What does the profile of fashion illustrator involve?

Fashion illustrators work in conjunction with designers and art directors to create exclusive designs and images of art; it is done both in the traditional fashion as well as digital.  The images should be creative and eye-catching, which should have the power to attract people’s attention.  This will make your designs popular.  The job of a fashion illustrator involves the making of images, layouts and sketches.  These images are used by fashion designers, fashion magazines, advertisements or online advertisements.

In order to comprehend the project, the fashion illustrator works in conjunction with buyers, fashion designers or art directors.  It is the responsibility of the fashion illustrator to choose the right proportion of colour, design and layout for the particular fashion illustration that he is working on. The concept of fashion illustration is to successfully express the ideas of the fashion designer to the outside world.  If the fashion illustrator works as a freelancer or on his own, he must perform other functions such as marketing and managing his own finances.

What are the qualifications and experience that you need to be a fashion illustrator?

The only qualification you will need as a fashion illustrator is talent! If you have the talents and skills of an artist, you surely will be successful.  There is no regulation as to the educational qualification of the illustrator.  If you work on your own and are a freelancer, then there is absolutely no necessity for any qualification.  If you choose to work in a firm then the qualification that you need will be determined by the employer.

Possessing a qualification is always a good option as it will give you the chance to further advance in your career.  If you want to make it on your own and want to be a freelancer, you should have a basic knowledge of how to run it.  You should be able to market yourself and manage your own finances.   If you want to start your career in fashion illustration you can initially begin by being an apprentice.  This will give you the required hands-on experience as you work with fashion designers and work to their specifications.

You will be able to make good contacts in this industry during you tenure as an apprentice.

Make a good Fashion Illustration Portfolio

Making a good portfolio will help you to showcase your talent to prospective clients and fashion designers.   Your portfolio should display your strengths and express your versatility in your work. In your portfolio you can include your work samples and also photographs.  Having a portfolio is very important and without a portfolio you won’t be successful in promoting yourself.  Even the projects that you completed in your school or college can be included along with current projects that you undertook in your apprenticeship. As you go about looking for better prospects the portfolio will work for you by showcasing your talent and will act as a visible resume of yourself.

Even if you are not employed, you should keep illustrating your images and collect all this work of art and include it in your portfolio.  This is a good way of keeping your talent alive and improving your skills in fashion illustration.  The portfolio should be spotless, accurate and easily readable.  Always remember that your portfolio speaks tons about you and it should be unique and should define you and make you stand out from the rest.

You can establish your own identity with a good portfolio that is neatly done.

What knowledge and skills do you need to be a successful fashion illustrator?

If you want to become a successful fashion illustrator and execute your job well, you must possess good knowledge of the skill of the work that you are going to undertake.  These skills can be acquired through your education, natural talent, hard work, apprenticeship and constant practice.  The most important thing in becoming a fashion illustrator is having natural artistic talent.  If you do not have this, then there is no point in pursuing this career.  Your natural talent should express itself in the work of creating designs and visual graphics.  You can improve on your artistic skills but you cannot acquire them.  You need to be familiar with traditional methods of illustration like using paint, pencil, pen or other tools and also you need to have expertise in using appropriate software like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.  If you don’t have natural talent no matter how proficient you are in the use of software tools it’s not going to get you anywhere in your career.

Along with the above-mentioned skills you also need to have knowledge about the fashion industry, current trends and knowledge about clothing.  You should have a good knowledge of the clothing materials and proportions and how they suit different people.  You should stay in touch with the ever-changing fashion industry.  You should also possess good communication skills and interpersonal skills, which will help you to become a successful fashion illustrator.

You should be able to coordinate with your team of art directors and fashion designers and have the ability to take direction and work according to client specifications.

Promote yourself through a website, blog or social network site.

If you wish to showcase your work and promote yourself as a fashion illustrator, you need to have your own website or blog.  You should be able to maintain an online presence.  You can also hook up on social network sites; you can get in touch with other professionals and also other prospective clients.

This will increase your chances of gaining successful employment.