How can you use embroidery to create a textured fashion illustration?

Adding different types of thread textures to your embroidery could give your fashion drawing more depth and texture. For more depth, try using metallic threads, silk ribbons, wool yarns or even unusual materials like thin wire or fishing line instead of regular stitching floss. Your drawing will feel more real when you touch it because each type of thread has a different texture and shine. Metallic threads can look like jewellery or other decorations, silk ribbons can make dresses look fuller, and wool yarns can give illustrated clothes a cosy feel. Trying out these different materials can help you improve your fashion drawing by giving it more visual and tactile interest that keeps the viewer's attention.

To make your fashion drawings look three-dimensional, add layers of stitches to give them depth and volume. As the base of your pattern, start with flat stitches. Then, add layers of stitches with more texture, like loop stitches, couching, or stumpwork, to make interesting spots. Layered stitches, for example, can look like the folds of fabric, the fluffiness of fur, or the complexity of lace designs. By putting denser stitches in some areas and leaving others with fewer, you can give the impression of depth, which will make your illustration stand out. This method not only makes your design look more realistic, but it also makes the viewer want to feel the fabrics you're drawing.

Try out different colour gradients in your fashion drawings by using needlework. This will help you copy the small changes in colour and tone that you see in real clothes. By mixing threads of different colours, you can make smooth changes that make the fabric look like it has volume, movement, and light effects. To make it look like light falling on a draped gown, for example, slowly change from dark to light shades. You can also mix threads of related colours to make a complex, rich colour that gives your illustration more depth. This method lets you show fabrics in a more lively way, and it can make your fashion drawings look more real and colourful.

In your fashion drawings, use empty space in your embroidery to show shape and structure. Don't stitch all the way through your pattern; instead, let the base fabric show through in some places. This method can be especially useful for drawing attention to the shape of a clothing, making effects that look sheer, or drawing attention to how light a fabric is. For instance, leaving parts of the fabric unstitched where light might naturally hit them or where the fabric would naturally be see-through can make your drawing look more sophisticated and real. Using space in creative ways not only makes things more interesting to look at but also strikes a balance between the detailed and the simple, showing what the clothing is really like.