Creating practice materials for animation based figure variations in fashion design

Design in the garment industry, the first step of the process of conversion to a three-dimensional product makes illustration process (fashion illustration). Fashion illustration of technical should be aesthetic appeal and in terms of visuals. Therefore, a large part of the fashion illustrations, fashion designer?s education focuses on preparing and drawing techniques. A very big portion of the education process that the fashion designer goes through covers preparation of fashion illustrations and drawing techniques. Therefore, it is thought to be important to develop a practice material that would help those who work as a designer without any sector-related education or who are willing to start a career in this sector draw and design faster with ease. In the Garment Industry, the pictural mode (a fashion illustration) of the designed product is the first effective mode during the process of transforming the design into a three dimentional product. For this reason, a fashion illustration has to be appealing technically, aesthetically and visually. Knowing the techniques of fashion figure and fashion illustration preparations is essential for it leads to applying skills. Recognizing the drawing and designing equipment and knowing the technical terms is also essential for it facilitates the designing process. In the first part of this study, the problem, the purpose, sub-purposes, the definitions of the fashion terms and concepts are given. The second part of the study covers the researches about conceptual frames. The definition of fashion illustration, the history of fashion illustration (the chronological process of improvements and changes), the equipment used in fashion illustrations, techniques of drawing, dyeing, preparing fashion figures, drawing human figures are all covered in this study and exemplified with visuals. The positions (how they stand and pose) of the fashion figures and why those positions are preferred are also examined in this study. Natural human figure drawings and fashion figure drawings are compared and contrasted. In the third part of the study, a research has been done in order to determine which 3D animation software programme should be used for designing the 3D female fashion figure that would be used as a model. The programme has been chosen after asking the opinions of 10 experts. The female fashion figure has been developed, in desired measures and qualities, by using the programme called 3D Max. The developed figure has been made to stand in different positions (stances) and has been filmed while doing a 360 degrees turn around itself. The animations has been transferred to a DVD. The fourth part of the study covers the findings and observations. This material has been given to some volunteers in order to test its effectiveness. The volunteers used this material to dress the fashion figure. Afterwards, the results have been observed and interpreted. The fifth and the last part of the research covers the results and recommendations. The responses of the volunteers have been observed and then interpreted. With the light of the acquired data and examples, recommendations have been made for the studies that are planned for the future. Key Words: Fashion Illustrations, Fashion Figure, 3D Figure.