The Art of Fashion Illustration
If you’re considering working as a fashion illustrator and want an insight into what it’s like to be one, or are already an illustrator and are interested in another perspective then this article is for you.
We cover everything from how to progress as a fashion illustrator to what skills are needed to excel as one.
You can listen to the whole interview podcast over on our podcast page or by clicking here at Being a Fashion Illustrator.
Muaz
Welcome to blazon. This week I’m talking to Alessandra Scandella. Alessandra is an illustrator based in Milan working primarily on advertising and publishing projects. In 2004, she co-founded The Studio Container in Milan, which deals with illustration, graphic design, video, and animation.
Alessandra
I work as an illustrator and I work mostly with watercolour and ink colours. I love my work. I began doing at school, like many people, and I began with realism. After a while I began to work with watercolour because I loved to use the transparency and the colour of nature. I think a watercolour is a very natural color, so it’s very, very soft and very full of light.
So I began working for advertising and for publishing using this technique and I still use it. I love very much to have the possibility to work with something that I love.
In the past few years in addition to working with watercolour, I’m working with animation. I’m working a lot with watercolour animation, and I love it very much because I like to show how watercolour, and how all the spots and the transparency of watercolor are in motion. So you have the shape of water and the shape of colours that are very amazing. I like how the shape of a watercolour and the movement of water can give more emotion and can show you something more about your story, about your word and your mood, because they are very emotional. Yes, I like them.
Muaz
Awesome. No, that sounds amazing. So have you done any animations as yet?
Alessandra
Yes. We are doing so now with my studio animation for USA. It’s not yet ready, but I will give you the links. I’ve done animation even for Bulgari and fashion animation and for Fashion Style in Italy. They are mostly about fashion, but not only, even about nature. For example, the last one we are doing now in-studio is about greeting cards. And it’s also about Christmas and it shows how nature transforms with the colours in early winter. And so it’s nice to see the trees and the berries and all that they move and they transform.
Muaz
So how did you get started as an illustrator?
Alessandra
I used to draw, to paint since I was very, very little, but I was, I didn’t think to be an illustrator, but then I went to study to Milano and there I knew some illustrators and some studios of design. So I decided to go to a school of illustration based in the castle of Milano. It is a very, very old school and has a very, very, good history. So I begin to study in this school and so I prepared a portfolio and then began to go to all the publishing houses and to the advertising agencies. And I began working a lot. Immediately, I think this year there was a lot of work and because, perhaps, I think I had a particular technique, so it was a watercolour.
Muaz
Oh, perfect. So could you give us an insight into your creative process? So say if a, if a brand comes to you with a commission, what is your process with working with a brand? So how do you go from taking an idea from a commission to your end product of the finished illustration?
Alessandra
Oh, yes. Often we have a meeting with the client and we try to define the project, the idea, and mostly the, the mood of the work. So we decide the colours, the kind of a woman, for example, if this is fashion or beauty. And, we decided together. So which is the the line of project. After I begin by myself to work on it. And I begin doing many, many sketches made by my hand, with pen and ink. So I prepare a project by myself. And then I show it to the company; we speak together about this project. And we decide, which are the best sketches, which is the best kind of woman we can use, and after I work on it… I define more this kind of a subject and the kind of textile, or the accessories we can use. And so, I prepare the illustration, the finished product. I say.
Muaz
Okay. That’s amazing. So this is for a commission, but for your own portfolio, when you’re thinking about creating a new project, how does your thought process work when you want to create a new illustration? So in your mind, when, when you’re thinking of a concept, so what to put together, how do you go about thinking? I guess it would help with a commission as well. So this accessory would work with this dress or this colour would work with that colour. Do you have a particular, do you have a particular process or do you just use your experience to guide you?
Alessandra
No it is a mix of things. So, when you work, you have a technique or a style or a kind of portfolio, you should never forget to follow your lines and your mood. But at the same time, you have to see what happens in the world. And so, which are, for example, the illustrator with fashion or what is fashion now in the world. So it is a mix of things. What I want to do always is not to forget my technique and my mood. So for example, this year it was terrible with the lockdown. We are now still in lockdown. And so in March Milano was closed. So I had to work all day in my house, but in this period, I tried to go on with my portfolio and to study more technique and then more illustration by myself. So I was alone and I had to work with something new, but at the same time with something that has my personal point of view.
And for example, one of my particular identity, I think is to use the many details from nature. So I always paint nature and the leaves and flowers because I love them. And because I like to show in my work, these natural aspects, even in fashion or even in beauty.
Muaz
Amazing. So you mentioned that, you know, aspects of self-improvement of using your time in lockdown to work on techniques.
Are there particular resources that you found useful, so resources to like help you with your technique resources to maybe help you help you learn?
Alessandra
Okay. Okay. I always use, for example, to see for examples from nature. I always, I often paint by going outside and do my sketches from nature. So from, the, the trees from the leaves. And so from the real world, at the same time I used tools like ink, like a watercolour, like pen, pencil… but mostly with the watercolour, because they are made by nature. So they are natural pigments. And I always use them, then when I have finished my first work, so the illustration made by hand, I usually use a scanner after which I work with Photoshop. So I use even digital, of course, the work post production is made with photoshop. Because I can use this work for a commission. So I have to use levels, produce a graphic logo, and so I use both tools, illustration made by hand and Photoshop.
Muaz
Oh, amazing. So a mix of both worlds. So if you were in your journey as, so for example, now you are a really good illustrator. You’re really talented at what you do. What steps do you think helped you to become this good? So like, what do you think would, so for example, if I was to start as an illustrator, or if someone were starting their journey as an illustrator… What do you think are useful skills to have for someone beginning their journey or what would be the best way for them to basically start and get through their journey as an illustrator?
Alessandra
Well, I think the most important thing is to work. It’s very common to say this but it is just to work a lot, to work, so to draw, to paint very, very much because this is the basic thing to do. And in the same time, I think it is very, very important to be curious about what happens in the world. So if you are lucky to travel in the world, to see all kinds of people, or kinds of textiles, or kinds of culture is very, very important. And at the same time, what I say, even for, I, I teach in two schools in Milano and I say to the young people who are beginning now in this school to be very courageous. They have to study for a very personal portfolio and not to follow too much the style that is for example very popular, perhaps now there are certain styles. Yes. So you have to know what happens of course with the other illustrators and so, but that you have to prepare your style, to study very hard, to decide to know about you, to know about what to do and to understand what is good and what is not good.
So this means to work a lot, to work very, very hard, but after you will have good results and there you will be very unique in your style. And they’re very personal and this is what is important, because there are many, many people now that work as an illustrator. And so you have to be very strong and very sure of yourself, but even you have a very good portfolio.
Muaz
So the secret is to work hard.
Alessandra
Yes. Yes. Unfortunately, no, even I see in school that sometimes the people are very shy and very unsure. And you have to have to work, and you must be very courageous and very sure and not to be afraid to show your illustration because this is of course the base of all, not to be shy.
You can find Alessandra online at:
- Website: http://www.scandellaalessandra.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scandella.illustrazioni/?hl=it
A selection of Alessandra’s animation:
- Bulgari: https://youtu.be/R2QM6-yhl68
- Donna e Palazzo Italiano: https://youtu.be/f81opjUyB34
- Profumo: https://youtu.be/UbF06NIxfQI
- Gif Ferrari Official Magazine: https://youtu.be/YMyHGWpYvw0
- Albero: https://youtu.be/7T1vssP15N8
You can listen to the whole interview podcast over on our podcast page or by clicking here Being a Fashion Illustrator.
