Children's Croquis and Clothing

In fashion illustration, it doesn't only mean that we have to focus only on the females and males. Though, children's wear can belong in any of the two, the creative approach in making the garments more 'youthful' and 'realistic' is different. We have mentioned that the male and female croquis use the 9-head standard in our previous post. So imagine, designing a garment for a toddler and using the 9-head croquis. It will be an abomination to arts, a hilarious mistake of an honest artist. It will be funny. I bet if you were the mother of the child and a designer shows you that drawing, you will be laughing endlessly. So will we.

Children's wear is sometimes a little bit complicated than the rest. Compared to men's and women's, children's have three categories These are toddlers, youth, and teenagers. In this blog entry, we will be focusing on the children's croquis and so with the garments that go along with it.

In illustrating children in a croquis, the first thing you need to realize is that children are different form adults in many ways, and must be drawn with care if they are to look natural and convincing.Heads differ in their age and stage. To be guided here is the group categories for children:

From 9 heads: A Guide to Fashion Drawing, Nancy Riegelman

Toddler, Illustrated by D. Darnayla, 2016

In this illustration shows a toddler in a full garment wearing turtleneck dress with a ¾ jacket having a straight collar and holding a hand bag. The croquis is about 4 ½ heads. The face is round and there is very little definition in the features. Limbs are rounded and well padded. And only a little of a neck is visible.

Young girl, Illustrated by D. Darnayla, 2016 

            

While in this illustration, a young girl wearing a top with a straight collar and necktie paired with a high waisted checkered skirt, knee socks and black heels. This age group has become longer in the torso than toddlers and necks are defined. The croquis is about 5 ½ heads. Accessories start to become important. Although still awkward in many poses, children of this age are now more fully mobile and can be shown in range of standing, walking and running poses.

Teenager, Illustrated by D. Darnayla, 2016

In this another illustration, a teenager in S curve pose wearing printed graphic top, a Capri pants and high heels. The croquis is 8 heads. The appearance is almost exactly like an adult except the facial features are slightly more rounded. Poses are generally more exuberant than adults, with arms and hips akimbo and considerable attitude displayed. 

Illustrated by L. Quismundo & R. Castro, 2016

This is a group of three teenage female children in pants and blouses and the same group in party dresses. With the poses with arms and hips akimbo and considerable attitude displayed. Way of dressing mimics to adult fashion. Facial appearance is likely to an adult already.

Illustrated by B. Nuez & M. Quimbo, 2016

Lastly this illustrations shows young boys and girls in different occasions. Starting from the right is the young boy and girl going to the beach, boy wearing only swimming trunks and slippers, and young girl wearing X|O printed one piece swimsuit. Next is the young boys and girls going to a party, young boy wearing varsity jacket and toreador pants with transparent glasses and young girl wearing dress coat with fur collar and fur end sleeve, with headband on and socks in a shoes.  And lastly young boys and girls going to a wedding, young girl wearing a full length dress with close shoes and young boy wearing blazers and slacks and close shoes.Again, croquis is about 5 ½ heads. Vaguely still awkward in many poses but necks are defined.

TRACED ITEMS

Traced by N. Balaba, 2016

Children’s bodies and faces have different proportions, shapes and textures to adult bodies and faces. Children’s faces and facial features are soft and round with few planes. Until they are almost into their teens, little bone structure can be discerned in their faces, or muscles on their bodies (That was the main mistake the Renaissance artists made---they drew scaled-down, developed “adult” facial and body features rather than real children’s features).Because of this, children should be drawn with a light touch to convey the softness of their features.

The shapes of the accessories---toys, bags and so on---that children favor at different ages can often be used effectively in a drawing to echo the rounded shapes of their bodies change quickly from year to year and so care has to be taken to draw the croquis that corresponds to their age. The different croquis are shown here and the differences between them should be studied.

Traced by G. Fernando, 2016

The ways children differ from adults other than the purely physical are also significant when portraying them in fashion drawings.

Children are not sophisticated in their facial expressions and bodily poses; they are loose-limbed and playful and often pose in ways that would look silly or awkward in an adult.

Children’s croquis should be drawn with typical natural poses and attention to detail.

REFERENCES: 

Proportions in Fashion Drawing (2013), Retrieved January 28, 2013, from

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/proportions-in-fashion-drawing.html

Sanchez, L. (n.d.). CHILDREN AND CHILDREN'S CLOTHING [PPT]

CONTRIBUTORS:

Illustrators: Nuez, Darnayla, Quismundo, Quimbo, Castro

Tracers: Balaba, Fernando

Content: Nuez, Ando

Scanner: Fernando

Blog manager: Quismundo