Live Model Painting: Practicing a New Skill

As a fashion designer, I need to be able to communicate my ideas visually. I draw and redraw a design constantly to arrive at the best idea and solution. I study fabrics and sketch them using various media to properly capture the drape, texture, and color.

It is also essential to draw the fashion figure in a way that best expresses the design idea and the mood of the garment or the whole collection. I have been focusing on developing my fashion illustration and for the past several months I have attended a weekly live model painting sessions at a local college. 

Below are several of my sketches. I so enjoy the class! It is quiet as all attendees focus on the model's pose and capturing it on paper. The models - both female and male - do a lot of poses for various lengths of time. Some last a minute; others 30 minutes. 

I enjoy taking a moment to just watch the body, the pose, and the tension of the muscles. I then outline the general shape and carefully start filling in the shades and shadows of the lamps above the model. 

A lot of the time I spend on capturing the whole body. Sometimes, however, I just draw a body part, such as an arm of a leg. In the time allotted for a particular pose, I may do two or three sketches of the arm and try to use a different technique to draw the same elements. 

I am looking forward to many more sessions in this art class. And I am looking forward to see my progress over time. And ultimately, I believe my sketching skills will translate well into my fashion design work.