Beauty illustration is an area I haven’t dabbled in much… so over the weekend I started a sketchbook dedicated entirely to cosmetic illustrations…
Lipstick is such a simple object, but the moment a woman paints a fresh color over her lips… it’s game on. A bright red lip gives women a power that no other cosmetic can touch.
Prints available here.
You can find the same watercolor sketchbook I use here.
Many of you ask me…
“How do you come up with your illustration? Is it purely from your imagination?”
Yes and no. Quite often, I find a trigger. That trigger is something I see that instantly floods a million ideas into my head… ideas I can clearly see. It can be something I see while on a walk outdoors, driving in the middle of nowhere, or an image I come across online. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where inspiration begins… as it’s all around us if we look for it.
For example, last November I went to see the Nutcracker here in Boston. The Boston Opera House is a place straight out of a dream… and the show itself was absolutely mesmerizing (which I’ve told you about a million times by now!). There was just something about sitting in that theater and watching the show that struck me. It wasn’t just about what was happening on stage… it was about the audience and the entire atmosphere. It was the captivation on everyone’s faces, something you don’t often see in everyday situations. How everyone was dressed up, and how that may have looked sixty years ago. That idea stuck with me. Not long after that, I re-watched Finding Neverland, a movie I’ll never tire of… which drew upon that idea.
All of those thoughts and ideas formed this image in my mind, and that’s how she came to be. Although, finding inspiration to form an idea is only one step of the way. The process of bringing that idea to life is something that needs to be inspired as well. For me, that’s where music comes in. I’ve been surrounded by music and musicians my entire life. When I’m trying to ‘get in the zone’ to illustrate a new piece, nine times out of ten music will do the trick. It’s important for me to play the right songs for the mood of the piece and what I want to convey. It’s incredible how much more meaningful my work turns out when it has a soundtrack. For this particular piece, I listened to mostly movie soundtracks and jazz. Listening to music with words can sometimes be distracting to me… it’s almost as if my brain is focusing on the lyrics instead of what I’m working on. Although, sometimes music with words works… I’m a huge fan of Lester Young and Billie Holiday!
“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul” – Plato
All in all, how you get inspired is very much different for everyone… what do you do to spark your imagination?
Here’s a playlist I created with some of my favorite work music.
I’ve been craving artistic exploration lately… not just with new mediums, but also with perspective. Usually I focus on the large picture, but this time I zoomed in to focus on the face. 
I tried to keep things simple by focusing on the purest form of watercolor and working with positive and negative space. It creates such a strong graphic element…
It’s refreshing to try something new… don’t you think?
As you know, I’m quite the snow fanatic, so it seemed only fitting to capture the beauty of the Blizzard of 2013 in illustration form. One of my favorite (and most beautiful) areas in Boston is Copley Square. The Old South Church’s architecture is enough to make anyone ooh and ahh! I took a long and freezing walk to Boston from Harvard Square the morning after the blizzard, and oh… it’s a walk I’ll never forget! There were almost no cars in sight, and just a few scattered people (some on skis). It made for the most picturesque Boston I’ve ever seen. It was such a perfect day.
I’m sure I littered everyone’s instagram feed with more than enough snow photos… which brings me to the giveaway! I’ve taken a photography class here and there, but I’ve never really learned the in’s and out’s of the art. Capturing moments via photo is something I’m nearly as passionate about as illustrating, in fact, they go hand in hand. The same way illustration captures a moment… it’s about finding and seeing that unique moment.
This March I’m taking the Camera Ready Bootcamp here in Boston. I’m excited to learn how to use an SLR, and give my iPhone camera a rest (yes I take every single photo you see on my blog with my iPhone!). We’ll be spending the day learning the basics of the camera, shooting techniques, and editing tricks. The girls over at Camera Ready are going to giveaway a spot to their class to one of you! Check out the class description to see if it’s something you’d be interested in here.
To Win:
Leave a comment telling me why you’d like to take the class, and you’re class location choice (The Boston class or the Berkshire class).
Post an instagram with the hashtag #CameraReadyBoston to show us what sort of photo subjects interest you and tag @paperfashion and @blogalacart.
For a double entry, make sure to like Camera Ready on facebook.
We’ll notify the winner via email on Monday, February 18th.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with sequins. I’m always looking for new embellishments for my drawings… and these really bring it to life, don’t you think? They create a dimension while still remaining in the 2-D realm.
I’m working on a large piece using them right now that I’ll share later this week. Would love to hear your thoughts!
