Kiss Kiss, Lipstick Prints for Dior & Vogue

I have another fun illustration project I worked on for Vogue to share, sketches of my lip prints for La Vie En Rouge, an event with Dior Beauty in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Rouge Dior. They sent me a handful of images of the new Rouge Dior collection and I illustrated lip marks for the team to use for lip-print analysis'. Since each lip print tells a story, Dior and Vogue were on hand to help determine what does your lip print say about you? The lip-print shown here is The Doll, with thin lips and light nude saturation (these would be my lips and my color of choice!) "Ever analytical, this woman is full of insights and is meticulously detailed. She is known for being organized, optimizing processes, and styling new looks." Okay, I'll take it!

I love sketching for beauty clients especially for such an iconic brand as Dior and this was certainly a unique out of the box project. Unfortunately I couldn't make it to the event last week as it was at Saks down in Miami and I was at another Vogue event here in NY (which I'll post about on Fabulous Doodles soon) but I wanted to share the project with you. Also, check out the new Rouge Dior collection!  

Beauty Illustrations {Vogue & Bobbi Brown}

The lovelies at Vogue Magazine reached out to me again about two weeks ago to create beauty fashion illustrations featuring Bobbi Brown Cosmetics new summer collection for a makeup event at Saks Fifth Avenue. They were open to creative input so I suggested something different, using tan craft paper as the background of the illustrations, putting the focus on the makeup and its bronzy colors. I sent this recent doodle I instagramed and this post as examples of what the artwork for this project could look like and they were on board and let me run with it.

I illustrated three different looks, the first and my personal favorite is "Beach Bronze Night" shown above. This look is all about a golden bronze eye and peachy pout. Since it's the evening look I gave her a sparkling drop earring and dark silky hair for dramatic contrast.

"Summer Bright" is next. This look called for a bold and bright passion fruit glossy lip, coral shimmer blush and sharp black ink eyeliner. As the bright day look I gave her a casual and fun side braid with a lavender hair tie and huge pout for that bold lip color.

The third look, "Beach Bronze Day" is the most natural of the group. It consists of a nude cheek tint, bronzed pink lip tint, and sandy gold eye shadows. I complimented this look with a white striped headscarf and bright green eyes. I tried to give each girl her own style and personality since Bobbi Brown is all about celebrating individuality. 

(Top: Brooke Hagel, Saks 5th Avenue. Bottom: Bobbi Brown makeup artists with Vogue's Cara Crowley, Bobbi Brown display in Saks) 

Walking into the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store and seeing my sketches on display for Bobbi Brown and Vogue was quite the pinch-me moment. My illustrations were incorporated on displays in multiple areas of the first floor beauty department and seemed to be a huge hit both with the Bobbi Brown makeup artists, Vogue staffers, and event guests, who repeatedly posed for pictures with and alongside the illustration displays.    

(Top: Beach Bronze Night Illustration by Brooke Hagel on display in Saks, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. Bottom: Cara Crowley Instagram, Brooke and Cara.) 

I'm so happy with how these illustrations came out and that Vogue and Bobbi Brown took a bit of chance and let me use the tan craft paper instead of standard white. This was a wonderful project to work on and certainly a proud moment having my illustrations on display in such an iconic institution as Saks Fifth Avenue.

Dry Bar Hair Menu Sketches

Next week I'm heading out to LA to live sketch at a party in Beverly Hills. Since press will be there I was thinking I'd treat myself to nice blowout before the event so I called the hotel concierge to find out if they knew of a blow dry bar nearby. I know this sounds ridiculous but it reminded me that I have yet to share here the new hair menu sketches I was commissioned to illustrate for the Blo menu and site.

This new hair menu is quite different from the previous sketches I've worked on for them (both their first hair menu and the Barbie NYFW menu.) These are more stylized and sketchy and all have a similar stoic face, which was requested by the client. We went back and forth a bit on coloring effects and in the end they asked if their graphic designer could add in the splashes of color, which is something I've never had done before, as normally all my sketches are my hands only. I like how they came out though and its great to see them all finished and up on the Blo site. Their Beverly Hills locations not open yet, its coming soon, otherwise I'd be heading there this week to see the menu and get my hair blown. 

Lash Menu Illustrations

I'm excited to share these new "lash menu" sketches I was commissioned to draw for Lash Affair Lounge. They asked me to illustrate an assortment of lash extensions offered in the new salon. I had no idea you could get lash looks ranging from a natural, soft and pretty lash boost, like "The Beauty" shown above, to intense dramatic fullness like "The Diva" shown below.

Whats funny for me about illustrating a lash menu is that I was taught not to draw tiny details like eyelashes, nails or teeth in fashion illustrations. In the past few years, especially with all my bridal illustration clients and the dramatic lash making a comeback, I've rebelled and began adding lashes to my sketches but I have to admit I feel guilty every time and wonder what my professors would say. Crazy right! (Its true, every-single-time I sketch a lash I see FIT Professor Steven Stipleman shaking his head at me.)

This was my first foray into illustrating a lash menu (hair and nails, I've drawn a few.) I'm really proud of how all these lashy ladies came out and I'm pretty sure the client, Lash Affair Lounge, loves them as well. Now I just need to get myself up to Edmonton Cananda to try out their lash services like mink lash extensions. I mean how luxuriously Oprah would that be? Fingers crossed theres a Lash Affair Lounge hitting Manhattan in the not so distant future because my lashes could use a boost.

Line Drawings for Remington at Target

While on a vacation in Maine a few weeks ago I spotted more of my drawings on hair products in Target. Remington Products commissioned me to create line drawings for their hair accessory collection at Target. A little while back I shared my drawings for the hair scarfs and now these cuties depicting the many ways to wear the flower clip.

Above is a instagramed photo I took in Target of the actual product packaging with my sketches. It's always exciting to see my work on a finished product but even more so in a huge national chain store!

New Blo Girls

Last friday I took a little day trip to Connecticut to see my latest custom fashion illustrations blown up on canvas' at the grand opening of Blo Dry Bar West Hartford. It was so exciting to finally see them so large scale in person!

I was commissioned to illustrate two girls for the new Blo salon. The first (shown above) a trendy-chic girl mid "blo" greets clients near the front, her I had printed on a 4 foot tall canvas. For the second (shown below) I illustrated a traditional preppy Connecticut girl on to go, ala Charlotte York with a cable knit sweater, blo-pink Birkin and shopping bags in tow. She was printed on a whopping 6 foot tall canvas and makes quite an impact on the back washing station wall.

Even though I've worked with the Blo crew for a while now, illustrating their hair menu and their NYFW Barbie menu, the grand opening of Blo West Hartford was actually my first time in a Blo salon. Although Blo Dry Bar is the largest blowout chain in North American, there's still no Blo here in NY! (I was planning on sharing before and after shots but my curly-frizzed out before shot is just too embarrassing to publish.)

In addition to seeing my artwork adorning the walls, the grand opening of Blo West Hartford was a great event all around. There was lots of mingling between blowouts, sipping pink champage, munching on Blo cupcakes, diving into gift bags of goodies, and seeing my two favorite Blo girls, Hilary and Lizzie who flew in from Blo headquarters in Canada.

If you're in the West Harford Connecticut area definitely stop into Blo, check out my sketches and treat yourself to a fabulous blowout.

Barbie at New York Fashion Week

This weekend I had a major highlight in my fashion illustration career, I was commissioned by the one and only Barbie to create sketches for "Barbie: The Dream Closet" at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week! If that's not a dream job as an illustrator, I don't know what is. Being approached by of those powerhouses alone would have been a thrill, but both Barbie and New York Fashion Week, its just beyond. (Apparently in my excitement I've lost the ability to be articulate here.)

I should explain that I am a self professed Barbie girl. I played with Barbie dolls throughout my childhood, had the dream house, the Ferrari, and as many cloths as I could get my hands on. (Peaches'n Cream Barbie was my favorite fyi.) As a sophomore in high school I was assigned in art class to take an object from childhood and create and abstract painting inspired by it. What did I choose of corse, Barbie. Anyone who attended my high school may remember this painting because it actually hung in the hall beside the main office for two and half years until I graduated. Barbie made an appearance again in my life when I earned my college degree in Fashion Design from FIT. My graduation cake had an actual Barbie in it with a cake skirt! So needless to say I'm certainly a Barbie girl and you can understand why this is such a thrill.

Back to the project here, for Fashion Week Barbie opened up her "Dream Closet" for a series of parties and events celebrating her iconic fashion history. Lincoln Center's David Rubinstein Atrium acted as home to Barbie's Dream Closet featuring real "live" walking and talking Barbie dolls decked out in clothing from designers such as Alexander McQueen and Oscar de la Renta. There were boudoirs where guests could virtually try on over 50 Barbie looks, both contemporary and historical, stations to sit and design your own Barbie fashions, and last but not least there were Barbie inspired make-overs so top editors, celebrities, and guests could get doll'd up! This is where my fashion illustrations came into play.

I was hired to sketch Barbie hairstyles inspired by a selection of the most classic Barbies, some of which I even had as a girl. When guests sat to have their hair worked on by the Blo Bar geniuses, they referred to my Barbie illustrations to choose their "do" of bouncy curls, colorful hair extensions, feathers or even glitter sprayed braids.

It was a star studded Fashion Week event where top editors and celebrities including Kelly Rutherford (shown below), Brooke Shields, Nigel Barker, and Kelly Bensimon were invited with their little girls to take part in the Barbie fabulousness.

As I worked on this project I literally sat at my desk drawing with a huge grin on my face. How many people get to study images of Malibu Barbie and Barbie and the Rockers for their jobs? I mean really pinch me, just another day in the office right!?! Hopefully its the first of many dream come true projects.

For more from this event you can check out my Facebook Fan Page albums of event photo's and other commissions I've worked on recently. And later in the week I'll be sharing a few more of my illustrations for Barbie: Dream Closet.

Hair Illustrations; Blo Me Dry

My second big surprise of the week came via my FedEx man, who delivered this fabulous fuchsia book to me. A little while back I was commissioned by Blo Me Dry to illustrate their new hair menu. It was a fun project to work on since I was working from descriptions such as "Monroe at her heartbreaking best. A must-do for cocktails or an expresso-induced shopping spree."

The project was rushed, I only had one day before they went to print, but they were really happy with how the sketches came out. I asked for a copy of the final menu and was expecting a pamphlet or two so when this hard covered book arrived I was a little shocked! You can see all seven of the illustrations on the hair menu page of the Blo Me Dry site.

The salons looks uber-chic, you know I already love the hair menu and they offer services like "blo on the go" where a stylish blow-out comes to your doorstep. At the moment the chain of blow dry bars are only located in Canada and Cali but I'm assured that once Blo Me Dry hits NYC I'll get the hair hook-up!

Tuesday Tip: Lips

This week I want to get specific with you and focus on one feature, the mouth. There are many different ways to draw a mouth; smiling, smirking or even frowning. I'm going to show you my standard go-to perfect pout. Once you master this it's easy to play around and try variations.

1-Start by drawing a circle. Then draw one line through then center horizontally and another vertically.

2-Mark the sides and center with slightly darker "dashes" and begin drawing the contour of the mouth.

3-Lightly erase all the lines. (Once you add marker you cannot erase, the marker sets it into the paper.) Just leave the faint pencil lines so you can still see where to apply color.

4-Add a second coat of marker to the entire top lip and very bottom edge of the bottom lip. Then with your dark pencil lightly outline and add shadows in the center middle, center bottom, and sides.

Something important to keep in mind when drawing the mouth is the top lip is ALWAYS darker because its in shadow. Look in the mirror or some photos and blur your eyes and you'll instantly see it. Above is an example of the "perfect pout" on Audrey from my etsy shop. (Dylan, Vogue and Mystie all sport a variation of this mouth as well.)

For now this is the last tuesday tip. It was only set up as a four week series, but I do promise to resume it again sometime in the future. Thank you though for all the positive feedback! Happy sketching!

Tuesday Tips: Hair

This is the first post in a new series I'm starting for the next 4 weeks called Tuesday Tips. Every tuesday I'm going to post a little tip for you. Whether your an aspiring fashion illustrator or just dabbling and looking to try it out, I'm hoping my tips will come in handy. First up; Hair.

The most important thing to know when illustrating hair is to draw the hair as it grows and flows, as you'd brush it, roots to ends. Hair should not be colored as a solid mass of flat color. Also pay attention to the color variations and the shadows. Flip through a magazine or pick up some personal photos and look at the hair, there are deep dark shadows, the darkest of which are around the neck, and bright highlights on the top and sides where light hits.

I've drawn these three girls to clearly show you my process. First I draw a pencil sketch. Secondly I apply the main colors in marker. Then I polish her up and apply all shadows and highlights with colored pencils. Now if only styling my hair in real life was as easy as one two three. :)

You can also check out my Doodle Darlings to see line drawings of different hair styles, which you can look at as a base, before coloring, like the pencil steps shown here.

Face it

Last week someone posted a question to me on my Facebook fan page asking advice on drawing faces. I've since emailed her a few tips and a book suggestion but I thought I'd share one of my tips to here with you. It's something that helped me, so I thought it was worth it to share and maybe you'd want to try it as well. What is it I'm talking about? Copying.

Let me elaborate. It started when was hired by Timex to do a bunch of illustrations. (Previous post here) They emailed me their previous style guide and I was extremely intimidated by the illustrations of the previous illustrator. I wasn't sure I was right for the job and if I could give them what they needed. Like a lot of artists and women I guess, I tend to be my biggest critique and often have a lot of self doubt. So I decided to copy, or as we used to do back in high school, do "a study" of his work to see if I could pull it off. (shown above)

It really helped me and gave me the encouragement I needed and changed the way I illustrated. I really liked how the lips came out and have since changed my technique with them. It also inspired the necklace and turtleneck I chose for this Marie Antoinette sketch for Material Girls blog.

I'm not saying to flat out copy, publish, sell, or even fully take credit for someone else's idea and creativity. It's just an exercise that I've found to be helpful, especially when it comes to things that can be difficult to figure out such as faces, hands and profiles. You just may teach yourself something new in the process!