In Progress: Flight (2)

Back at the ranch, a little bit more progress:

But not much.

Random typography

I was browsing yesterday when I came across this page at Net-a-Porter:

I'm a sucker for good typography. I really like what they did on the word "sale" – slightly eclectic, interesting to look at. I particularly like the way the serif on the "l" curls into the "e" and ever so slight tilt of the "l." The whole layout is elegant and sleek and easy-to-navigate, too. Important, for web design!

Most shopping sites have pretty bland web designs (Anthropologie is usually pretty nice, though), and often poor navigation too. Still waiting for someone to come up with a really intuitive and non-clunky web shopping interface...

Etsy Love

I've been on an Etsy kick lately – browsing it is so much fun! For those of you who don't know, Etsy is a one humongous collection of individual stores where people sell handmade or vintage jewelry, clothing, dolls, paper goods, art prints, purses, ceramics... you name it. I thought I'd share a couple stores that I like:

Gorgeous handmade necklaces at alusciousthing's store. My favorite is this golden orange bird cameo one:


And cute little flower necklaces and earrings at mayidea's shop:


I can personally vouch for the service at mayideas :)

Color and Movement

Some really amazing photography by Dirk Rees. From "Revenge," "Future Love," and "In Motion," respectively. The one above is my favorite.

In Progress: Flight

Laying down base colors. This is pretty much all I finished today. Yeah, this picture is going to take a looong time to paint. Here's hoping I don't lose interest...

Product Review: Francesca's Collections "Autumn Motif Dress"

So, what've we got here... fashion, check; art, check; awesome stuff, check... guess it's time for shopping! Oh yes. I've always found blog product reviews helpful, so let's do this thang.

This dress from Francesca's Collections arrived on my doorstep today. It's always so nice when things arrive at your doorstep: packages, pals, puppies, pizzas... I digress. This piece is called the Autumn Motif Dress and it goes for $44 (though I got it on sale, natch).

I like browsing Francesca's because their pieces are quirky (not Anthropologie quirky, but quirkier than, say... The Gap. I guess that's not saying very much, though), colorful, trendy, and fairly reasonably-priced (especially when they go on sale – then you can get a dress for $10, but their sizes seem to sell out quickly).

I rarely purchase anything there, though, because you get what you pay for – that is, Francesca's stockers seems to make rather liberal use of synthetic fabrics. I really liked the print of this particular dress, though, so I caved, despite it being 100% polyester.

So, the good:
1. This thing will never wrinkle, so it's good for travel. There are good things about synthetics, after all.
2. The kimono-style sleeves are flattering – especially good if you have thick upper arms!
3. The length is good (the size small comes to my knee; I'm 5'0", for reference) and the styling hides any tummeh you may happen to possess.

And the bad:
1. The colors aren't as bright as they are in the picture, and all the orange seems to have mysteriously disappeared into a bland tannish-yellow.
2. The inside hem of the bodice is raw. (It's hidden, luckily.)
3. Feels... well... synthetic.

It looks cute on, so I'm happy. Just keep in mind that if you ever shop at Francesca's, this isn't super high quality stuff you're getting. I've always thought of it as a boutique version of Forever 21.

Flight

This is what I spent today doing. This will be edited/colored/etc. tomorrow or something.

I'm never drawing giant bionic steampunk techno-necromantic cyborg falcons again, man. Takes effin' forever.

EDIT: Specs for my good friend Joy! Drawn with a mechanical pencil (0.5 HB) on two pieces of ho-hum printer painter and edited together in Photoshop CS2 (yeah, I need to get some bigger paper).

And just for fun, a detail shot:

Elegante

These beautiful watercolors are by Japanese artist Sayaka. I like how delicate the lines are, and how the colors look dreamy and light despite being vivid. And I've always liked vignettes on a white background.


I'm jealous.

In the beginning...

I wanted to start off with a drawing or somesuch, but I just spent a greater part of the afternoon watching TV. I never watch TV, so this is something of an event. Luckily, I was watching fashion shows, so this is still somewhat topical. (I am aware there is no context to speak of. But still.)

Now, I enjoy fashion – one might even say I have more than a passing interest in it, given how much time I spend trawling the web for fashionable things. But while I enjoy looking at fashion shows sometimes (Alexander McQueen jumps to mind), in general I have a rather more vested interest in the everyday, casual appeal of fashion and beauty, because I am neither a model nor a designer. This is changing (the interest, not the model/designer-status). There is something deliciously sumptuous about the deepness and richness of the colors in a well-styled fashion spread or advertisement (Prada ads = YES PLZ), and there is something inexplicably wonderful and artful about the manipulation of fabrics, shapes, and textures to accent and change the human form. The fashion world has had an undeniably impact on my drawing, and if I were an art student, I'd be all up on that "erasing the boundary between art and fashion" shizznap on my midterm exam.

That reminds me: I've had several conversations with naysayers about whether or not fashion is art. It is. But like all other forms of art, it requires vision, expression, and above all, good direction. Those atrocious Guess ads are, well, atrocious – specimens of banality, empty sex appeal, and poor execution. I won't say they aren't art, but, well, they're just not very good. I can imagine why you might look at something like that and be skeptical.

Somewhere in there I was going to talk about my first experience watching Project Runway. But all I can think of at the moment is... dang, them peeps is catty.


EDIT: An illustrated guide. First, the good:

I have a very real weakness for subtle blushes of color.

What's brilliant about this image:
1. The clean, crisp lines of contrast between the top and the model's skin.
2. The juxtaposition of the face in the painting against that of the model, and the line of movement the placement of both creates.
3. The way the pattern of the top complements the background sketch.
4. The colors, man, the colooorrrssss.
5. The bag is super-cute. YES, FRIVOLITY.

Alexander McQueen. My friends, you will come to realize this in the coming months: I really, really, really like shoes. It's an issue. A female issue.

Anyway, these remind me of Chinese junks.

And now the bad. Only one!

Barring the fact that they are trying to use Paris Hilton as a fashion icon, this is just garish. I shouldn't have to say why.

The end!