How to Sketch a Tiered Design (Step-by-Step Process)
Hi,
Can we agree that the hardest part of any project is starting?
Committing pencil to paper (or pen to tablet for my digital peeps) can feel oddly daunting. It’s why Nike built an empire around “Just Do It”—that satisfying, frictionless doing we all crave… minus the drama and resistance.
When it comes to fashion sketching, the pressure to be original, polished, and perfectly prepared can freeze you before you begin. That’s why I’ve been sharing these prompts—they offer a light structure to lean on. No overthinking required.
It’s been personally liberating to share these sketch ideas with you. I’ll be the first to admit, the sketches haven’t been my best, most creative work. Not by a long shot. But the *quality* of energy that went into each felt light, playful, and fluid. Prioritizing the quality of the experience over the final outcome has been golden.
Have lightweight sketch prompts have felt good to you? Let me know what you’ve enjoyed or what you’d like to practice next—just hit reply.
And if you want to keep this momentum going, try inventing your own prompts. Keep a little notebook or notes app with ideas ready to go. That way, when the urge to sketch hits, you’re not left staring at a blank page.
As you continue practicing, you might notice: the more fashion vocabulary you learn, the more specific your sketch ideas can become.
Here are a couple tips to build fashion vocabulary:
Flip through pattern-making books to understand dart placement, neckline types, sleeves, and silhouettes
Browse online shopping sites and read the product titles and descriptions (you’ll often see terms like “shirred,” “dolman,” “bias cut”—they add up.) Google image any terms you’re not familiar with.
If I make more sketch prompts or videos in the future, they’ll be added to this YouTube playlist.
Alright—enough talk. Let’s sketch. 🎥 Watch the sketch on YouTube
Sketch Idea:
“Draw a Tiered Babydoll Top”
Voluminous, floaty, and playful—babydoll tops often have an empire seam (under the bust) and flare out with tiered panels. Tiers are created by joining horizontal panels of fabric, each slightly wider than the one above.
Not sure how to draw the tiers? I’ve included this 6-step guide:
✨ P.S. Missed last week’s prompt?
We sketched a Corset-inspired blouse with ruffle skirt.
You can read the prompt here and watch the sketch process on YouTube.
–Amiko
The Creative Power of Limits
Hi,
You’d think that creativity thrives with endless freedom—but the opposite is often true.
When we have too many options, the brain can become overwhelmed. That’s because of something called cognitive load—too many possibilities increases the mental effort required to make a decision or start a task. Constraints reduce that load.
In fact, some of the most innovative ideas come from working within limitations.
Creative constraint theory is the idea that limtations sharpen focus, reveal hidden possibilities, and invite resourcefulness. This applies across disciplines: poetry, architecture, product design, and fashion design.
Fashion collections are built with intentional constraints.
Creative direction, mood, fabric choices, pricing strategy, and product categories all act as boundaries to shape the outcome. These constraints help designers focus, make decisions faster, and ensure cohesion across the line.
But when you're sketching for fun or practice, those constraints are often missing. That’s why it can be helpful to create your own.
Here’s where sketch prompts can help.
They give you a boundary to push against—a focused frame that invites you to explore deeper.
Here’s this week’s sketch prompt. I recorded the process for this week’s prompt—watch it on YouTube here.
Sketch Prompt:
“Draw a Corset-inspired blouse with ruffle skirt”
Corsets shape and mold the body through structured elements called “boning”, which are inserted into narrow sewn channels.
Fun fact: historically, corsets used “baleen”—a flexible yet strong keratin structure found in whale jaws 🫢. Today, most designs use synthetic boning, plastic, or steel for a modern, flexible alternative.
✨ P.S. Missed last week’s prompt?
We explored the cocoon silhouette: voluminous at the shoulders, tapered at the hem.
You can see the sketch here and watch the sketch process on YouTube.
–Amiko
Too Many Ideas, Not Enough Action? (Try This Prompt)
Hi,
Ever sit down to sketch... and freeze?
It’s not that you lack inspiration—if anything, there might be too much of it. Between Pinterest boards, screenshots, and swirling ideas, choosing where to start can feel overwhelming. That’s not your fault—it’s how the brain works.
There’s a principle in psychology called Hick’s Law, which says the more choices you have, the longer it takes to decide. Sometimes, that delay leads to no action at all.
That’s where design prompts help.
A simple, clear prompt is a springboard. Prompts remove the pressure to choose and give your brain something to latch on to. They create an opportunity to seize the satisfaction of starting—and finishing—a sketch. That feeling builds momentum.
Here’s this week’s sketch prompt:
Sketch Prompt:
“Draw a cocoon-shaped coat with a single closure.”
The cocoon was first popularized in the early 20th century by Paul Poiret, and later reimagined by Charles James in the 1940s and ’50s. The “cocoon” silhouette is voluminous at the shoulders and tapers at the hem. Feel free to play with proportion and explore this shape as outerwear or evening wear. Consider how fabric choice affects its structure and mood.
✨ P.S. Missed last week’s prompt?
Last week’s sketch prompt: vintage-inspired sundress: low waist, fitted bodice, and full skirt.
You can see the sketch example here and watch a screen recording of the sketch process on Youtube.
More soon,
Amiko
Let’s Draw Together? (A Tiny Creative Ritual)
Hi,
I’m trying something new—and I want to be upfront about it.
Sketching consistently? Honestly, it’s something I struggle with. Maybe you do too. Between endless to-do lists and chasing inspiration, it can be hard to actually sit down and draw.
So here’s my idea: I’m starting a simple newsletter experiment where I’ll share a fashion sketch prompt with you. The invitation is to sketch an idea based on the prompt—no pressure, just play. I’ll also include my own sketch as an example (see below). I recorded the full sketch process in this YouTube video—feel free to sketch along or just watch me work.
The goal is to make sketching feel lighter, more playful, and easier to fit into our busy days. A small creative ritual we can share.
Right now, I’m aiming to send one of these each week—but I’m keeping it flexible because I’m still learning what works best. Consider this a gentle invitation to sketch along, or simply gather inspiration.
Let’s see where this goes together.
-Amiko
Sketch Prompt:
“Draw a vintage sundress with a low waist, fitted bodice, and full skirt”
