Fashion Illustrations by Saikhantsetseg Tserendorj @inkfizz

Saikhantsetseg Tserendorj, known as Bella, is a remarkable fashion illustrator who has captivated audiences with her exceptional talent and unique artistic vision. From a young age, Saikhantsetseg had a deep passion for drawing, and her artistic journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Having graduated from the renowned Fashion Institute of Technology, Saikhantsetseg's formal education in fashion design and technical design has provided her with a solid foundation in the field of illustration. Through dedicated study and exploration, Saikhantsetseg's skills have evolved and flourished, resulting in breathtaking illustrations that showcase her innate creativity and keen eye for detail.

Tell us about your background. When did you become interested in fashion?

I have liked drawing ever since I was a child. My favorite subject in elementary school was drawing. I drew all kinds of things like animals, flowers and landscapes. But it wasn’t until high school that I became interested in fashion.

Have you studied illustration, or are you self-taught? If you studied illustration, where did you study and what was your focus?

I graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology. I studied Fashion design for two years and changed my major to Technical design for my Bachelor’s degree. First 2 years in college, one of the mandatory classes to take was Fashion Art and Design which was my favorite class. That’s when I began to learn how to illustrate fashion designs and started experimenting with different mediums and styles. But I would say after college my illustrations got better and my skills improved a lot.

Why did you choose fashion illustration? What attracted you to it?

The high school I went to was art specialized. I would draw a lot of still lives, life drawing and landscapes.  I felt like it was a little repetitive, boring and took a long time. One drawing or painting would take about at least 10-15 hours to be completed. But fashion illustration on the other hand was fun, expressive and can be completed in a short period of time and was never boring to me. I love working fast and exploring different mediums and styles.

Fashion Designer: Bella Tserendorj @inkfizz

What are some of the most important skills for a fashion illustrator to have, and why?

I think the most important skill for a fashion illustrator to have is to work fast, meaning have a sense of urgency and complete the illustrations faster rather than take too long to finish. I know people say quality over quantity. But in my opinion, you have to kind of go after the quantity first, meaning produce a lot of illustrations and go through the sucky phase fast to get to the quality work. As you produce a lot of illustrations fast you can’t help but get better with time and amount of work completed.

Do you have a preferred medium for your illustrations?

I like working with pen, watercolor and markers on mixed media paper.

Do you keep a sketchbook to develop your ideas and sketches?

Yes, I keep a sketchbook to develop my ideas. Having a sketchbook is kind of a must for artists and creatives. Because you never know when the inspiration will hit and you wanna have a sketchbook to capture the ideas as fast as possible.

What are some of the most unusual materials you've used in your illustrations?

One time, I tried using nail polish for my illustration and it turned out pretty good.

Let's talk about the process of creating an illustration from scratch. How do you begin? Could you walk us through the steps you follow?

I usually work with a photo reference. So I prepare the photo references on my phone or on my iPad and all the necessary art supplies such as watercolor, pen, pencil, eraser, marker, sketchbook, etc. Then I usually do some warm-ups for 5-10 mins. And then I just start to sketch. Depending on the style of illustration I go with either pencil or pen for the sketch. Then add skin color, then render the outfit and add details.

If I don’t like how an illustration turned out I just throw it away and start over. I like listening to jazz music while working. Anything without lyrics is best for me when illustrating.

Fashion Designer: Bella Tserendorj @inkfizz

What projects have you recently been working on, or what projects do you have coming up?

I’ve been working with private clients and personal commissions. Also, I have a personal project where I’m exploring digital illustrations and creating templates for beginner fashion illustrators.

What are your plans for the year ahead in terms of your work?

I want to create bigger original works.

What piece of advice would you give to aspiring fashion illustrators?

Try not to copy other fashion illustrators' styles. Just try to find your own. It’s so easy to look at and start copying other fashion illustrators' works when you’re a beginner. Then you accidentally become a carbon copy of somebody else. So try to find your own style and have fun with it.

Is there anything else you would like to share or tell our readers? How can our readers reach you?

You can find my work @inkfizz on Instagram.

Written by Lyd Bechard