This will be a 10 week program in which youth will walk out of this course with an understanding of:

Fashion Illustration through the eyes of the Afrikan Diaspora

Afrikan, Caribbean, South American, & Asian clothing designers

Understanding of basic human anatomy and how to successfully replicate this through drawing activities.

Understanding the “9 heads” of fashion illustration

How to structure and draw realistic faces

Shading with pencil and marker

Creative thinking and designing

Creating and designing “croquis” ( fashion model sketches)

Creating and designing their own “flats” (clothing)

Creating fashion “Mood Boards”

Creating at least 5 completed croquis with Afrikan, Caribbean or South American inspired designs mixed in with your own respective cultures and creative styles.

There is much room for artistic freedom in this program! Including aspects of your own culture and interests is highly encouraged.

Gaining knowledge and insight on West, East and South Afrikan fashion.

Gaining knowledge of how fashion through the Afrikan Diaspora (Caribbean, South America, Asia etc.) interconnect with each other through strong held on traditions during and after chattel slavery. (Done through video exploration and guest speakings)

Gain the ability to distinguish the different clothing styles, patterns, symbols etc. from different Afrikan countries, as well as different countries throughout the Afrikan Diaspora. For example, Adinkra symbols come from Ghana and Ghanaian culture. Ghana is located in West Afrika. These symbols represent concepts or aphorisms extensively used in fabrics, pottery and logos. These symbols are used in many West Afrikan country’s clothing designs and are also used in South American (Brazilian, Afro Colombian etc.) fashion clothing designs.

Framing completed work

Curating your own exhibition

Cultural confidence

Cultural competence

Experience a Holistic Approach to Creative Expression

In each class, students will engage in various art therapy activities, fostering a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. These activities include:

1. Inner and outer self drawing, painting, and writing exercises, allowing students to freely express themselves while exploring their inner and outer worlds.

2. Immersion in soothing beta and delta sound waves to enhance focus and relaxation while working, creating an optimal atmosphere for creative expression and connection.

3. Delve into the world of acrylic fluid painting, a liberating technique that encourages spontaneity and organic creative expression. Through this process, students develop confidence in color selection and gain a deeper understanding of color theory.

4. Artistic journaling throughout the program, providing a space for reflection on artistic, intellectual, emotional, and communicative growth. This reflective practice allows students to track their progress from the beginning to the end of the program, fostering personal and creative development.

Join us in cultivating a transformative experience where creativity, self-expression, and personal growth intertwine harmoniously.

Have you heard of many Afrikan fashion designers? Caribbean? Afro Latin or South American clothing designers? What if I told you there is a strong connection between West Afrikan clothing and Caribbean clothing? What if I told you there is a deep interconnectedness between South/Latin American culture and West Afrikan culture; even certain regions in Asia? In this exciting program we will take a journey through the Afrikan Diaspora and learn of all things art and fashion! We will take a dive and explore the world of Afrikan, Caribbean, South American etc. fashion and the designers behind it all. You will find that there has always been a great and eccentric fashion/clothing scene on the continent of Afrika since the time of the Ancient Egyptians. Through this program we will learn about the world of fashion as a whole and how to successfully execute the creation of our own fashion illustrations that we’d like to see come to life.

This program will make no assumptions about your artistic talent or how well you can or can’t draw. From beginning to end, this course will be a simple, yet efficient introduction teaching to drawing figures, faces, hands, accessories, clothing, fabric, stitching, buttons etc. We will handle Afrikan and Caribbean fabrics for inspiration to our drawings and explore the most famous designers in the world of Afrikan fashion.

Some forms of exploration include but aren’t limited to:

video exploration, class discussion, guest speakers, and field trips to Afrikan fashion shops in the city of Buffalo. It’s always a goal that students bring some of their designs to life. In this course, bringing accessories that students draw to life through a jewelry making workshop is highly encouraged!

The program will end with a reflective discussion on growth, class critique and an understanding of all topics mentioned above along with completed moodboards, jewelry and croquis (fashion illustration models) that will be framed and exhibited.