Spring and Autumn

This is a quick little sketch I did based on two characters from a Japanese fairy tale. It is a story about two brothers, the god of Autumn, and the god of Spring and how they compete for the marriage of a princess. The younger brother, Spring, asks his mother to help him out, and she weaves him a robe that blooms into purple wistaria flowers, therefore winning the princess' favor. At the end of the tale we know why Spring is fresh and merry, whereas Autumn becomes the saddest thing there is.

Sketch ~ Surreal Garden

This sketch was inspired by one of my favorite illustrators, Kay Nielsen. I guess I kind of added on anything I could think of at the time I was drawing it and came up with a very dream-like sketch. I was thinking of re-drawing it and making it more haunting... that would be cool!

Apologies for the long wait this week! Happy Easter! :)

A Bit of Hair

Some drawings of simple hairstyles, some taken from magazines. It's a pretty subdued sketch, eh? Nothing too fancy. Cheers.

Logo Lovin'

I've been having fun doing logos lately. I like adding an antique or vintage touch to them. I do find difficulty in designing my own logo though... I change my mind so often!

Speaking of which, the IDEA program (which I graduated from last year) is having a show for their 2011 grads! Check out their amazing work! www.idea11.ca

Difficult Customers ~ Comic Strip

I drew this comic last summer as an exercise in expression. Any of you ever witnessed someone ordering an overcomplicated coffee? Starbucks seems to be the place to go for it. It's one of the few places where you're allowed to be obnoxiously specific with your order and not have people glare at you. I always feel sorry for the poor coffee baristas who get these people. This is an ode to them.

As for myself, I always order a simple or predetermined drink ...with whipped cream. :)

Sketchbook Saturday ~ Here are some concept sketches for my cheeky main character. She is often impatient but has a somewhat vigorous attitude. Enjoy!

Couture

I love magazines. I recently picked up a French magazine (L'Officiel 1000 Models) full of couture collections by John Galliano, Valentino, Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Maurizio Galante, Elie Saab and many many more! It is bursting with runway photos of the Spring/Summer 2011 shows, and I was completely blown away with all the intricate and ethereal designs. I even found some new designers to love, notably Elexis Mabille. There were so many gorgeous dresses that I had to buy this $30 magazine... (ouch!) Expensive, but it was definitely worth it! The whole edition has given me so much inspiration, so I'll be happily working away on some new illustrations!

The above drawing was done a few months ago, but was also inspired by another fashion magazine. The colour reminds me of the ocean. :)

Photo Inspiration ~ Books & Things

Long post for today! I was organizing my closet this afternoon and suddenly got motivated to take some pictures.

I got these antique books from my grandfather, some of which are over 300 years old. I just love them! I think most of the books are in German, at least one is French, and one of them might be Hungarian... The small gold book with the red Vita Del P. Paolo written on the spine was printed in 1646! The red one is also pretty old, from 1767. And the black prayer book with the leather cover is dated 1812, and has some beautiful letterpress engravings. One of the books even has a Tolkien-style map folded at the back. When I first discovered that I was fascinated... I am a geek for anything to do with letterpress or typography. :)

The necklaces I made myself from various beads and suede leather (except the gold heart one). Recently I bought the soaps at a local gift shop. I thought the packaging was gorgeous, and immediately wanted to take pictures of them. I keep them in a large tin on my dresser.

So there you go. Hope you enjoy the pictures. :)

Sketchbook Saturday ~ Let Them Eat Cake!

I am so excited!! I am currently working on an illustration of Marie Antoinette, which is to be displayed as wall art in a bakery! (So cool!) I've been given quite a lot of freedom so I went wild with the concept. These are some early thumbnails. The middle one was picked and will be full-figure. The final work is still in progress but coming along very nicely! :)

Hats and Wigs

Continuing on with rococo-style headgear. These are pretty much doodles... I like the one on the top best.

Sketchbook Saturday ~ Gainsborough

Found this in my sketchbook today! :)

I have mini sketchbooks where I only draw in ink or felt pen. I find this nice because if I make a mistake, I won't spend a lot of time trying to perfect it. I think this encourages me to pick up speed & let loose in my illustrations once in a while. Before I drew this, I found a site that had an enormous collection of fashion plates of hats. It is awesome! I've got the link below for those who'd like to take a look.

The Mode in Hats and Headdress