Digital illustration

 

Week 1 (21–26 April)

In the first week, Mr. Daniel introduced us to the basic tools of Adobe Illustrator, where we learned how to trace and manipulate vector graphics. Our weekly task was to complete forty-eight basic tracing shapes, including icons such as a speech bubble, hourglass, wrench, T-shirt, glass, leaf, and many more. This exercise was fundamental in helping me build confidence and precision in Illustrator, allowing me to understand the importance of clean lines and proper anchor point handling.

Week 2 (28 April–3 May)

In the second week, we progressed into creating basic garment flats. Mr. Daniel demonstrated how to design a women’s crew neck T-shirt, which introduced us to symmetrical drawing and garment proportion techniques. For our assignment, we were tasked with completing technical flats for both men’s and women’s crew neck T-shirts in front view. This exercise refined my skills in maintaining balance and accuracy in flat sketches.

Week 3 (5–11 May)

This week focused on lingerie technical drawings, which were more complex due to their intricate seam lines and curved shapes. Mr. Daniel taught us how to trace bras, bottom underwear, corsets, men’s tank tops, and boxers using cliping mask. I completed both front and back views for each piece, which helped me understand the structural detailing of lingerie and improved my ability to handle curved vector lines.

Week 4 (12–17 May)

The lessons advanced into sportswear technical drawings. We practiced tracing garments such as sports bras, leggings, hoodies, T-shirts, and shorts for both men and women. Mr. Daniel also introduced us to zipper detailing and garment layering techniques, which added a new level of complexity to our drawings. By the end of the week, I had completed full sports sets with both front and back technical flats, including detailed zippers and hoodie strings, both men and women.

Week 5 (19–25 May)

In the fifth week, we shifted focus to formalwear, learning to trace shirts, trousers, blazers, coats, and skirts for both men and women. The assignment involved completing full blazer sets with technical detailing for both genders. This week, Mr. Daniel also briefed us on the final design project, where we were expected to develop an original concept for a complete collection. This marked the transition from purely technical tracing to conceptual fashion design.

Weeks 6–11

From this point, we moved into the design development stage for our final project. I created twenty-five concept sketches inspired by deconstructionism, perfectionism, Persian carpets, and the textile distortions found in Faig Ahmed’s artwork. Through research and exploration, I developed mood boards and styling boards, and wrote a concept story titled “Fractured Devotion.” During these weeks, we also learned how to digitally render fabrics in Illustrator, allowing us to visualize prints, fringes, and woven textures directly onto our design sketches.  fashion forecast,  made me be more aware of what my collection will look like.

And now some of the rendering of fabric and on model from our assessment .

Weeks 12–14

In the final weeks, I focused on completing the five looks selected by Mr. Daniel from my initial sketches. I finalized technical drawings for each garment and moved on to creating fully rendered illustrations. Using advanced Illustrator techniques, I added realistic fabric textures, highlights, and shadows to bring the designs to life. The final presentation boards showcased my SS25/26 collection “Fractured Devotion,” which merged the symmetry of traditional Persian carpets with modern deconstruction aesthetics, reflecting themes of imperfection, vulnerability, and disrupted tradition.

Self-Reflection

Learning Adobe Illustrator throughout these weeks has been a transformative experience. Starting from tracing simple shapes to completing a fully conceptualized collection, I developed strong technical skills in creating detailed flats and understanding garment construction. I also learned to appreciate the importance of small elements such as zippers and stitching lines that define functionality in design. The research into deconstructionism and Faig Ahmed’s art deepened my ability to merge conceptual storytelling with fashion design. Finally, mastering fabric rendering and presentation techniques has given me the confidence to digitally communicate my ideas in a professional, industry-standard format. This journey has strengthened both my technical precision and my creative vision, allowing me to express complex narratives through fashion.