"The Liveliness of Pencil Lines & Watercolour" with Anastasiia Vinokurova

March 21, 2025

Fashion illustration is about more than clothing - it's storytelling, emotion, and bringing a designer's vision to life. Anastasiia Vinokurova, a talented fashion illustrator, blends watercolour’s ethereal qualities with the precision of pencil lines, capturing intricate textures and the essence of each design. Her journey into fashion illustration began unexpectedly during the pandemic, leading her to discover a passion for visual storytelling. Today, her unique mix of digital and traditional techniques has earned her recognition, allowing collaborations with global brands.

What first drew you to the world of fashion illustration?
The pandemic and events of 2020 brought a passion for illustration into my life. In conditions of self-isolation, when our entire life was concentrated within the boundaries of the home and communication restrictions, we experienced a natural desire to look inside ourselves. Here I found a need for visual expression and a love for the fashion direction.

I loved watching fashion shows before, was interested in the history of fashion houses and biographies of designers, and the appearance of illustration in my life allowed the puzzle to finally come together. Now I feel in my place, doing fashion illustration.

How would you describe your artistic style, and what are the key elements that define it?
Although my style changes every year, it is based on the lightness and airiness of watercolour on the one hand and the liveliness of pencil lines on the other. My work is most recognisable due to the very realistic imitation of watercolour in digital format. This gives me great variability when working with commercial projects because working with rights in digital format is easier and faster.

Are there any fashion designers, illustrators, or artists who have particularly inspired your work?
Yes, absolutely! I am inspired by many artists, designers, and illustrators. I admire the work of Yves Saint Laurent, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and Tom Ford for Gucci. Among the illustrators are Nuno da Costa, Lev Bakst, David Downton, and Laura Lane. And also my colleague, Marina Sidneva, with whom I was lucky enough to study at the beginning of my creative path. But inspiration can be found not only in the fashion industry but also in all areas of art, nature, travel, and the most ordinary everyday things. You never know what manifestation of the world will leave a mark on the soul and inspire creativity.

What tools or mediums do you prefer when illustrating fashion – digital, traditional, or a mix of both?
I started painting digitally, but I really missed the liveliness of watercolour, so I started learning to paint with natural watercolour, and it helped me imitate watercolour digitally more efficiently and realistically. Now I combine both directions, and it turned out to be the perfect option for me.

Do you often work from life, photographs, or a combination of both? How does your process differ for each approach?
I mainly draw images from photographs, lookbooks, and campaigns. Sometimes I combine several references for one work, and sometimes I add details from my imagination.

How do you approach translating the textures, fabrics, and details of fashion designs into your illustrations?
Textures of various materials, embroidery, lace, and details of fittings - this is the most favourite part of any image for me. Therefore, accessories, shoes, and individual items of images often become the main characters of my illustrations. I love details, and if I have the opportunity to delve into their depiction, I gladly use this chance.

Do you have any advice for artists trying to get into fashion illustration?
If you decide to take up fashion illustration, don’t be afraid to tell people around you about it. Create an open account where you will publish your works, draw and tag fashion influencers and bloggers, and small brands. Explore the archived works of designers to better understand the DNA of brands. Look for inspiration in related fields, try different materials, experiment, and devote time to drawing practice every day. And most importantly, don’t doubt yourself and enjoy what you do.

What’s the most challenging part of creating fashion illustrations?
We create fashion illustrations based on photographs of luxurious designer clothes, fashion shows, and chic lookbooks. All this is already beautiful in itself. Large teams of professionals have already worked on the creation of these aesthetic visual images. The most difficult thing is to rework this already finished high-quality work and endow it with your vision of beauty, conveying the visual code of the brand and the emotion of the collection.

Which brands or collections do you enjoy illustrating the most, and why?
I am interested in creating illustrations for each brand - the most important thing is to study the brand's DNA and devote time to imbuing the atmosphere of the brand and the collection. Then all that remains is to fall in love with the reference and draw.

Tell us about some of your most memorable projects or commissions.
In the first two years of my work as an illustrator, I was lucky enough to work with wonderful brands from different countries, mainly European countries. It was a very inspiring experience that developed me as an illustrator a lot. Now I work mostly with local Russian brands, with several of them from the start of my career in illustration. It is an amazing feeling when illustrations and prints for fabric come to life in finished products.