Summer Enrichment Art Classes-Fashion Illustration

 

 

 

So if you follow my blog more or less regularly you know that every summer I teach middle school enrichment art classes.  Most of the time I teach 'creative crafts' which is exactly what it sounds like, crafts using everything from string and magazines, to popsicle sticks and paper mache.   Anyways, this year I wanted to try something different and so I decided to teach a fashion illustration class and a manga (Japanese cartooning) class.  My manga class is still finishing up their first project but my fashion class just finished this one today.  

The project was to create an inspiration board.  Here's how it went down.:

Now keep in mind that I don't teach enrichment classes quite a fervently as I teach my elementary kids throughout the year.  During the summer I keep a very laid back class, allow for a lot of student input, interpretation and freedom.  If they don't want to do the project or a certain part of it, its no problem, I just provide them with some alternate suggestions and let them go about their merry art-making way.  No grades, no muss, and no fuss.  Plus, they're middle school aged so they are a little bit more independent than what I'm used to. (Notice how I said "a little" ;) 

This project took 7 days, each  day being 1 hour. 

 I spent the first 3 days of class with 1/2 hour of instruction on how to draw the fashion figure and 1/2 an hour of student practice.  

I spent the 4th day on faces, although from the looks of it, I'm going to have to re-visit this topic.

The final few days were spent with the students working independently for the whole hour long sessions on their boards. 

 

 

The books below I got from my local library, who knew they had such a good collection of books? 

I particularly like the book on the left which is where the first picture of the figure on this post came from.  It's

'Fashion Illustration: Inspiration and Technique' by  Anna Kiper.  It has FABULOUS illustrations and is, in fact, very inspiring!

This pic below is my example:  When I graduated high school I went to FIT as a fashion design major.  I  used to be REALLY good at drawing the fashion figure but I was terrible at sewing...which is why I I'm an art teacher and not a fashion designer.  Anyways...almost 15 years later..not terrible, but .I have lost some of my touch at it. 

These are my students work: Pretty good eh?

 

 

 

For the next project I'm going to re-teach/review faces, discuss and practice clothing rendering, and then have my kids do a mixed media project.