Fashion illustrations are more than just sketches of garments. They are also a way of communicating your brand values, personality, and vision to your potential customers, collaborators, and investors. In this article, you will learn how to infuse your fashion illustrations with brand values by following these six steps:
Before you start drawing, you need to have a clear idea of what your brand stands for, what makes it unique, and what message you want to convey. Your brand values are the core principles that guide your design decisions and reflect your identity. You can use a brand values worksheet, a mood board, or a vision statement to help you define your brand values.
I’m of the professional opinion that, the core values of your brand should be derived from the self. This promotes a healthy form of thinking within yourself necessary to trust the executive faculty of your decision making. It communicates clarity with the consumer of your product. You want to let the product tell a simple story about its creator, because people who love the product will naturally want to know what lead the creator to design each evolution to their legacy. Communicate a sense of raw and authentic emotion subtly to allow the observer nearly infinite interpretations of your work. This communicates intelligence and raw depth of thinking about how the product, will eventually shape the consumers life.
Infusing brand values into fashion illustrations is a dynamic and creative process that requires a thoughtful approach. By leveraging storytelling, color psychology, symbolic elements, and collaboration, fashion illustrations can become a compelling means of expressing and reinforcing the core values that define a brand. The ability to seamlessly integrate these values into visual content not only enhances brand identity but also establishes a genuine and lasting connection with the audience.
Your style and medium are the visual elements that express your brand values through your fashion illustrations. Your style is the way you use lines, shapes, colors, textures, and proportions to create your sketches. Your medium is the tool you use to draw, such as pencils, markers, watercolors, or digital software. You should choose a style and medium that match your brand values and showcase your creativity and skills.
Before embarking on the creative process, it is essential to have a deep understanding of your brand values. Whether it's sustainability, inclusivity, innovation, or heritage, clarifying these values will act as a guiding light throughout the illustration process.
Color is one of the most powerful ways to infuse your fashion illustrations with brand values, as it can evoke emotions, associations, and moods. You should use color psychology to select a color palette that suits your brand values and communicates your design intentions. For example, if your brand values are bold, energetic, and passionate, you might use red, orange, and yellow. If your brand values are elegant, sophisticated, and luxurious, you might use black, white, and gold.
Color psychology plays a pivotal role in fashion drawing and illustration, serving as a potent tool to convey emotions and communicate brand values. The choice of colors in a fashion illustration can significantly impact the viewer's perception and emotional response. Below, we explore how color psychology is applied in the realm of fashion illustration, using the provided guidance as a framework.
Details and accessories are the finishing touches that add personality and flair to your fashion illustrations. They can also reinforce your brand values and make your sketches stand out from the crowd. You should add details and accessories that complement your style and medium, and that reflect your design aesthetic and vision. For example, if your brand values are fun, playful, and quirky, you might add patterns, prints, and embellishments. If your brand values are minimal, modern, and sleek, you might add simple shapes, clean lines, and geometric forms.
Typography and logo are the graphic elements that identify your brand and make it recognizable. They can also infuse your fashion illustrations with brand values by creating a visual identity and a connection with your audience. You should incorporate typography and logo that suit your style and medium, and that convey your brand name and slogan. For example, if your brand values are classic, timeless, and refined, you might use a serif font and a monogram. If your brand values are innovative, futuristic, and cutting-edge, you might use a sans serif font and a symbol.
A cohesive collection is a series of fashion illustrations that share a common theme, concept, or story. It is also a way of infusing your fashion illustrations with brand values by showing your design consistency and coherence. You should create a cohesive collection that follows your style and medium, and that showcases your color palette, details, accessories, typography, and logo. You should also create a collection that reflects your brand values and appeals to your target market and niche.
In my experience, it's beneficial to take the extra time to draw more looks than you want in your collection. This will allow you to assess the overall cohesion, cut out what doesn't belong, and move around details that feel like they're in the wrong place. Don't rush the process, and make sure you refer back to your initial inspiration and your core values to make sure everything aligns.