Fashion Illustration Life Drawing

Life drawing through a fashion illustration lens - combining glamour with new approaches to drawing and painting from a live model.

Expect a plethora of jaw-dropping looks as artist and illustrator Diane Fawcett delves into her fashion archive to present a spectrum of creative looks sure to ignite your imagination.

Explore how fabric drapes and envelops the body by observing a series of eccentric and elaborate looks and expressive poses for you to capture in your studies. This is life drawing with a fashion illustration focus, leaving you free to experiment and discover a myriad of techniques and media to ultimately develop your own personal illustrative style.

WEEK 1

Simplicity vs the exotic - Streamlining your drawings through careful observation of the silhouette.

WEEK 2

Dry media exploration - experimenting with drawing tools from the dry medium spectrum in your fashion life drawing observations.

WEEK 3

Dry media exploration - continuing to experiment with drawing tools from the dry medium spectrum, whilst observing a new look and pose.

WEEK 4

Wet media experimentation - investigating and testing out wet media in your fashion life drawings.

WEEK 5

Wet media experimentation - further explorations of wet media in your fashion studies, whilst observing a new look and pose.

WEEK 6

Distortion: Emphasizing the obvious - focussing on exaggeration within your life drawings, particularly looking at and playing with proportion, shape, texture, colour and form.

WEEK 7

Distortion: Emphasizing the obvious - further explorations of magnifying what you see for dramatic effect, whilst observing a new look and pose.

WEEK 8

Mixed media: Collage - mix colours, patterns and textures to experiment with mixed media, by introducing collage into your fashion illustrations.

WEEK 9

Mixed media: Collage - continuing to incorporate collage into your fashion illustrations alongside other media, whilst observing a new look and pose.

WEEK 10

Unleash your creativity - embrace the freedom to create a final fashion illustration life drawing, applying any media, techniques and style of your choosing to create a bold and imaginative, closing artwork.

Whether you’re a seasoned artist or new to life drawing, this course promises to be an unmissable celebration of creativity, community, fashion and glamour!

Tutor Diane Fawcett-Walker worked in the fashion industry as an artist and illustrator in editorials, publishing and advertising. She was a finalist 7 times in the Fashion Illustration and Drawing Awards (FIDA). After 10 years she decided to become completely freelance to explore a broader range of projects and further experiment with her artistic style and interpretation. Diane celebrates culture and underrepresented communities in her work, promoting equity and diversity and fostering an inclusive culture in her artistic expressions.

Alongside her work, Diane gained a City and Guilds Further and Adult Education Teacher Training qualification and helped adults to develop their skills in observational studies, life drawing and painting for Leicestershire County Council for 15 years.

All materials are provided.

Participants must be aged 18+.

This course will run on Monday afternoons, 2pm - 4:30pm, for 10 weeks, starting on 15 September with the final session on 17 November 2025.

If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list - simply contact our box office team on / and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans!

Please ensure that you agree to our updatedTERMS & CONDITIONS before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable in some circumstances.

We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome - just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you'd like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email, pop in or call, open 7 days a week.

We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied.

FREE PARKING FOR ALL CUSTOMERS IS AVAILABLE AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND ALL DAY AT WEEKENDS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER CAR PARK NEXT DOOR TO ATTENBOROUGH ARTS CENTRE ON LANCASTER ROAD.

The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us.