FIDM, 5 presents Sketch School Get a jumpstart on your fashion career and learn how to draw the 9-headed figure. FIDM Instructor Nancy Riegeiman came up with this method and authored a book on the subject. DRAWING THE 9-HEADED FIGURE PREP Gather your supplies. You'll need a pencil, eraser, ruler, and sketchpad. Sit down at your desk with the open sketchpad in front of you. Now you are ready to let your imagination take over and fill the white space with your fashion sketches! (We have provided a on the last page.) roquis Template Step 2 THE CROQUIS The natural figure is typically rendered as an 8-Headed Figure. The 9-Headed Fashion Figure is longer than the natural figure. Throughout these sketching lessons, we will refer to your figure as a croquis. Croquis is the French ward for sketch and refers to a figure outline used as a basis to sketch designs on. Get to know this word! 2013 FIDM | fashlonclub.comStep 3 THE FASHION FIGURE: You mark the figure's position with an axis ting, Mark two points on the paper, one for the top of the head and one for the bottom of the legs. Connect the dots! You now have an axis. Next, divide your line into nine equal sections so that you can begin to draw the figure. Step 4 cosy ‘THE FASHION FIGURE: DRAWING THE HEAD Give your figure a head. Draw an egg-shaped oval in the space between Oand 1, moving from dot to dot to create a symmetrical oval. All the measurements of the figure are made in relation to the head you just drew. The head becomes a unit of measurement just like an inch or meter. 22013 FIDM | fashlonclub.com LUlisStep 5 THE FASHION FIGURE: NECK AND SHOULDERS Draw the neck, moving halfway down the axis line between (1) and (2). The neck is slimmer than the head. Take the length of the head and the neck (1/2 heads), and turn it sideways: this is the width of a woman's shoulders. Draw the shoulder line slightly above the base of the neck, Step 6 The wait ae THE FASHION FIGURE: pete THE BUST AND WAIST (2) 8 also the apex of the bust. Place a dot at (2) at an equal distance from the axis (center line). The waist is at (3) and can be drawn at approximately 3/4 heads width—decide for yourself whether you wish to make the waist thin, very thin, or super skinny. 22013 FIDM | fashlonclub.comStep 7 THE FASHION FIGURE: THE ILLIUM The next dot is just below the waist at 3 1/4;heads, It’s the point at the top of the pelvis and is called the Ilium. (Tap yourself at your side just below your waist and you will feel this bone). It is very important to establish this Point on the figure in order to make an accurate drawing or pattern from that drawing. The Illium is the point ‘at which a woman’s hip begins to differ from a man’s. Step 8 ‘THE FASHION FIGURE: THE HIPS AND KNEES Qur next point of reference is at the hip (4) and is the same width as the shoulders. Next, mark the crotch at 41/4 heads between the center of the legs. Haw, travel a long distance down ‘to the knee at (6). By following ina straight line from the crotch, (6) and place-a point which will mark the knee. The knee is 4/2 head in width. The next job is to connect the hip a ee ‘to the knee, t—zs Ls 22013 FIDM | fashlonclub.comStep 9 THE FASHION FIGURE: THE CALF AND ANKLE Our next point is at 71/2. This point Marks the calf (a large muscle called the gastrocnemius). Move your line from the knee to the calf, making the calf just a bit wider than the knee. Now make the long glide down to the ankle. Slide from the calf back toa very thin ankle at (9) (or just above (9) for a sporty, younger looking craquis), Step 10 ‘THE FASHION FIGURE: THE ARMS. Add the: arms, connecting the armhole to the elbow. Tap yourself at your waist and you will see that this is where your elbow fits. Remember: the waist is at (3) and the elbow is at (3). Finish your croquis by placing the wrist at (4). Tap yourself again, feel your hip, and you'll see an excellent fit, 2013 FIDM | fashionc hib,comStep 11 THE FASHION FIGURE: LINE QUALITY ‘An important aspect of drawing the figure is line quality—the thickness of the line, A thick, bold line will give the figure a strong, graphic presence and make it appear to have physical weight on the page. A thin line will do the opposite, making the figure appear tight and ethereal. A common mistake is to mave the pencil stowly down the page with little strokes, called "chicken scratches." Step 12 ‘THE FASHION FIGURE: NANCY RIEGELMAN Fashion Club would like to thank FIDM Instructor, Nancy Riegelman for sharing her knowledge on drawing the beginning. croquis with us. For more in-depth lessons on drawing the fashion figure, check out her amazing book, HEADS. Do you dream of someday seeing your fashion designs on the runway? Make it happen with a Fashion Design Degree from FIDM! Visit fidm.edu. 22013 FIDM | fashlonclub.comCroquis Template