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9 Heads: A Guide to Drawing Fashion
It is published to coincide with "Colors for Modern Fashion" and it is necessary to discuss some of the aspects of the new book to understand the changes in this one. This new edition of "9 Heads" is the re-statement of the author's approach to the subject of black and white drawings, incorporating the most developed thinking and views, both in terms of what the end product should look like, and how best to achieve it. "9 Heads" also presents a different style of finished drawing, one where figures are usually more fleshed-out and where garment fabrics are more rendered than in the drawings of the previous edition. This edition has been extended in scope as that together with "Colors for Modern Fashion" the two books constitute all the elements of modern fashion drawing from Beginners through to Advanced. In-depth treatment in men's fashion. More serious treatment of children's fashion. Completely revised and expanded chapter on drawing clothing on the figure. New chapter on fabrics shows how to make drawings so the fabrics can be identified from the drawing. New appendix with hundreds of flats of modern garments. Quality of the drawing is far higher than the other books on the market. Ideal for those who have no previous formal training in drawing and who have a need to learn the basics of fashion drawing quickly.
492 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 15, 2011
As a fashion design student, I was required to purchase this text several years ago. My drawing teacher insisted it was the industry standard, but I certainly don't think it's the best. While it provides good information about proportion and sketching the elongated fashion figure, the croquis in 9 Heads just aren't that attractive. They're often in very strange poses and the heads seem to be very large, while the necks and limbs are a bit thick, giving the illusion of a clunky figure rather than an elegant, slim one. While that's certainly easy to fix on your own, sometimes you just need a good croquis right away, which is why we buy books like this! It just doesn't deliver. There are very few back views, and the sections on drawing men and children are very limited, so don't buy it for that. Furthermore, the book is large and unwieldy, and it is impossible to make it lie flat, so it's very difficult to trace the croquis from it - something very important in a croquis book!
This book also showcases great fashion illustrations from various artists and designers interspersed throughout, which are inspiring, but can also be frustrating since they look NOTHING like the provided croquis and the book doesn't do a good enough job of instructing how to make your drawings look like that.
This book is great for helping with flats, though, especially in the "Encyclopedia of Details" section, which offers tons of examples. That's definitely the part I use most often. The sections on drawing hair, faces, hands, and other details are also pretty decent.
I recently acquired Bina Abling's "Fashion Sketchbook" and would definitely recommend that over 9 Heads if you can only afford one. The poses are much better, and it has many other techniques not found in 9 Heads, such as step-by-step instructions to render different fabrics realistically.
This book also showcases great fashion illustrations from various artists and designers interspersed throughout, which are inspiring, but can also be frustrating since they look NOTHING like the provided croquis and the book doesn't do a good enough job of instructing how to make your drawings look like that.
This book is great for helping with flats, though, especially in the "Encyclopedia of Details" section, which offers tons of examples. That's definitely the part I use most often. The sections on drawing hair, faces, hands, and other details are also pretty decent.
I recently acquired Bina Abling's "Fashion Sketchbook" and would definitely recommend that over 9 Heads if you can only afford one. The poses are much better, and it has many other techniques not found in 9 Heads, such as step-by-step instructions to render different fabrics realistically.
October 1, 2014
Quintessential best sketching book for the fashion industry. I had the privilege of being taught at FIDM by Ms. Riegleman. She was THEEEE BEST Teacher I had at FIDM (in 1989-1991). If it weren't for her, I would never have learned how to correct my horrible sketches, learn from them and succeed in the industry. Thanks!
January 2, 2008
My favorite fashion illustration book.
September 15, 2024
taught me the ins and outs! a great start for anyone looking to dive into fashion sketching
January 8, 2009
Great book to learn how to draw croquis as well as flat garment sketches...I found it super helpful!
Want to read
November 5, 2010I took a class that i loved that recomended this book! I hope to get it
February 4, 2013
i like fashion designing
January 18, 2014
This is one of the best illustration books out there. The illustrations are great and the instructions are even better. The 4th edition came out in 2013 and is even better.
April 12, 2014
love this book! the style is great, proportions are not to stretched for fashion, and its fat and full of great details
August 29, 2014
From proportion to scale and anatomy, this is incredible. Great for mastering details of fashion friendly faces and hair.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews