Fashion Sketch Design

One of the cornerstones of fashion school is learning how to sketch fashion figures. However, as fashion school students learn, there's a big difference between proper body proportions in art and in fashion.

In art, the body's proportions are measured in heads. The average figure is about 7-7 1/2 heads, including the actual head, tall.

However, in fashion, the body proportions are elongated in order to better represent the models, who are above average in height. Because of this, the figures become 8-10 heads tall. Though the basic proportions of the fashion figure are about the same -- give or take 1/4-1/2 of a head -- every illustrator adds their own style to the formula.

If you want to embrace your inner fashion designer, or just want to learn more about what fashion school is like, read on!

Today, I'll teach you how to sketch a proportionate female fashion figure and how to translate the measurements into a walking pose. Scroll down to learn more:

Materials You'll Need:

Pencil
Eraser
Ruler (if you want to be extremely precise)
A sketchpad


How to Draw a Female Fashion Figure

Step #1
Draw a line. This is the balance line, a.k.a. the line which determines the body's center of gravity. The balance line always extends from the base of the neck (where it meets the shoulders) straight to the ground.

Step #2
Draw a head with the middle of it on the line. To draw a head, sketch a large circle on top with a smaller circle below it. Connect these two on the sides with slightly rounded diagonal lines, as shown in the sketch below.

Step #3
Measure the head, either with your pencil or the ruler. Using this measurement, draw nine small dashes equal distance apart, then number them from the bottom of the chin (#1) down to the bottom of the feet (#10).

Step #4
For the top half of the body, draw lines extending from 1 1/2 heads, 2 1/4, 3, 3 1/2, and 4 1/4 heads, as outlined below. These marks are where the shoulders, bust, waist, high hip, and crotch are located, respectively. The elbows are also located with the waist at the 3 heads mark.

Step #5
Draw the features in, using straight lines: The shoulders on the woman fashion figure are 1 1/2 heads wide, the waist is a head's width, while the hips should be about 1 1/4 heads wide. Therefore, the woman fashion figure should have an hourglass silhouette.

Step #6
For the lower half of the body, mark 6 1/2 heads as well as 9 for the knees and ankles, respectively.

Step #7
Draw the legs by making lines which curve and narrow as they go from the high hip to the knee for the thighs. For the calves, make a smaller cylindrical shape by curving the lines from the knees and then tapering them at the ankles, which jut out slightly on the inner half of each leg.

The thighs (from high hip to knee) and the calves (from knee to ankle) should be the same length.

Step #8
The last head is for the feet, which begin at the ankle to flare out in diagonal lines for 3/4 of the length of the head before they meet at a point.

Step #9
Draw the hands similarly. These begin with the wrist at the crotch. The fingers should end a little above the 5 heads mark.