Illustration Essay
Historical research
Fashion Illustration is the communication of fashion through unique art forms. It is usually commissioned for reproduction in fashion magazines as one part of an editorial feature or for the purpose of advertising and promoting fashion makers, fashion boutiques and department stores
What passes for a fashion illustration today has evolved through the years, partly as a result of shifts and trends in society as well as through advances in computer technology and wider artistic and aesthetic cultural influences. In the same way that fashion design reflects contemporary values and technologies, fashion illustration remains an evolving practice with artistic and commercial applications.
The stylized characteristics of illustration were later recognized and revived by some notable fashion magazines and commercial businesses in Europe and the United States. In reality, while fashion illustration and fashion photography are distinct media formats, the development of digital graphics software has boosted the artistic appeal of illustration and extended its commercial reach. A hand-rendered fashion illustration has the capacity to present an image of the figure that transcends what is real; it communicates what we might imagine or hope for. A fashion illustration should not only communicate visual information about a design but also express a mood or emotion: this remains one of the most important attributes of an effective illustration. Most of the great fashion illustrators, past and present, have understood this principle and worked with life models to enable a full range of expression in their work, such as Antonio Lopez as well as contemporary illustrators such as David Downton. It is interesting to note that many fashion illustrators are not usually trained designers. This is not a handicap but rather a release, which allows them to capture the essence and spirit of a design or outfit without being distracted by too many details or constraints.
Fashion Illustration is the communication of fashion through unique art forms. It is usually commissioned for reproduction in fashion magazines as one part of an editorial feature or for the purpose of advertising and promoting fashion makers, fashion boutiques and department stores
What passes for a fashion illustration today has evolved through the years, partly as a result of shifts and trends in society as well as through advances in computer technology and wider artistic and aesthetic cultural influences. In the same way that fashion design reflects contemporary values and technologies, fashion illustration remains an evolving practice with artistic and commercial applications.
The stylized characteristics of illustration were later recognized and revived by some notable fashion magazines and commercial businesses in Europe and the United States. In reality, while fashion illustration and fashion photography are distinct media formats, the development of digital graphics software has boosted the artistic appeal of illustration and extended its commercial reach. A hand-rendered fashion illustration has the capacity to present an image of the figure that transcends what is real; it communicates what we might imagine or hope for. A fashion illustration should not only communicate visual information about a design but also express a mood or emotion: this remains one of the most important attributes of an effective illustration. Most of the great fashion illustrators, past and present, have understood this principle and worked with life models to enable a full range of expression in their work, such as Antonio Lopez as well as contemporary illustrators such as David Downton. It is interesting to note that many fashion illustrators are not usually trained designers. This is not a handicap but rather a release, which allows them to capture the essence and spirit of a design or outfit without being distracted by too many details or constraints.