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