based on ethnicity. You’ll also see instructions on how to accurately colorize (or “render” as we say in illustration) skin tones and fabrics to make them look authentic. this is not a book that can travel with you, it is very large and quite heavy, but it is definitely a key reference book to have on your shelf.
3 | fashion illustration for designers by kathryn hagen
budget: $$$
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When I decided to get really serious about fashion illustration, but before I could enroll in school, I decided to invest in buying this textbook. Fair warning: it’s an expensive book (it’s a textbook, you know!…although you can find used versions now that aren’t that expensive). I knew it was a book that is also used for college syllabi, and I knew it would take me step-by-step through learning illustration, from beginner skills to more advanced techniques.
While this is a great textbook, it’s very easy to read and navigate, it’s not as comprehensive, in some places, as 9 heads. however, there are three key things that make it a great book: 1) there are exercises at the end of each chapter to help you develop your skills; 2) newer editions have a chapter on using photoshop to improve your drawings; and 3) there is a bonus dvd! the dvd has a great video of the author showing you her rendering techniques in real time. it’s like sitting next to an instructor while he works. (you can see an example of one of the videos here on youtube).
So there they are, three books to help you get started in fashion illustration. hope these help! Do you already have any of these books or other fashion illustration texts? what are your favourites? let me know in the comments.
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