Instructor Guide
Illustrator for Fashion Design:
Drawing Flats
Author: Robin Schneider
Recommended companion text:
Adobe for Fashion: Illustrator CS6 – The Ultimate Guide to Drawing Flats
By Robin Schneider, ISBN 978-1-300-57758-4
Week 1:
Lecture: Introductions, expectations and requirements. Introduction to Adobe Illustrator. Workspace- Art
board, panels, layers, making selections, moving objects, fills, drawing shapes, editing paths, pen tool and
working with anchor points.
Homework: Draw a bouquet of flowers by drawing stars and using the convert anchor point tool to curve
corner points into petals, place each flower on its own layer and label all layers.
Study Terminology
Movies:
Introduction:
• What is a flat?
1. Getting Started: Overview of Basic Illustrator Tools
• Exploring the workspace
• Using selection tools
• Drawing shapes
• Using color
• Using the Layers panel
• Using the Pen Tool
Text: Read Chapter 1 pp. 1-30
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Week 2:
Lecture: Review Illustrator workspace. Introduce Join and Average; Rotate objects; Reflect objects; using
Pathfinder- Unite, Exclude and Divide; drawing a basic tank top; princess lines and color blocking using
Pathfinder Divide and Unite.
Homework: Draw 6 Basic Silhouettes and use pathfinder to add color blocking or style lines.
Movies:
1. Getting Started: Overview of Basic Illustrator Tools
• Using the Rotate tool and duplicating objects
• Using the Reflect tool and joining paths
• Using Pathfinder
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2. Drawing a Basic T-shirt
• Placing a template
• Drawing the bodice
Text: Read Chapter 2 pp. 31-45
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Week 3:
Lecture: Review drawing flats and Pathfinder. Introduce adding the back neckline; adding sleeves;
drawing the back view using Isolation mode; adding stitches using dashed line and the Eyedropper tool.
Quiz: Basic tools and terminology
Homework: Draw 5 flats front and back (short sleeve crew neck T-shirt; empire dress with V-neck; pencil
skirt with waistband; long sleeve sweatshirt with trim at neck, sleeves and hem; Chanel Style Jacket)
Movies:
2. Drawing a Basic T-Shirt
• Adding the back neckline
• Adding sleeves
• Organizing the Layers panel
• Drawing the back view
• Perfecting the flat
• Adding stitching
Text: Read Chapter 3 pp. 47-59
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Week 4:
Lecture: Review drawing flats front and back. Introduce drawing collars, drawing cuffs and plackets; align
and distribute buttons.
Homework: Draw 5 assorted shirt flats, front and back views, with buttons, collars, cuffs, and stitching.
(Polo Shirt, Camp Shirt, Oxford Shirt, Blouse, Western Shirt)
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Movies:
3. Drawing a Button-Down Shirt
• The parts of a shirt and collar
• Drawing a collar
• Adding the front placket
• Adding sleeves with cuffs
• Adding a yoke
• Adding buttons
• Drawing the back view of the button down
• Adding the sleeve placket
• Drawing a fitted shirt with princess seams
Text: Read Chapter 4 pp. 61-77
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Week 5:
Lecture: Drawing Blazers; drawing skirts with fullness
Homework: Draw 2 blazers and 2 skirts from catalog photos. (I like Nordstrom’s website for images)
Movies:
4. Drawing Skirts
• Understanding how fabrics drape
• Setting up guides
• Drawing a skirt
• Adding details to the skirt
• Drawing the back view of the skirt
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5. Drawing a Blazer
• The parts of a blazer
• Drawing the lapels
• Drawing the blazer front
• Adding details to the blazer
• Drawing the blazer back
Text: Read Chapter 5 pp.79-93
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Week 6:
Midterm exam: Draw a trench coat from a photo or garment to scale with all details.
Lecture: Creating brushes (Zig zag, double needle top stitch, zipper)
Homework: Create 5 brushes for your library and research ideas for the final project. (final project is a
sportswear group consisting of 5-7 pieces and presented with 2 croqui)
Movies:
6. Creating Custom Brushes
• Types of brushes
• Using and editing brushes
• Creating a double needle top stitch
• Making a zig zag brush
• Making an over lock brush
• Making a zipper brush
• Saving and loading brushes
Text: Read Chapter 6 pp. 95-103
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Week 7:
Lecture: Creating and using symbols. Drawing pants.
Homework: Draw a pair of your own jeans using custom symbols and brushes to scale and bring them to
class along with a tape measure.
7. Creating Custom Symbols
• The benefits of using symbols
• Creating rivet and eyelet symbols
• Creating a basic button symbol
• Creating a zipper pull symbol
• Creating buttonhole symbols
• Creating bar tack symbols
• Saving and loading symbols
8. Drawing Pants
• Drawing jeans
• Drawing the back view of jeans
Text: Read Chapter 6 pp.104-119
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Week 8:
Lecture: Creating a Spec Sheet from a production sample. Measuring garments, drawing details for tech
packs, notations, drawing arrows, and Graphic Styles. Hand off jeans and homework assignment to the
student on your right and complete a basic spec sheet.
Homework: Thumbnails for your final collection (hand sketches) plus 2 flats drawn in Illustrator.
Text: Read Chapter 7 pp121-131
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Week 9:
Lecture: Tracing and coloring croquis in Illustrator. Hair, faces and rendering tricks.
Homework: Complete flats for the final project.
Movies:
1. Drawing Croqui
• Tracing a croquis with the Pen tool
• Filling and rendering a croquis
• Drawing eyes
• Drawing a mouth
• Adding a nose
• Adding highlights and shading
• Drawing hair
Text: Read Chapter 9 pp.149-164
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Week 10:
Lecture: Layouts and presentations. Hierarchy of information, basic typography.
Review for Final Exam.
Homework: Complete, PRINT and MOUNT final Project 14” x 17” printout on black mat board.
Movies:
Presenting and Sharing Your Flats
• Presentation and layout styles
• Saving for print and e-mail
Text: Read Chapter 10 pp.165-183
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Week 11:
Final Exam
Present final collections, critique.
Robin Schneider MFA | Full time faculty- Fashion Design
[Link] | Robin@[Link]
Illustrator for Fashion Design: Drawing Flats | now available at [Link]
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