From The Ashes

I used to LOVE drawing super heroines. LOVE. Phoenix and Storm, I would draw them constantly. But the X-men no longer hold sway over my imagination, but I don't have the same zeal for any character or motif, and I feel sad about that. On the plus side, I draw for the sake of drawing. Tonight I was sifting through the 'ashes' of my former obsessions to see if I could draw them again (something I've tried with varying degrees of success here on this blog many, many times in the past few years). But I couldn't get the hang of the body type, nor of even getting to finish the character that I know how to draw so well. It just... isn't anymore.

Stormy

I'm in the thick of a last minute Valentine's Day job so I just quickly sketched this out for today.

Switched 3

 

I had to adjust her profile. When a drawing relies on graphic simplicity, each part needed to be honed just right. So her expression got adjusted, her eyes enlarged, her nose made more pert, her brows groomed. A lot really, and yet probably not immediately visible.

edit: I couldn't leave well enough alone, so here's a version that I feel better about the next day: the angle of the ring and the ponytail just didn't jibe with the angle of the model's face.

Switched 2

I was going to post my original sketch form this morning as yesterday's makeup sketch, but after I changed everything, when I went back to the original sketch, I played around with it so much that I thought it was its own new thing. So here it is, Switching the switch from yesterday.

For those unfamiliar with the term switch, it's a ponytail hairpiece.

Switched

I got caught up in designing last night, and as I've probably said often enough on this blog, I have a tendency to either design or draw,seldom do I have enough creative energy for both. So I forgot to draw last night. Today I wanted to try and draw Guido Palau's amazing ring-dangled switches from the recent Dior Couture show. I started with a completely different angle and level of realism, but I realized once I drew the angle of the ring on her switch that I had to make it more of a direct profile and make it more stylized.

Neue Croquis

I was intrigued by yesterday's croquis and thought I'd make another pose, but this one feels less successful.

70s Stance Croquis

There's something very old school Fashion with a capital F about the male croquis on he left: the contraposto, the stance, the cock of the head. It has so much more movement than the figure on right, which is a redrawing of the McQ image I did the other day, based on the rough white color field I laid in as the background, and based off a photo reference.Poses nowadays don't have that level of flair, and I don't know if kids are learning it in fashion design school... or if they even want to, if it's considered dated. But hey, I just said it was a very 70s pose, so maybe it is dated...

Rick's Shapes

Much has been made about the flouncy penises on display at Rick Owens' recent FW15 runway show, but to focus on those antics is to take away from some of the beautiful clothing that he crafted for this new collection. Perhaps the most accessible yet surprisingly fresh, classic-with-a-twist look is his peacoat with a flared oversized shape. This is just a section of the sketch I'm working on, because the face is the part I've done the most work on, natch.

60s / 70s Rocker Mullet, Again

The haircut popped up again in more shows in Paris, so I felt the need to render it seriously.

Damir Does Yellow

Surprising, but strangely apropos for his brand. And I love a sunny yellow anyhow. Anyhow, I was feeling an Egon Schiele kinda awkward vibe for this sketch. I rather like it's unfinished , sketchy quality. Plus the pencil line seems better for capturing the fluidity of that Astaire-like pant Damir showed.

Look of the Day

SO many new faves form the initial wave of menswear runway shows from Paris, and I was kind of focusing on the cropped trouser over slim pants of McQ, until I realized I had already drawn it before when I sketched Antonio Azzuolo's FW14 collection last year!

Chunk Hair

I'm too tired from helping my friend Rainer reorganize his stuff in his storage room (and then I went and did cardio! Go figure) hat all I wanted to do was veg out at home, although my fave shows were mostly preempted by the State of the Union address. So when I discovered I left an unnamed chunky brush as my last used tool in Photoshop, I just went with the line.

60s / 70s Rocker Mullet

This bi-level hairdo was always rock and roll hip, and musicians like Paul Weller have kept it in the public eye. Bu now more than a few of the kidlings modeling in the menswear shows have been spotted wearing versions of it, and I'm wondering if I dare do my own version of it...

Puff Piece

I just needed to do a quick sketch of the measurements for a designer puffer jacket I'm selling on ebay. Not the most exciting thing to feature on my blog, but it counts as today's drawing, haha!

Rock 'n' Roll Bangs

Costume National had their AW2015 show today in Milan, and I took to this model's look with the way they styled his hair. part 60s/70s rocker, part anime character, with the guy's long face the style looked fresher without any hint of a Beiberism, which I would not be into at all. Did it in one of the KTW (I'm using that shorthand from now on) pencil brushes which is very similar to the ones I favor for my digital graphite hair series...

Brush with Hipsterism

It was the 'stache. Once that was in place, it had to become a hipster.
Testing out some new Kyle Webster freebie brushes.

Sexy Twist 2

I really should be doing my show portraits but I really like just following the muse and sketching whatever I feel like at the moment for the blog. There's work enough aplenty when it comes down to it... but I'm definitely allowing artistic distractions. I can't seem to get a handle on his hair - there's something terribly 80s/90s about my drawing style so I need to adjust it to make it more current. 

Sexy Twist

A sketch I posted on Instagram got an unexpected bit of attention, so I wondered if I could curry favor by making another similar sketch that may allow lightning to strike twice. Which now that I'm writing this, makes me think, am I pandering for Likes? Ugh, I hate myself now. But I kinda like this sexy stripping, twisty man, trite as the image is. But I have to figure out those arms and hands. Oy, I sense an extended period posing in front of the mirror again...

Skinny with Acne 2

I wanted to pose the sketch I did a few months ago (Was it months? Maybe a few weeks ago?) on Instagram but when I brought it up I couldn't resist tinkering. I used the Photoshop blending brush to deepen the blacks and tones, so it feels like a bit of work was done...

Shady origins

Trying to go with the flow, I used the blocky square pastel brush in Painter and rather enjoyed blocking in the shadows in such a general manner. 

Image coming when my internet is fixed. I seem unable to upload files. 

Edit: found a temp fix by syncing a folder of images with my iPhone 

As Above

For some reason I started sketching this pose as an overhead shot and I have to figure out teh perspective AND the foreshortening, which I am not necessarily good at.

Rory

Parnell, I think his last name is. Anyhow, this was an outfit from yesterday's London menswear week's opening salvo of shows. And I was late getting it up (even if I drew it early!) because I was having cocktails at my neighbors and I couldn't leave before midnight to post this because they were busy talking about female orgasms.

Je Suis Charlie

Beardly Enough

I started out drawing a bearded model from one of my digital 'tears' but I realized I didn't want to do the trendy haircut the model had. But then when I tried to draw a longer 'do, it looked more Jesus than Fashion. I'm not sure the plunging neckline is helping either. Oh well.

Bundled Up More

I was trying to post this on Instagram yesterday then realized I didn't like it as was. In fact, I can't guarantee I wont dislike this tomorrow, but I do like the progress on it today. Always fun trying new techniques, although I think the outline overlay might have to go in future iterations.

Bundled Up

It's bitter cold in NYC right now as we batten down for the first real winter weather we've had all... er, winter. As I walked to the subway I saw a guy in a cafe all chicly bundled up so I made a mental note to draw the look. I'm also experimenting with the very blendy oil brushes from Mr.Webster. Interesting.

Forgetting

Argh, I seem to be forgetting the time and not posting new sketches before the day is done. So, this was supposed to be for yesterday, the 4th of January. And kinda in theme, it's my outfit from Sunday, which I decided to draw so I'll have something to remember it by (as opposed to forgetting). I rather enjoyed it because I had to figure out a layered outfit for rather unseasonal and unpredictable weather, jumping up to the 50s in the middle of winter. I went with my 1205 wide leg pants that I had to have a couple of years ago, which got me a fair bit of looks from people I passed by. Wide leg pants are so not in the public's lexicon yet, even if fashion has been pushing it now for at least two years.

Goddess On The Go

I didn't get to post in time last night because I was over some friends' place watching back to back episodes of Galavant (silly, and fully of hot guys and gay innuendo) and Downton Abbey, so my posting was late. So have a Zenaida.

Pencil Play

A test sketch based on a model pic (didn't much keep a likeness though - just needed the shadows and pose) using Kyle Webster's Ultimate 2B Pencil 10 px brush.

Soft Pencil, Hard Body

This is just a bit of practice with a photo reference I found online, and one of the newer brushes I had bought from Kylebrush.com. This is supposed to be a soft 2B pencil, I think. I norally would draw without  copying intently if I just wanted to test myself, but after going to the phenomenal Mac Connor show earlier today, I'm less particular about drawing from photo references (as well as a bit obsessed with a pencil line.

Rush Brush

I drew several things today, but didn't want to post any of them. I'm having a post-holiday letdown maybe. I don't love this (I mean, what IS she wearing??) but there's parts of it I like.