Another illustration published today

here is an illo for Amelia's that also got published today:

and here is link to article:

http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/fashion/an-interview-with-fashion-designer-james-hock/2011/04/27/

Whilst I am fairly pleased with this, I can really see when comparing to the other brilliant illustrations with the article I have tended to go "dumpy" rather than long and elegant and the long and elegant just works better! I think what I need to do is work on a larger scale as I feel restricted by A4, and I think that's why some of my fashion illos come out dumpy-ish rather than the long slender skinny models that they are (not at all jealous!) but that's the size of my scanner so I try to stick to A4. I guess I could photograph my work instead? I have photographed images before but I'm not sure if I can get them at 300 dpi with my camera (will have to check!) and also sometimes the results can show up shadows etc no matter hard I try to avoid them.

I think a larger scanner is a bit beyond my means at the moment.

Any advice anyone? Would be much appreciated!

(Ha! just had a thought - maybe the other reason why I make them dumpy is to try and put a bit of myself into the pictures?!! Or a reaction against sizeism? Bigging up the larger lady?)

New Illustration in Amelia's Magazine

Here's the finished illustration which has been published today and you can read the article/interview with Amisha Ghadiali by Silent City (Sally Mumby-Croft) and see Mike Harman's great illustration here:

http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/earth/voting-reform-an-interview-with-amisha-ghadiali/2011/04/27/

Watercolour, Landscape, Feedback, Re-evaluate, Rethinking.

I finished a painting today that was for a fashion illustration, I took the inspiration from R/H label's wonderful images on their website, in particular the 3 landscape photos below:

Because I had enjoyed doing the last illustration of "Island" so much and being able to illustrate the landscape, I opted for these latter landscape images as my starting point rather than the studio shots.

I was fairly pleased with the result and even though the model's head was out of the picture I thought this looked okay, after all we are focusing on the dress, and the landscape, which because of the website's choice of images I took to be part of the inspiration for the clothes especially the print of this dress which was called Abi Sky.

I sent it off thinking I'd done a pretty good job, especially pleased that I had done it in watercolours, a medium I have previously feared. Unfortunately, (as will certainly be the case on occasions in this illustration lark), my client did not agree, and thought that the headlessness was not good, (on reflection, for fashion, had a point really!) and that the model should be longer and more elegant. This is something I tend to do, shorten the body a bit, so again, had a point, I have to concede. Feedback also included that it is better not to be too literal with the fashion illustrations in terms of the photographic starting points, that it is better to adapt them, use own ideas etc., which I hadn't really done, I'd merged the sky from one photo with the river photo, and removed the background landscape to include more sky, and that was it really.

This has been a learning curve for me and although we would all love to hear that our pictures are wonderful all the time, it simply cannot be so all the time, as illustrators especially one is working to a remit, and as a fashion illustrator, one of the elements of that remit, is that the body and the clothes are the main focus, I think I got a bit carried away by the landscape. Luckily I have another week due to changes to the client's requirements, to rethink and redo the illustration.

Practising long elegant figures and making sure they have heads for me then!

I still like my picture and as a landscape, more fine art image I think it works well: and here it is for all to see: what do you think?

Summerhouse -Winterhouse -Summerstudioshed

The studio is up and running with all my stuff installed!

Here is it's incredible journey in pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.431313188699.214064.568733699&l=84b2de990d

Summerhouse -Winterhouse -Summerstudioshed

Amelia's Magazine | Film Review: Island, based on the novel by Jane Rogers, directed by Brek Taylor and Elizabeth Mitchell

Published illustration here in Amelia's:

Amelia's Magazine | Film Review: Island, based on the novel by Jane Rogers, directed by Brek Taylor and Elizabeth Mitchell

Work in Progress

I have two more illustrations to do over this Easter weekend. The one I am working on at the moment is for the AV campaign (to say YES! to it) and about a campaigner.

Here is the picture so far. I think I might not colour it much - I am liking the look of just black/white and the lines and a bit of shading. But I need to balance out the contrast as it's too heavy in places and not enough in others at the moment. Simplicity is the key! I still have a tendency to overwork things and sometimes wished I'd stopped earlier. It's all learning.

If anyone reads this I would love your opinion, what do you think of it so far, any suggestions?

Happy Easter!

3 recent illustration pieces

Been a little while since I updated here! I've been busy illustrating. Over the past few days I have done 3 illustrations none of which have been published yet so it's sneak peek views only.

I am excited about all of them! And one is for a new collaborator, CreatureMag:

http://www.creaturemag.com

It was an illustration for a piece of music and listening to that music is where the design sprang from, so it really was a nice leap and stretch for my imagination. I'm not sure how much more I can say yet so more to follow on that.

A second illo was a fashion one, for Amelia's Magazine. The colours were nice and strong and the shapes were bold and geometric and although the model first looked like Bette Davis, then developed into Uma Thurman, back to Bette Davis and ended up looking like both but with Sharon Maughan (of Gold Blend fame) thrown in! I am still pretty pleased with the finished result.

The 3rd was a FILM illo! Close to my heart as I am a great fan of film and consider myself a bit of a film buff (I even studied it)! It was also quite atmospheric and again I was able to use the film images but combine to a dramatic montage-y effect. This was also great because I took on the job at about at short notice, about 7pm tonight and had it finished by 10.30pm, a quick turn around as it is required for tomorrow am. I enjoy the extra challenge of a quick deadline and also think it can actually help - really make you focus and free you in a way, despite you would think the restrictions of time.

Anyhoo - here's some images which are just tasters and sections of or initial drawings for the 3 illustrations.

Finished Divine Comedy Illustration published on The Beauty Regime blog today

http://beautyregime.blogspot.com/

Amelia's Magazine James Long Russian Fashion Week

My James Long illustrations for London Fashion Week in Amelia's Mag magazine published today: link to article is here: http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/fashion/british-fashion-designers-at-mercedes-benz-fashion-week-russia-aw-2011-james-long/2011/04/13/

Amelia's Magazine Russian Fashion week Illustration

http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/fashion/russian-fashion-rgataullina-and-poustovit-at-mercedes-benz-fashion-week-russia-aw-2011/2011/04/12/

My Illustration of the Ukranian designer Lilia Poustovit got published today in a review of the Russian Fashion scene by Amelia Gregory in Amelia's Magazine. The link to the article is above. There are as always some brilliant illustrations by great illustrators (and mine!)

I have two others yet to be published for the Russian Fashion Week aswell but I can show a wee teaser/work in progress picture of both here:

The great new blog by Daria Hlazatova, Mark Standbrook and Karina Yarv http://beautyregime.blogspot.com/ is calling for illustrations on the theme of the Divine Comedy. Here's my effort so far. (it's Neil Hannan from the Divine Comedy with his dog in the bath). Naturally!

Amelia's Magazine | An interview with brand new SIX Magazine, and the rise and rise of ethical fashion

Completed Illustration for the SIX Magazine article published today!

Sounds like a great new magazine and very interesting interview by Hannah Bullivant.

You can read the full article and see all the lovely illustrations here:

Amelia's Magazine | An interview with brand new SIX Magazine, and the rise and rise of ethical fashion

Sam Parr: Artist & Illustrator

Did another Illustration today for Amelia's Mag. Not published yet so can't show finished item but here is preview of initial sketch.

Sam Parr: Artist & Illustrator

Amelia's Magazine | Climate Change Documentary: Beyond the Brink

My illustration for :

Amelia's Magazine | Climate Change Documentary: Beyond the Brink

has been published so here is the full image and the excellent article with some other really good illustrations if you would like to see it.