Job: 10-42056 Title: RP - Art of Fashion Illustration
DTP: LY Page: 58
42056 - Art of Fashion Illustration_int.indd 58 10/31/14 4:24 PM 42056 - Art
Text
”
“
Lima, Perm
Gerardo Larrea’s work not only stands out, its bold lines and colors command attention. He
breathes life and energy into his drawings with his use of contrasting colors, the black outlines
he prefers, and the shapes he creates. His bold lines give character and strength to his illustra-
tions and work nicely with the graphic style that he captures. ¹When I started to illustrate my
outline was a bit thinner but now I like it bolder.º
Larrea usually begins a piece by collecting pictures of the fashion collection he’s working
on—but he won’t read about the designer’s inspiration to avoid being biased. He creates small
sketches in his notebook, writing down details or thoughts he has about the theme of the work.
Then he begins to work up the actual illustration, Årst with pencil and then delineating the
lines with marker, later adding color digitally. He creates the characters Årst and then works on
the background of the piece. ¹When I’m working on an illustration I work as if I’m taking a
fashion editorial photograph and the background is a location or studio integral to the charac-
ter; for me the background is a tool that helps to reaٻrm the concept.º
I put my characters in a specific scene
to interact with each other, creating
fun and different situations.
A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE:
GERARDO LARREA
Job: 10-42056 Title: RP - Art of Fashion Illustration
DTP: LY Page: 58
42056 - Art of Fashion Illustration_int.indd 58 10/31/14 3:26 PM 42056 - Art
u
stration
P
age: 58
/14 4:24 PM
Job: 10-42056 Title: RP - Art of Fashion Illustration
DTP: LY Page: 59
42056 - Art of Fashion Illustration_int.indd 59 10/31/14 4:24 PM
u
stration
P
age: 58
/14 3:26 PM
59
THE ART OF FASHION ILLUSTRATION | PART 1: THE EMERGING MASTERS
Text
Bold as Love was inspired by the
Comme des Gartons FW12 collection,
celebrating volume, shape, and color
in large proportions.
Job: 10-42056 Title: RP - Art of Fashion Illustration
DTP: LY Page: 59
42056 - Art of Fashion Illustration_int.indd 59 10/31/14 3:26 PM
Job: 10-42056 Title: RP - Art of Fashion Illustration
DTP: LY Page: 60
42056 - Art of Fashion Illustration_int.indd 60 10/31/14 4:24 PM 42056 - Art
Text
Who Run the World is inspired by the Chanel FW13 collection and four women who decided to
make the world go round; it has a medieval look.
Art Pop Inspired by the Celine SS14 collection. ¹Characters cross, hide, and reveal, forming a kind of artwork between paint strokes and color,º says Larrea.
Gerardo Larrea grew up attending
art classes at the Museum of Art
in Lima and remembers as a child
the fashion magazines his mother
read. The drawings, the colors, the
silhouettes—and, of course, the
fashion—captured his attention.
Although Larrea began creating
illustrations for advertisements
more than a decade ago, in 2011
he focused on a more deÅned
style for his illustrations. ¹In my
country fashion illustration is new
and not a big thing,º he says. Still,
his work has generated consid-
erable buzz for its graphic style,
thick lines, and use of color. ¹I
love color, vivid colors in particu-
lar. I love the happiness that color
brings to my work,º he says.
Job: 10-42056 Title: RP - Art of Fashion Illustration
DTP: LY Page: 60
42056 - Art of Fashion Illustration_int.indd 60 10/31/14 3:26 PM 42056 - Art
u
stration
P
age: 60
/14 4:24 PM
Job: 10-42056 Title: RP - Art of Fashion Illustration
DTP: LY Page: 61
42056 - Art of Fashion Illustration_int.indd 61 10/31/14 4:25 PM
u
stration
P
age: 60
/14 3:26 PM
61
THE ART OF FASHION ILLUSTRATION | PART 1: THE EMERGING MASTERS
Text
The Fight Club depicts two sophisticated and powerful women, showing oٺ their strength
in a boxing ring.
Here Comes the Sun inspired by the Peter Som
SS14 Collection, shows three women on a summer
day at the beach.
InÛmences
Larrea admires the work of Richard
Haines, 2ordi Labanda, Rubun Toledo,
Danny Roberts, and Antonio López.
¹I think each of them have a particular
style, and I love their approach. Each
of them has been a real inÆuence in my
work.º And working as a fashion illustra-
tor, stylist, art director, and fashion editor
has helped Larrea develop a unique
perspective for his work; interacting so
closely with the clothing helps give his
illustrations a greater focus on the prints,
textures, and details.
Good Advice
¹Have passion for your work, believe in
yourself, and don’t give up.º
Job: 10-42056 Title: RP - Art of Fashion Illustration
DTP: LY Page: 61
42056 - Art of Fashion Illustration_int.indd 61 10/31/14 3:26 PM
Get The Art of Fashion Illustration now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
