le printemps est arrivé...

Spent the day catching up on the new Spring issues of my favourite magazines, spring-cleaning and plotting all sorts of exciting things with friends. A good Sunday all round.

Images from Vogue US, Muse, i-D and Architecture Digest.

Photographer in tow

Love this idea for an editorial. Images from the April issue of Vogue Russia.

tfs

Custom Fashion Illustration Giveaway

Today I'm announcing a huge giveaway, to win a Brooke Hagel custom illustration valued at $350! Since wedding season is approaching and my second Etsy shop, Brooklit Bride, is still fairly new, I thought this would be a great way to get people to check the shop while thanking you, my readers, for all your support.

The winner gets a custom illustration based on their own photos. Don't worry, it's not limited to brides. I can illustrate you in your favorite gown, your grandmother on her wedding day back in the 40's, or your niece or daughter in her bat-mitzvah or sweet sixteen dress. You can also gift the prize to your closest girlfriend, to commemorate her special day.

To enter simply:

-Make sure that your a Fabulous Doodles follower (by clicking the "Follow" link on the sidebar.)

-Check out my new Etsy bridal shop BrooklitBride then come on back here and leave a comment with which bride is your favorite.

-If you'd like to enter twice give this giveaway a shout out on your blog then comment here with the link.

-To enter a third time tweet a link to this post with the hashtag #giveaway then comment here again saying "tweeted" with your twitter handle.

-This giveaway is open until midnight Thursday, March 31st. The winner will be chosen through random.org, will be contacted via email and announced here on April 2nd. Good luck!

Side note: Hello to my fellow BYWers! This giveaway post happens to be my "Week 3" homework assignment for my Blogging Your Way e-class with the amazing Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring. Can't wait to see what awaits for week 4! :)

Custom Bridal Illustration: My Process

Here on Fabulous Doodles I've shared many "photo to sketch" examples. However its been quite a while since detailing my whole custom bridal illustration process. I figured it was time to share the steps again, and what better bride to feature than my friend Jackie, whose wedding I was in this past summer. (Remember my hunt for a yellow bridesmaid dress? And details from her wedding, here.) This custom bridal illustration was my wedding gift to Jackie, but I worked with her the same way, and took the same steps, I do with clients.

(Brian Tropiano Photography, Dress; Amsale)

Once the custom illustration order has been placed (and the deposit has been made) through my etsy shop, Brooklit Bride, the first step is to email me wedding photos. Ideally a whole online album works best, if possible from the wedding photographer. Seeing an array of photos helps me capture the design and all the details of the dress in motion, from different angles, and in different lighting. The photos also give me a sense of the brides personality, like Jackie here who you can clearly see through her pictures is a casual and playful girl, as opposed to say, the fancy and more traditional bride.

After studying the wedding photos, for step 2, I come up with 3-6 very rough pencil sketches. From these roughs the client picks which pose he or she likes best and conveys any important details that they want to make sure I feature. They can also add or remove elements, by saying something like "I love the profile pose but nix the bouquet."

After the pose and details are clear I get to work on step 3, the polished line drawing. This will be the under-drawing for the final artwork. I again share it with the client and make sure every detail is there and the client is happy with the final design before color is added and it becomes extremely difficult to modify. This is the time for any final tweaks and balance payment is due.

Step 4 is the final color rendering, primarily done with markers and pencils but occasionally if the design calls for it I use a fine tip pen or one of my secret weapons. And after another hour (sometimes two or three!) the custom fashion illustration is complete. I then ship and pack the original artwork and its off to its new home.

Jackie was trilled with her illustration and has already framed and hung it in her living room! Again, if you're interested in a custom sketch of your own or would like to buy one as a gift, you can check out my custom illustration listings in BrooklitBride or email me with any questions.

Stella McCartney Fall 2011: Details

 An interesting juxtaposition of masculine and feminine elements by Stella McCartney for 2011. Body-con evening dresses with sheer panels sharply contrasted with the super-size cocoon shapes and wide suit jackets featured in the collection. 

The designer seems to be playfully suggesting we will be alternating between these two extremes next season. Perhaps she's right.

Images: style.com