Ten Top Tips For Trying Your Hand At Fashion Illustration

Thought you had to enrol into a fashion course to have a go? Well you thought wrong! All you need to get started is an iPad, an Apple account and THESE top tips from UAL Fashion Illustration student Holly Farmer. Instagram: @Holly.F 

TOP TIPS:

1) Your iPad is the sketchbook you can have in your bag all the time -  don’t be afraid to pop it out WHEREVER and WHENEVER you have a new idea.

2) Use your iPad to take pictures and to do rough sketches on the go and then convert these into works of art with the range of tools and apps available on iPad!

3) Experiment with all the tools and features available on ANY app you choose – as you never know if you’ll stumble across something really cool in the process.

4) With some of the apps it’s possible to upload photos so you can draw over photographs or make arty collages. It’s great to combine photographs with drawing and starting with a picture is A LOT less daunting than starting with a blank page.

5) Some apps like Sketchbook Pro have a few features similar to Photoshop, so you can choose layering options like multiply, add or screen. This is my favourite feature on the app.

6) I like to get down a large amount of colour first and play around with the paint bucket tool. Sometimes it goes wrong but in a good way, and creates unusual glitches and mistakes which gives the piece a more human quality.

7) Don’t be a perfectionist. I personally don't like my work to look too perfect so I often colour outside the lines, or draw a bright pink line through a face on purpose!

8) You can ZOOM in to draw really fine details for precision and then ZOOM out again to check the overall effect in most creative apps.

9) Once you’re ready to share your AMAZING creations with the world (or just to your closest friends and family) you can do easily right from iPad – by uploading it to your blog, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

10) There are so many apps for creating art on the iPad, so whatever your artistic ability, get EXPLORING on the App Store to find the ones that work best for YOU.

Here are 11 AMAZING apps to get you started:

Sketchbook Express:

This fun and intuitive app allows you to create doodles and to sketch on the go. PERFECT for jotting down ideas and drafts for illustrations.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sketchbook-express-for-ipad/id410871280?mt=8 

 

Adobe Ideas:

This Adobe app makes it incredibly easy to transition ideas and files to the brilliant Adobe Illustrator Draw app, which combines the best of the idea app with even NEWER features.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/adobe-ideas/id364617858?mt=8 

 

 

ArtRage:

This amazing app gives you access to Watercolour Oil paint and all the other tools of a real Art Studio at your fingertips – beyond cool.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/artrage/id391432693?mt=8 

 

 

Waterlogue:

This app captures the essence of your pictures, and transforms them into high res, high quality, liquid colour masterpieces- simply amazing.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/waterlogue/id764925064?mt=8 

 

Paper by FiftyThree:

This great sketching app is the NO fuss way to get all your ideas onto page, no matter what your ability is.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/paper-by-fiftythree/id506003812?mt=8 

 

Procreate:

This iPad exclusive app is the ULTIMATE must have for illustration, as it includes over a 100 incredible paintbrushes and a uniquely powerful brush engine for all your ideas.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/procreate-sketch-paint-create./id425073498?mt=8 

 

Pixelmator:

Compatible with those who use Photoshop, this app is a super powerful image editor, which takes FULL advantage of the latest IOS technologies and creates fantastic edits.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/pixelmator/id924695435?mt=8 

 

 

iDraw:

This graphic design and illustration app allows you create works of art and complex and detailed illustrations on the go. It’s as simple as that.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/idraw/id363317633?mt=8 

 

 

Chic Sketch:

Take a head to toe snap of yourself and find yourself sketched within seconds. A FAB way to illustrate your OOTD.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/chic-sketch/id956913921?mt=8 

 

Pret a Template:

Sketch fashion easily with this app that makes it easy to create new and original fashion ideas. GREAT for those who think they need to be Picasso to design clothes.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/pret-a-template/id839537579?mt=8 

  

Considering getting serious about Fashion Illustration - check out the UAL graduate course HERE.