Fashion a la Ralph Lauren

I've done detailed, realistic, blackline illustration for many years and this illustration is more closely related than the quick sketchy pieces I created in the past couple of months. Inspired by fashion week, and, of course, by Ralph Lauren ( I mean, I did a term paper on him in college!) this digital fashion piece is the first of a series.

Fashion Illustration 7

Come on; get happy! I think it was raining for a week when I drew this one! Thoughts of warmer weather and a vacation (even in my mind) inspired this illustration. I imagined turquoise and coral stones on the top piece, with orange to warm up the cool tones here and there.
Although the only "vacation" I will have this year will be at cub scout camp, or traveling the globe via google maps, a girl can live vicariously through her creations!

Fashion Illustration 6

Still inspired by the Oscars and Fashion Week(s) I designed a gown that I would wear; if I had a place to wear it to! The hair was inspired by a fashion house - don't ask me which, they've all run together now. Love the smoky blue and palest pink as an accent. It's very pretty as a monochromatic palette, but, if you have pale features, it will wash you out.

Fashion Illustration 5

If I was an equestrian type of person, I think this is what I would be wearing. Animal print definitely would wend it's way somewhere in my wardrobe. This print is tricky; if you overdo it, you look like a hooker. Worn tastefully, it adds a lot of fun. Animal prints themselves are terrific from a graphic standpoint and there's that certain wild mystique about them which translates into..."maybe i'm just a little bit wild myself" ;)

Fashion Illustration 4

I think this one is my favorite so far - love the stance and the colors, purple and olive are a great combination. Lots of citrusy olives and mustard colors in the Fashion Week shows. Fashion "Week" is actually several weeks; one in New York, then London, Milan and, finally, Paris. I'll get to one of them someday! :)

Fashion Illustration 3

One of the reasons these are so much fun to do is that they are so fast! I can whip them up in minutes! It's a far cry from the painstakingly detailed work I do in colored pencil...and that's ok! It's all good.
The clothing are all my own concepts, although I am certainly influenced by current designers.

Fashion Illustration 2

I think Fashion Week in New York, then London, really inspired me. Each design house featured some wonderful pieces, then some that weren't so great, but, isn't that always the way? There was lots of black and grey, cobalt blue and some citrus greens and purples were some dominant color schemes.

Having fun with Fashion...

Now, I love all the art I create, but, fashion illustration holds a special place in my heart. Every since I've done that Red Dress last year, I've been reinventing my fashion art. I love doodling in Photoshop - first I sketch with pencil on trace, then scan in and let the layers flow! These quick illustrations are so much fun and these are out of my head. The realistic graphite pieces I've done in the past are great (a la Stavrinos) but, I think it's important to show I can create other styles. This is one of the first ones I did last week.

I found "The Firefighter"!

I am really thrilled to say I found the firefighter whose portrait I did after 9/11.

The photograph sent to me by the Chicago Tribune had his name wrong, so for several years I was looking for Brian Buck. Couldn't find him anywhere...

Last September I was at my computer and this little voice (I don't listen to nearly enough) said "look again". So I dug up the photo, saw he was with Ladder 28 in Harlem and sent them an email. A week later I got an email from Brian Burik asking me if I was looking for him; that he'd received a message from his old firehouse that they thought I meant him.

It was too much to hope for - I introduced myself and explained I'd done a portrait of a firefighter with a flag and sent him a small jpeg. It was HIM! He told me the story of the photo, how they'd found 3 flags and he was taking one out to look at it when the photographer came up to him.

He seemed very pleased about the picture and I promised him a giclee print of it. It took a while to find a large enough mailing tube but, I finally sent it out to him after Christmas 2009. The other day he called me and we had a really great conversation. He loves the print and said HE was honored..well, folks, I sit at a drawing table and don't really get into much trouble during a normal day. They run towards danger every single day - I am the one who is honored.

I hope to connect in person some time in the future when I am next in NYC. Will post it if I do!

A Rose by any other name...

Flora... mysterious little worlds unto themselves and I never tire of them. I didn't set out to draw them, in fact, I will draw whatever catches my eye. I live a few miles from Elizabeth Park in Hartford, CT, http://www.elizabethpark.org/ and have been wanting to photograph the roses for a while, but, never seem to get there. Last summer there was an article in the paper about it being the height of rose season and I grabbed my camera and family and was off!

Of course, my timing being impeccable as always, we'd had an inordinately rainy spring/summer and it was a partly sunny day. The roses were beaten by the rains; many hanging sodden and weathered. Undetered, I walked up and down each row snapping away. I did get quite a few good shots and this was from one of them.

Hopefully, I'll get there THIS summer on a sunnier day, when all the plants are less traumatized.