Because Michelle unexpectedly gave me 🔥 fi-yah 🔥 in this photo, I developed some easy custom croqui-making methods that I LOVE. I’ve used this same process for almost everything I’ve designed ever since- and I’m thrilled to share my techniques with you!
How can I “try on” clothing that doesn’t exist yet?
Creating a Custom Croqui
Fashion designers use generic and often very unrealistic bodies, called croquis, as the basis for sketching their designs. Since their designs aren’t for a specific person, it’s more about the fantasy and allure of the clothing itself and less about the human being inside the clothes.
But my design practice is never about designing fashion… It’s about exploring and expressing the spirit of a specific person through clothing. It’s about framing one unique human being in something that allows them to look and feel how they want to look and feel. My background in costuming (instead of fashion) taught me to employ the parameters and the preferences of one individual as my guide for every design.
The clothes showcase the person- rather than the other way around.
And when you sew for yourself- that person is you!
Sketching onto the silhouette of your body is such an excellent way to begin your personal sewing projects! It allows you to visualize and experiment and answer lots of questions before any pattern piece or fabric is cut. A custom sketch is a super helpful tool (and a great warm-up) for confidently moving forward through all the steps ahead.
Let's do this!
In this post, I’ll share some options, tips, and techniques for how to use a photo as a reusable custom croqui-making tool. Take it, or leave it! And feel free to throw your own spin on my ideas! All you really need to make your own reusable tool is a photo of yourself!
Photo Taking Options
- Find someone to be your photographer
- Use a timer
- Use a camera remote
- Take a mirror selfie
"I've never really tried to sketch myself before, but I'm having a lot of fun using my custom croqui!
At least I can draw something that actually resembles me, and it really helps with the creative process, what a great tool!"
Photo Taking Tips
- Keep the camera near the body’s center
- Contrast between yourself and your background
- Close-fitting clothes (or just your undies)
- Think about your shoes and hair
Posing Tips
- Strike a cute pose (or don’t!)
- Consider hiding your hands
- Consider shooting a back view
- Take a bazillion shots!
Alternate Options
You may already have a photo you can use! I found this photo of my adorable mom and dad and used it to draw this sketch for making my mom a dress for their 50th wedding anniversary.
How to Use the Photo for your Croqui
First, print out the photo, on regular printer paper, as large as as you want it to be for sketching.
Next, flip over the printed image and scribble on the back with a regular pencil (I like the mechanical kind.). Mark all over the parts of the photo that has you in it.
Then, lightly tape your photo to your sketch paper scribble-side-down.
I prefer drawing on thick watercolor paper (even though I don’t think I own any watercolors). Watercolor paper allows me to mark lightly and stands up to lots of erasing. This allows me lots of freedom to test lots of ideas- without the whole thing getting messy and overworked. Win-win!
Save your Photo (or Illustration) for Future Sketches!
Bonus: Your Custom Croqui-Maker Tool is reusable! Keep your scribble-backed tool and pull it out again each time you are ready for your next sketch. The pencil outlines on the front will already be there as guides for your next sketch (and your next and your next…) The original scribbles on the back can even be reused for many new transfers before needing to quickly add more scribbling. So cool!
Photo or Illustration? If you don’t really want to look at that photo every time you sketch, you can use this toolmaking time to take your tool one step further.
Consider tracing the faint silhouette onto regular paper and darkening the outline with your pencil (and/or punching up the contrast on your printer for a new printout). From now on, instead of continuing to use your photo printout over and over, you can use the blank silhouetted printout as your reusable scribble-backed croqui-maker sketching tool. Whatever works for you!
In Action!
More about this croqui-making technique (and what to do with it):
Prep School for Custom Sewing: You’ve now read though the quick version of one lesson shared during “Warmup Week” of my Intro to Custom Sewing eCourse Skirt Skills. To learn so much more, including my favorite techniques for designing, sketching, patternmaking, fitting, and sewing the custom garments you sketch, join the next session!
Kinship Handwork: My friend Tina VanDenburg also shares this custom coqui-making and sketching technique as part of her online course “Sew Clothes You Love”. Check it out!
Select blog posts about sketching:
Deborah’s Design Consultation & Wedding Dress Sketches
New Bridal Blog Series: Tiffany!
Inspirations & Sketches for Diane’s Bridal Ensemble
Back the the Drawing Board with Sally
Caitlin’s Custom Wedding Dress Sketch and Inspirations
All of my blog posts about sketching & inspirations (30+ posts!) can be found here.
2 Responses
Loved this when I first saw it on your blog – one tip I have for taking fitting photos solo is to use the Voice Command on your smartphone. I wrote up instructions for an iPhone on Pattern Review Tips and a comment their talks about an Android version. easy, free, and makes the photo taking process so much easier! https://sewing.patternreview.com/review/review/5052 You can find it by searching “Fitting Photos Using Voice Command on iPhone”.
Thanks for all the valuable info you share!
Yay!Thanks so much for sharing. I’ve never used the Voice Command feature before. Your instructions seem great. Hopefully it will help me and others add this cool tool into our practice. Love it! I’ll share this as a bonus link in my eCourse lesson as well. Thanks again for putting these instructions together and linking them here.