Figure Walking to Chair

This image has an eerie feel to it, with the type of brush marks I have used and of course the colour that I have chosen.

The figure is quite interesting... I have added slightly more definition to her, for example, the jacket she is wearing, the outline of her face and now added the hands.

I do find it rather hard to draw the hands, but when at one with the brush, I just put it to paper and see what comes up. In this case, I feel the hands are rather good. I really like how only a few brush strokes can create something that looks rather real.

The chair looks like something out of a Tim Burton film (which was not intentional.)

It was a challenge for me to create other objects in the same style as the figures that I so confidently do, and I really had to get other elements correct in the same way, as well as being rather good.

This image doesn't show the elements that I can create to its potential, but, I do think that the simple elements on their own, do have a certain elegance about them.

Hat stand and Corset

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am working with black water colour on lining paper.

I have made quite a few elements and used Photoshop to try and create a decent composition.

The hat stand works quite well, with the blunt colour next to the water coloured bodice.

It was an idea from my tutors to see how flat colour, like a silhouette, works next to my way of working.

After a little experimenting, I came up with a few and put the silhouette clothes hanger above the bodice. It works quite well together, the two textures together.

I think that an image like this would look quite fitting in a fashion boutique, a vintage shop or in fact, a backdrop for a magazine shoot...

For my first proper attempt at putting my images into a composition, it works rather well.

2 Women inspired by Pierre-Louis Mascia

As I was looking through my work throughout my degree, I came across these figures that I created about 3 years ago in my first year.

We were given a project to try and copy a piece of work that a fellow illustrator had done.

I was given the wonderful fashion illustrator Pierre-Louie Mascia.

It was rather a challenge for me at the time as I had never worked with lace before, but once I started to work, I really enjoyed it. I found myself working with material etc that I would have never worked with before and yet I created something that I was later very proud of.

A Collection of Vintage Shoes

I love all things Vintage... especially shoes!

One afternoon, I wasn't feeling too well, and I was concerned that I needed to carry on with some work.

I have this fabulous book on all Vintage shoes, starting from the 1800s up to the 1990s. So I decided to look through, find some that I loved and would also be a challenge for me to draw, as I havn't really had the confidence with my own hand to draw shoes!

The above shoes were done with pencil, watercolour and black pen.

For my first proper attempt at creating shoes, I think this is ok. I do like how I have incorporated the slight colours throughout as I think they link eachother on the page.

I admit, when I had completed this image, I was immediately reminded of the piece Andy Warhol did when he was an illustrator.

They need working on, possibly more in the style I normally work, with watercolour etc. But, for my first attempt, they are ok.

3 High Fashion Women

Here are 2 images that I have just completed.

As mentioned in previous posts, I have always been a great fan of David Downton and recently, Mats Gustafson.

These are not 'copied' or anything like that, but after reading a little about the 2 illustrators and looking at their work, I was so inspired that I immediately put brush to paper and came up with these 3 high fashion women.

I infact had about 15 of the figures in this style (black watercolour, with lots of water on the brush) as I just kept on working for about an hour straight. Which, after much experimenting, I work much better this way.

Once infront of the computer, I looked hard at the many images I had, and decided that I should have only 2 or 3 of the figures on one page as it seems much more powerful.

On each of the works above, I have positioned the women in line of 3. I wanted them to look like they were on the catwalk and walking towards you. I do think that I have succeeded.

I am very pleased with the outcome of these figures. I think that the watercolour and the wash have such a lovely texture and movement that I have achieved the effect that I wanted.

I wanted these figures to look 'high fashion' so I looked on the internet and looked for an appropriate background. In this case, I took a Gucci background.

I do quite like how the whole image looks behind the figures, but I do think that it is really busy and quite possibly, distracts from the beauty of the figures.

So I have taken the background off the other piece above.

It does need something else but maybe a small logo at the bottom? I do however think that the figures look better on their own, as one can see the beauty of the brush strokes... I shall keep on experimenting with the layout, taking into consideration the points that I have made along the way of writing about them.

Later on, I shall then chose a suitable frame to put them in for my final exhibition.

Possibilities for Portfoilio?

This is another possibility for my portfolio...
The actual face was done last year, but what I find now, is that when I visit the work again, with fresh eyes as it were, and see if I could possibly improve it.
This image was shouting out to be put on a coloured background. I tried out some others, but this dullish yellow seemed to work the best.
The face is once again, influenced from the 1960s and so that is why I have chosen this foreground colour, as this yellow occured rather a lot in that era.
It is rather simple, just to add the colour, but I think that is all the image needed as in my opinion, it is a rather decent drawing.
I will be doing this way of working in the future: producing work or look at the images I have produced in the past and to look at them in a different light and see if they could be improved at a later date.

Possibilities for Portfoilio?

Yesterday, I spent the day putting these sketches together in a collage.

I have so many small doodles and quick sketches everywhere, that I suddenly decided that instead of having all these pieces of paper flying around and not in any particular order, why not put them all together on one sheet of paper and possibly use it as a piece of work in my portfolio, to show any future clients that I can do quick sketches and that they still look rather good.

To be honest, I thought I had done the difficult thing by producing these images, but it turns out I spent more time scanning these elements into the computer and put them together in a decent composition!

The bottom image was my first attempt.

I am really happy with the right hand side, the legs, the figures and the faces. This is because I think they work well together as one. They flow quite well as everywhere one looks, there are many elements for one to look at.

The trouble I am having with the left hand side is the colour I have introduced and the 2 faces. I think that the limited colour works, but possibly they would look better as another piece of work.

The faces are taken from the iconic Edie Sedgwick. When I was drawing the separate elements that are inspired from the 1960s, I thought that including her would work, but as I have said, I don't think this suits the page.

So, on the final image, the top one, I have left one of the faces out and also the colour and I hope it works. In my view I think it does work better, having taken out one of the faces and kept the black and white face.

I decided to take one of my favourite images made from ink and water, the Jean Shrimptonesque figure in the centre of the page.

I was thinking maybe to add text in the centre of the drawings, which I will try out, but for an image in my portfolio, I thought that this works better.

To look at the 2 images here, I do think that they have turned out rather well and am rather proud with what has happened with the small images put together.

I think when I am working on them again, I need to introduce colour, possibly watercolours, only one or two colours, to see how it could bring this image more to life.

Jean Shrimpton number 2

This is my image of Jean Shrimpton re-vamped and had photoshop treatment!
As I was sitting at the computer with this image infront of me, I thought to myself what could I do that makes it come alive? Something simple but yet effective and I just chose a colour, put it in the background to see how it looks...
I really like it. It reminds me of a poster from the 1960's, which isn't a bad thing!
Even though there is the rather bright colour one can still see the beauty of the ink wash that I produced in the hair etc.
This is one of my favourite images that I have done this year, so far, and it is going into my portfolio!

Traditional meets digital

This is another image of a figure I produced a couple of weeks ago... I was pleased with the outcome of it, but felt like it needed something else. So I headed to photoshop and tried to come up with something that was half decent.

(This is before I spent the day infront of the computer and tried to teach myself the ins and outs of the programme!)

And what I came up with was this. A plain pinkish background that sits comfortably next to the figure.

I realise that it doesn't take a genius to do this basic act on photoshop, but I think that because it's simple, it does add an extra depth to the final image.

Business card and bag

Here are my 2 images, which I am very pleased with, for my business cards and for my object.
The other day, I sat quietly at college, on my own infront of the computer on photoshop. I am known for not being photoshop's biggest fan, but whilst on my own, I managed to teach myself and have become very much more confident with it.
So, here are my finished images, which are done in the tradional way of hand drawing but touched up with the wonder that is photoshop!
I just hope that they look as good on the bag and the cards!
We'll see...

Tina Berning- 'esque'

This is a simple sketch I did not that long ago...

It's done on old paper and mounted onto a black background. I quite like this as it shows that I can just draw fast with a pencil and able to produce a rather good image.

As the title suggests, it is rather Tina Berning inspired, not intended, but is how it has turned out...

Jean Shrimpton...

During my drawing 'marathon', I produced this image taken from an image of Jean Shrimpton.

It is just made with ink, straight on paper.

As one can see, I love how the ink has made texture marks on her hair which I think adds something.

I had never worked like this before, ink straight onto paper before, and this was made after about 10 drawings later when I was extremely comfortable using my brush.

I just proved to myself how once one produces lots of drawings, there is always one that comes out best!

Inspired by Tina Berning

Earlier on in the year, I, as mentioned in other posts, kept on drawing everyday. One of the images I produced was this one, very influenced by Tina Berning.

To start off drawing, I looked constantly at Berning, which is seen here, and I started to get my own style which one can see in other posts.

This image is done on tracing paper made with ink mixed with water. I really like working with tracing paper and ink as the paper is flat and doesn't let the ink and water soak in straight away so I was able to create this effect with the drips.

2 more pieces.

These 2 images are more or less finished. I drew the girls and then played around on photoshop, adjusting the colours etc. I have put the bare drawings on paper that I have manipulated, for example, fried the paper or burnt it etc. Producing work this way puts me in mind of the great Tina Berning, with old paper behind it.

This one at the bottom, is just eyes, nose, rosey cheeks and mouth. Very simple and yet I think is effective. This image, may be a good one to put on a business card or something of the like... I ll have to think about it.

More of my work...

I adore working on paper, just pure and simple paper, whether it already has other sketches on etc. This image was one of about 10 that I produced one afternoon.
I love the fact that I hardly spent any time on it at all and yet the finished image is probably one of my favourites.
In the past, I spent far too much time on one image, afraid that the 'girls' were not pretty or beautiful enough. But with this 'speed' drawing and creating, I am not as precious with them than I have been.
The reason I like this one is the limited colour and the random materials that surround her.
Also, I like the way I have drawn it, with pen and ink. You get this lovely scratchy effect, like when people 200 years ago wrote.
This woman is not beautiful, she is missing her limbs... and the look on her face, she doesn't care!

My Work x

This year has been an exciting one really, as I have seen how my work has changed, for the better in my opinion. I am alot more comfortable with my style of working and feel confident with how it is moving on.
As is said in previous posts, I am a huge admirer of Tina Berning and Stina Persson, an with their help, I have become a lot more confident.
These 2 images were done by hand, no computer influence with them, but may in the future adapt them to make them look more professional. The bottom image was drawn from a picture in a catalogue. I just looked at the image and then interpreted what I saw with ink.
I love working with fluid lines, mainly with ink as one gets a beautiful and simplistic finish.

The image at the top is one of my favourites.
I spend time drawing everyday, whether if it's in front of the television, where I will keep on drawing until I produce something good, or if I sit at the table/desk and think about it, sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. I much prefer to sit in the middle of the floor, with all random papers, inks and even tea or coffee to use on the paper to get different effects.
I can often produce 10 drawings and sketches a day and yet only maybe 2 or 1 will be worth keeping.

This is all a part of learning and I am enjoying creating my own style and experimenting with other materials.