"This book is packed with handy tips and tricks that are worth their weight in gold, the kind of instructions that only someone who has a lot of experience in the medium can give."

"As in the arts, fashion illustration has had its master watercolour artisans, including the infamous David Downton, an avid watercolour and ink draftsman, Antonio Lopez and Kenneth Block, who captured the fashion figure with the most direct and considered brush strokes. Francesco is bringing this medium into a modern era, combining the skills of watercolour and technology to edit and refine his final outcomes. His rich, vivid tones always delight, leaving the viewer with a taste in the mouth for more after every sitting. Like Francesco as a young boy, revealing the rainbow palette of his first watercolour set, this book will give you the possibility to make your own marks and tell your own story."

Foreword       4

INTRODUCTION         5

Using this book          6

Tools and materials   8

EXPLORING WATERCOLOR    12

Approaching the blank page 12

Mixing your paints     13

Practice exercises      14

Understanding lighting and shading. 16

Understanding color  19

ILLUSTRATING FASHION        24

Working in the fashion industry        24

CREATING A CHARACTER       26

General features        26

Women’s faces          30

Men’s faces    31

Hair    32

Painting beautiful hair 33

POSES 34

The body        35

Examples        38

RENDERING FABRICS AND PRINTS    40

Exploring fabrics and textures           41

Prints and patterns    43

TUTORIALS     44

Canvas tote bag         46

Wedge platform shoe 48

Gown on mannequin 50

Womenswear head to toe     54

Menswear head to toe          58

Girl with bag  62

Eye makeup   66

Girl with hat   70

Woman in print dress 76

Boy with hat   80

Perfumes       84

Focus on beauty        86

Girl with sunglasses   92

Man in print shirt       96

Vintage jewelry          100

Menswear composition         102

Catwalk moment       108

Close-up beauty look 112

Womenswear composition   118

Editorial with background     126

READY FOR BUSINESS 132

Digitizing your work   132

Mixed media  136

Working live   138

Developing personal style     141

About the author and acknowledgements   142

Index  143