9

8

More layering, it's what I do when I can't be arsed to do anything else. That said, these are quite amateur. Created using sourced photographs of Carnaby Street and related topics.

I have a photoshoot tomorrow, but aim to get another illustration done by tomorrow evening.

N.

7

More free hand drawings using sticks and ink. The colour was applied first and then I drew over the top with the wrong end of a paint brush again :P

Was flicking through October's issue of Vogue Italia as I was doing this and ended up using some of the images as a starting point.

The illustrations were A3 and my camera isn't the best, so apologies for the bad quality.
I need to learn how to do fingers!! They scare me to death.

Anyway, I've recently learnt the importance of a blog- I lost all of my work due to an accident involving a hot chocolate and Gossip Girl (R.I.P the only laptop I ever loved)  and if it hadn't have been for this blog I would have had to do EVERYTHING again.

So thankyou blog, I finally understand.

                                                                         N.

6

These are the only OK-ish results from today's life drawing class.

We had two live models, who constantly circulated the room (making it very hard to capture the full picture).

Deciding to attempt something new I used only ink, and the wrong end of my paint brush (so it was like using a stick) to quickly draw the outlines of the female model. 

I worked on A3 too in an attempt to make my drawings bigger.

They're not incredibly realistic but I tried to capture the model as a fashion illustrator, taking care to capture the movement and pattern of the clothes.

My teacher didn't seem too impressed by my attempts, but the class has given me more confidence in drawing with ink and I'm going to try to do images for the project using just this.

  I think I confine myself by having to draw everything in pencil first, working like this just straight out in ink made it harder at first - a mistake can't be changed- but as I became more confident with my strokes I found that it became so much easier AND quicker as there was no room for errors.

N. 

5

More CS5 experimentation, messing around with layering old images of Carnaby Street together, really basic stuff and this version is very rough but it creates a lot of depth.
I'll be doing something like this with the images from the group photo shoot.

N.

4

Currently watching FOTC and attempting quick style drawing exercises.
This is from yesterday. I spent approximately 5 seconds going crazy with watercolours drawing random shapes and strokes and then drew quickly on top, spending no more than a few minutes on each sketch.
I'm trying to loosen up my style, I feel like I'm too restricted and my work is dark. Hopefully the watercolours have brightened up this piece a little.

N.

3

Today was a fail. For the first half, my scanner wouldn't work so I couldn't get any of my drawings onto my laptop.
Then I completely forgot everything I did the first time I messed around on CS5 and had to relearn everything- which was frustratingly slow.
It ended with me hating the end result, making me feel like I wasted the day!

My final illustrations for this project are going to mix past Carnaby Street with new Carnaby Street. At the minute I'm doing this by drawing old things- old styles, trends- seems to be mainly hair and make up at the minute with photographs from today that I have taken myself.

Attempt number two :

 (she looks psychotic)

I don't know which one to use because they're both awful, I'm trying to make a series out of the images. I need to find something a bit more original to draw for the next image.

I've also decided I need to start drawing from a reference, and not just the inside of  my head so that the faces are more realistic and don't all look the same!

N

p.s just attempted to correct the proportions of the face on photoshop ( I know this is cheating but next time I draw I will use a reference so it's initially more accurate)

Better?

2

More work but pretty abysmal. I don't have the patience to really invest much time in my work, I'm trying a freer less detailed approach because of this. This is a 20 mins illustration- I quickly got bored of because its terrible- of 60's fashion.
Watercolour, sharpie and ink.

This is my "drawing like a child" technique.

N

1

I was supposed to begin this blog a while ago, so that I could document the progression of my project. However, due to lack of organisation skills it has begun now- 5 weeks from deadline.
 I moved from the Midlands to London to actually do my course - BA Fashion Illustration at London College of Fashion (dream city, dream course) and I blame my lack of work on being distracted by this incredible place. When you come from a small and inbred town to the only place you've ever wanted to be, the only place you feel at home despite the fact you've never lived here before, its easy to get preoccupied.

I'm hoping this blog- something I'm reluctantly indulging in as a unit for passing my course- will be the motivation to  do more work too- recording the abysmal amount I actually have to show for the past four weeks will hopefully be a kick up the ass to get stuck in.

Right.

The first project is a group project- a good idea in forcing everyone to talk and get to know each other, but it's proving difficult for me- the solitary man (well woman) whom is not only socially awkward but is not used to having to collaborate.
 However I do think I got lucky, everyone in my group is lovely, easy to get on with and we seem to have the same sort of ideas... Hello Lovely people :

I'm the second one from the left with the bad comb over. There's one camera shy group member missing from  this picture :P

The project is based on areas around London, each group was given a different place- we got stuck with Carnaby Street (somewhere closer like Hoxton or Brick Lane would have been more convienient for lazy me)
We have to individually explore trends and styles, past present and future of the area and then come together to produce a source book.

Every project starts off with a ludicrous amount of research, here's one of my research pages....

This is a vintage postcard of the street I brought off Ebay- I'm actually investing in this project aha.

I'm actually attempting some illustrations now. I recently acquired the free trail of Photoshop CS5 - if anyone would like to donate their code I'd very much appreciate it! And because I have absolutely no photoshop skills I spent a few hours messing about with it. I began by a quick pencil drawn image of Twiggy (my thoughts were... Carnaby Street... 60's... Twiggy... lots of depth there)

  

Then I messed about with contrast in Microsoft Pictures Manager thing, also cropped it:

Then I messed about on CS5 with layers and used images I had taken of Carnaby Street and inserted them into areas of the picture, also used the burn and dodge tool- the only tools I really know of, to highlight and darken areas:

The end result is really rough, but through doing this piece I learnt a lot about using selection and layering in CS5.

I doubt it will end up in the final book as it's pretty poor.

Since starting my course, I've felt like my drawing skills in general are not upto scratch. I guess that's what happens when you start a degree. Especially in a place as prestigious as LCF. Everyone on my course has been selected because they're good. Suddenly your surrounded by people that can draw too, really draw and it makes you feel a little inferior!

Anyway this entry is long enough. Until later, when there's more work aha

N