Fashion Illustration and Technical Drawing
Fashion Illustration and Technical Drawing
This domain tests two different visual languages: illustration sells an idea; technical drawing (flat) instructs production. Expect questions on proportion, line, annotation and accuracy. Accuracy is marked as heavily as creativity.
Core rules
- Fashion figures are stylised, often 9 heads tall; the croquis is a template. Garment details must still be legible.
- Flats are drawn to scale, front and back, with no figure, true proportion and consistent line weights. Solid lines show seams; dashed lines show topstitching or hidden seams.
- Callouts name fabric, colourway, stitch type, closure and measurement. A technical drawing without callouts is incomplete.
- Use correct terminology: yoke, placket, princess seam, grainline, not drill hole.
- Proportion is checked with a plumb line: collar to waist, waist to hem, sleeve length.
Worked example
A flat for a shirt shows front, back, collar, cuffs, buttonstand, pocket and topstitching. The callout says '2 cm hem, 1 cm seam allowance, 7 buttons'. The reasoned answer separates illustration (gesture, mood) from technical drawing (measurable construction).
Traps
Drawing a croquis when asked for a flat; missing back view; inconsistent scale; decorative shading that hides construction lines; not labelling front and back.