Steven Stipelman has done it again with the latest edition of his book Illustrating Fashion: Concept to Creation (3rd Edition). Stipelman's book is an excellent resource for anyone, from the aspiring student to the experienced and working fashion illustrator. The book includes step-by-step tutorials on how to draw everything from the basic fashion figure, hands, feet, and faces to clothing details like fur cuffs, tweed, lace and tulle.
In one of my very first posts on Fabulous Doodles I shared the first edition (here), as its been a staple on my bookshelves since college. In this latest edition Stipelman has updated it by redrawing more than 1,000 full color illustrations and referencing designer garments and time periods for accurate historical references.
Illustrating Fashion Concept to Creation (3rd Edition) is very easy to navigate through and use as a reference. Its divided into five main sections:
- Getting Started: Supplies, lines, etc.
- The Fashion Figure: Hands, feet, shaping the body, gesture and balance line.
- The Fashion Details: Silhouettes, necklines, drapery and bias, tailored clothing and accessories.
- Rendering: Stripes, plaids, knits and other intricate rendering techniques.
- Extras: Walking figures, menswear, children, flats.
Stipelman is an incredible teacher and seasoned fashion illustrator, so to sit in a classroom and watch him sketch was a privelage. (I was lucky enough to have Stipleman as my professor for four consecutive semesters!) Now you can observe and learn form him as well, because with this book comes a dvd of demonstrations by Stipelman! Watching my professor and friend drawing made me feel like I was 19 again, gathered around his desk with other FIT students mezmorized by his illustrating.
This book is used as a textbook for all of FIT's fashion design students and is a splurge worthy necessity for any fashion illustrator. You can check it out, along with a few of my other book recommendations here, in my Amazon shop.
