ILLUSTRATION: Valentino Spring/Summer 2018

Just wanted to share my new illustration with you guys, hope you like it! 

ILLUSTRATION: Illamasqua

This is the closest I've ever gotten to a digital piece of artwork, usually I tend to keep my illustrations more sketchy and fluid. I thought this would be a good one to illustrate digitally as it consists of straight lines. This was more of a challenge than I originally thought as illustrating glass is simply not fun, and more time consuming than I had thought. However, I think all the time invested in this really paid off as it is an outcome that I'm really happy with. 

ILLUSTRATION: Dolce and Gabbana

'Did you draw this?'

Lately, I keep getting quite a few of this particular question. Frankly, it is one of my favourite questions and a compliment within itself. Every time I get asked this question, I find it very very hard to maneuver my head through a doorway. 

So, here is one of my latest illustrations. Obviously, I just cannot seem to get D&G off my mind. So this was a past illustration of mine, I decided to revamp it as, honestly, I just did not have the time or energy to start from scratch. The majority of my illustrations evolve from a sketch in pencil - or mechanical pencil because I am just that uncultured. I use a mixture of pencils - my favourite being 4B and B and my blending tool of choice is a (clean!) cotton bud.

After I have my finished sketch, I ideally would scan my image onto the digital world. However, as I am a newbie and lack the funds, I opt for a photo on either a Pixel phone or a Samsung Galaxy S8. Once the image has transported itself magically to my PC, I can freely use Adobe's fantastic software to edit, add colour, textiles and the finishing sparkles. Swipe in some rouge, add a touch of hairspray, maybe a label and Voila!

If you fancy having a look at the fantastic collection this was based on: CLICK HERE
For more DOLCE & GABBANA

ILLUSTRATION: Kaia Gerber

It's not much of a surprise now is it? I think it's becoming clear that the format of my blog is to: A) post about something I'm obsessing over and B) to draw it. Hence, illustration beneath...

For the Miu Miu collection that inspired this illustration; CLICK HERE
More of the model? @KAIAGERBER

ILLUSTRATION: Fendi Autumn/Winter 2017

Was so inspired by the collection from Fendi (see post) that I decided to illustrate one of my favourite looks from it. This look stood out to me because of the mixture of textures and combination of black fabrics. I adore the details as well as the silhouette, and the overall styling of this outfit is so subtle, wearable and chic.

This illustration enabled me to experiment with creating different textures. Obviously with the use of Adobe Photoshop, I was able to achieve this look, however, this year my aim is to strengthen my Adobe skills. We'll see how it goes...

ILLUSTRATION: My little piece of luxury...

Being an Instagram addict that I am now, I couldn't help but notice that designer items (often with a luxurious look or price tag) have become the subject of many illustrators' artwork. Even though I don't particularly understand the reasoning behind it, I decided I should give it a chance...

The 'item of luxury' I decided to illustrate - disregarding the fact that it may be the ONLY item of this nature in my possession - is the gorgeously glamorous Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick (5 - Fuchsia in Excess). Having made this purchase based simply on impulse right after my first student loan payment of this year, I hadn't even had a second wear of it before I decided that I was going to follow the footsteps of these Instagram illustrators who I admire so much. 

This was actually my third attempt (-the first being with watercolour before I realised that the paintings resembled those of a toddler's) and despite everything and how uninspiring I thought these were, I quite enjoyed this.

Overall I quite pleased with the final product, (looking back I'd change the odd little lines and squiggles here and there), I think I may have overdone it with the use of the high contrast but I never seem to be satisfied until there is a huge gap between black and white. 

Media Used: Promarkers, Watercolour pencils, Copic markers, Chalk, Gel pen

Time taken: 5 hours (approx)

Date: November/December 2013

ILLUSTRATION: FahadBoutique

Quite recently, I had joined Instagram...which admittedly for me was a big deal. Considering I had managed the majority of my teenage life void of any social networks, this was quite a breakthrough for me. 

But like most aspiring artists/designers/illustrators/creators your main goal is to get your work out there, whether it's for an approval or to convey a message or create a feeling - but bottom line - that's pretty much what we all want. As much as I try to deny the obsession with this newfound guilty pleasure of mine, I caught myself wanting to check the news feed every couple of minutes - seconds, even. And as much I hate to admit, my heart did soar a little every time someone tapped on that little heart icon...

One of the obsessions with all these "likes" and "thumbs-ups" are the advantages of checking on who in fact did like your image, because, well - let's face it, we want to know the who, what and why behind that single "like". Which gets me to right about here - where I had the pleasure of being introduced to fahadboutique, a Kuwait-based haute-couture clothing line.

Browsing the images as a sort of archive, I was torn; I either fell in love with the dress or the model...or perhaps the dress on the model. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to wear the dress or be the model wearing the dress. Either way, I figured that if I couldn't wear it, I would draw it. But of course, when it's not your own design, you kinda have to get a license/an agreement or something to give you (the illustrator) the rights..to, you know...illustrate. Thankfully, all I had to do was ask, which in return got me the thumbs up and I was good to go!

Part of my little dorky heart couldn't help but feel absolutely ecstatic and 'all grown up' as though I was a "real" fashion illustrator, and the other part was just hoping that this would be the start of many more to come. Having posted the finished image up on my Instagram, I remember feeling very, very, VERRRYYY nervous - whether the designer would like it, whether it was true to the garment or brand, whether it did the dress justice. And for those of you (the two readers I have) wondering what happened...Fahad, the designer himself chose to publish it and thought it was a beautifully done illustration. Needless to say I had an ear-to-ear grin for a whole week!

MODEL OF THE MOMENT: Lindsey Wixson

Being a student on a course that requires 100% of its marking from coursework means having to do a lot of work which, needless to say, usually requires:

A) High caffeine tolerance

B) Sleepless nights

C) Dedication which can only result in aching hands and bloodshot eyes.

Being a student on a fashion course, however, is a little different...and in addition to the above you will need:

A) An insane collection of fashion magazines

B) An endless supply of drawing equipment/painting materials/fabric and trims

C) High tolerance for people constantly calling you thick (whether that's directly or simply implied or just assumed - that's irrelevant)

Being a fashion student, I found that even in my new flat, I have accumulated a few too many Vogues than the tiny space allows. Whilst debating to myself whether or not to keep the magazines, I began to flick through them in an attempt to help me decide. 

One model in particular caught my eye as she popped up in quite a few campaigns - everything from Versace to Miu Miu to Mulberry. And what absolutely just attracted me to her was her beautifully unusual face - something which, today I think would be more common in beauty shots rather than anything else. And as though to apply emphasis on that, she has also appeared in the Voguebeauty section of the magazine.

I recall first seeing this model in a youtube make-up tutorial by Lisa Eldridge - a video from 2011 and I had just fallen in love with her face from then on. So with that and the dilemma of what to do with my old Vogues, I decided that I would do something useful. And in order to prove to myself that the fashion magazines still deserved the shrine they held in my newly rented room, I would create inspiration boards (as shown in the photograph above) that would - as the name suggests - inspire me to create more adequate pieces of work.                              

I don't know about anyone else but before unleashing myself in a project like this, I always like to 'test the waters' - usually preferring to start small...hence the pencil drawing (image on the right hand side). I realise this may sound silly as the word 'project' may be being used too loosely considering I had originally set this task up for myself. However, I always find that for me, to ease into new media or new styles, I always have to treat a project as though I want to be able to use as many different media as I can, create different styles and looks and feels and experiment with every variant possible to ensure that I can perform at my best. 

This drawing (as shown on the image above) has become one of my most preferred method of illustration. I have found that as I begin to work more with coloured/toned paper that I am growing more and more confident with it, and even - dare I say it - increasingly better. As a child, you're expected to learn to draw by using lines. Growing up, you realise that the lines you have been drawing for a decade or so, were merely representations of shadows, hence the combination of HB pencils and white paper. Only when you're fully emerged into the world of art do you ever begin to give a crap about the negative space in a piece of work.

I had always considered myself a dedicated Art student, however, I have to admit that even to this day, portraying light in a painting/drawing is one of the hardest things to do. Especially when all you're given is a dark canvas and white media. Even thought I hesitate to admit, the idea of that is scary enough and that box shall remain empty in my tick-list for a long time, but is one that I hope to cross off some day.

All things aside, I do think that I did a pretty bad job with the proportions considering I had used a grid for measurements. However, as a stand-alone image, I don't think it's all that bad. I think the use of the strong contrast works well; I like the look of the subtle hints of colour - particularly in the eyes and mouth and I do like the way the light has been captured in a way to create a dewy and healthy look on the skin.

In comparison to all the other pieces in this post, (so far and yet to come), this was one of the quickest, free-est form of mark-making for me (image shown above). To emphasise that point alone, I'd like to point out that, this piece was done on the cardboard backing of an old sketchbook. And from that experience, next time I decide to use cardboard scraps, I think I would stick to mediums such as paint and inks rather than promarkers as it is absolute hell to blend.

And even though, (as mentioned in my old posts), I have been trying to steer away from cartoon-like illustrations, I feel like it turned out quite differently compared to anything else I have done previously. I feel this piece may just give this long, arguably boring post (that I am currently typing up), an element of fun and that pop of life it needs to make it somewhat enjoyable.

This painting (shown on the images on the right and below) is one of the pieces I am still content with. Usually I find that if I am happy with an illustration after having completed it, it will take me a week or two to gather up a list of improvements that could have been made...which in return voids my entire sense of achievement. However, a couple of weeks have passed now and I find that, although I have my list of possible improvements and mistakes, I am also still happy with what I produced.

Needless to say my Vogues are still intact and still remain on their shrine and I have yet to find a reason to stop clinging on to them. It's absolutely amazing how images from collections from seasons and years ago - from names you had never even heard of or just completely forgot about -  provided they are good enough - and strong enough, never fail to generate ideas and provide inspirations.

ILLUSTRATION: Changing it up...

As the academic year comes to a close and I'm having time to just do nothing, I have been stumbling upon bits in my room, I didn't even realise I had - mainly work/drawings I forgot I had done... Looking through all of them, I started feeling slightly frustrated as they all looked quite different. One of the main things I like looking at in people's work are the details (or sometimes lack of) that create that distinct look and style. I have always felt that is important because as artists or designers or 'creators' we don't need to be known for our words or what we do in our spare time or what we look like! Often we are recognised by the work we do - whether the recognition is from a classmate, teacher or someone who you've never even met! And that alone is the an achievement on its own - and I'm finding that, for me, I want to come up with a style that's recognisable and truly just mine...

One of the things I struggle with is the fact that my designs are very childish - often resembling cartoon characters. Even with that in mind, I always start off thinking of a darker image, a darker, more Gothic feel that I would want the drawings to have and I think it's always appropriate for Autumn/Winter collections. However, despite that train of thought, I always just lose the feel about 15 minutes in when I realise I've added too much colour, or the eyelashes look too fake to even pass as falsies or just anything that stops me from reaching that goal! So instead of kicking myself up the arse, I'm setting myself a goal to produce as many illustrations as I can (I'm thinking mainly faces) - or as many as it takes for me to produce a piece that I'm happy with.

The first image is the original, produced on a canvas. 

Media used: watercolour only. 

Time taken: 2 hours approx

I tried experimenting by accentuating features I usually don't, using a heavier hand with the brush and sticking to very few colours. I think it looks okay, yet lacks something - something which I'm not sure of... However, the three images below are edited (I use the term edited very loosely as the most basic of all basics have been used to render these...with the help of good old Microsoft Powerpoint!) and I think they all have something that the original doesn't which give it that little something extra...

1:I love the simplicity of the rendered image on the left; the lack of colours give the face a whole different feel. I think that the contrast between light and dark is effective, usually this emphasizes a look; brings it more contrast, often making the image feel darker. However, here I think it creates a feel of innocence. The vast contrast looks as though the image was drawn on using an inky pen on plain, white paper.

2: I absolutely hate how hours upon hours spent on a piece of art doesn't give you what you aimed for, and yet with a simple click of a button, the image is suddenly transformed! Once again, I had the hope for a darker, more Gothic illustration, and somehow managed to add more colour. I do like this edited version though, as it shows me what I aim for and how the same piece that I have done would look like if it had been done differently. 

3: Although this isn't something I would do - one of the main reason being that I wouldn't want to get bollocked by the tutor in front of half my class, I still think it's a cool effect. It might come in handy for a themed collection; something more stylised, or something more exaggerated.