I’ve been making fashion centered art for years, and here’s a thread of tips, resources, etc, that has helped improve my clothes
Disclaimer some of these are free, and some of these have a price. Regardless, use whatever works best for you
Draw in a box lesson 0-1: These lessons are crucial fundamentals that will make so much about the art process easier. Specifically, how to represent 3d objects in a 2d space. My understanding of folds and ruffles improved a lot after these lessons. It also helps you guess how clothes will sit in certain poses and on different body types if you don’t have a direct reference.
Marco Bucci’s video on clothing folds: It’s brief, to the point, and insanely informative. Great for people with low attention spans. Take out a sketch book, take notes, and draw the examples he explains. Not only did I learn a lot, but I have something physical to reference every time I’m stuck.
Studies: I went to Pinterest, found some clothes, and labeled the different folds I saw to help me get better at identifying them. After this, I would sketch the reference to put my observations into practice.
Identify the clothes you prefer and drown yourself in it: I love jfashion, especially lolita fashion. I’m constantly interacting with the fashion on Pinterest and xhs. The more I see it. The more ideas I add to my “visual library” the more I can reference to (hopefully) make more creative illustrations in the future. Follow brands that create the clothes you like/typically draw and examine what you wish to recreate in your art.
If you gather enough pictures and file them somewhere. You should have a solid amount of references put in one place to refer to. I’m saying this for people whose Pinterest feed/algorithm has been completely destroyed by AI who want to become independent from it.
Okay, brush time. These are brushes I use in my art, which is pretty hyper fem, so they may not be useful for everyone. They're worth checking out, anyway.
Ruffle brush by @doitchu_brush: If you work with ruffles often, it's definitely worth the price. Here’s the brush swatch I made in case anyone wants to see how they work. https://www.acon3d.com/en/product/1000032987
CSP brushes:
Kawaii lace brush - Content ID:2041603
Laces - Content ID:2048336
Lineart Plaid Tile and Brushes - Content ID:1720380
2 types of pearl brushes - Content ID:2089582
Flower patterns - Content ID:2115308
Flower Ice Tulle Lace - Content ID:1985477
Free flower patterns - Content ID:1911211
Lace trim - Content ID:1809465
Airbrush for clothes light and texture - Content ID:1783197
Lastly, some unbearable self promo lol. I sell coloring pages of my work my kofi. You can buy the png for $3 or the psd for $5 for more flexibility. I used to color lineart to improve when I was little, so I'm sure it can be helpful to someone else, too!
By great luck and a cute face, Ishihara Yuzu stumbles into joining the same J-pop group as the cold, irritable, and exceptionally talented Kase Kagane. Yuzu even betrays her own nature, taking on a huge commitment for the sake of love. But what will she do when her charitable actions and indomitable affection grant her special and sinister attention from her crush, Kagane?