Pandora Jewelry Illustrations

Two weeks ago I was flown out to Los Angeles to live sketch fashion illustrations for a garden party at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills in honor of Pandora's newest jewelry collection. This party was unique because the majority of the guests were stylists, costume designers, and studio executives whom were being shown the collection with the goal of getting product placement in photo-shoots, television shows and movies. For years I wanted to be a costume designer and throughout college (FIT) most of my internships and projects focused on wardrobe styling and costume design so needless to say I was in seventh heaven chatting with all the guests as I sketched.

In addition to live sketching the soirée, the week leading up to the event I also illustrated some of the Pandora's newest jewelry pieces which were then blown up into large prints and displayed throughout the party space. Shown here are two of the necklaces, my personal favorite is the pave feather necklace (attached to the header of this post) and the charms shown "hanging" from the photo above.

For more information about my live-sketching or rates to sketch your corporate event or private party, you can email me at FabulousDoodles@gmail.com.

(Photos and Illustrations: ©BrookeHagel)

You're Invited: Live Sketching for Vogue & Lucky Brand

I'm excited to share that I will be live-sketching party guests again for Vogue Magazine and you're invited! Fabulous Doodles readers are invited to join me this wednesday as Lucky Brand celebrates their new made-in-America capsule collection for an American-themed night, with a live DJ, sketches by yours truly, and a look at Lucky Brand's new journal, Clover. I sketched this fun denim clad all-American-girl fashion illustration especially for the invite with their new capsule collection in mind.

Where: Lucky Brand, Time Warner Center

10 Columbus Circle, 2nd Floor

New York City

When: August 7th 2013, 6:00-8:00PM

RSVP: rsvp@vogue.com

Hope to see you there!

For questions about my live-sketching or if you'd like rates for your private party or corporate event email me at FabulousDoodles@gmail.com. 

(Illustration: ©BrookeHagel) 

New Print: AnnSophia in Louis Vuitton

This week I've added a new fashion illustration print to the shop; AnnaSophia. This sketch is inspired by an editorial from Teen Vogue of actress AnnaSophia Robb in a Louis Vuitton cropped top and mini skirt from Marc Jacobs' impeccable 1960's mod Spring 2013 ready-to-wear collection. I absolutely loved this graphic collection and have been thrilled to see it pop up on red carpets and in editorials like this one of the cute Carrie Diaries star.

I first saw this image in Teen Vogue a few months ago. I remember loving it and snapping a picture on my phone to later revisit but it somehow it got lost in the shuffle of too many pictures. A few weeks ago I stumbled on it yet again on Pinterest and was inspired to put some markers to paper to capture the look. (Which I actually did on my fabulous and new at the time Vogue paper.) I'm thrilled with how this fashion illustration came out and have had the sketch on display on my book shelves ever since. Last week while whipping up a new iphone cover design I decided it need a bold graphic for contrast and finally scanned AnnaSophia and added her to the mix.

To purchase a print of AnnaSophia or see more of my fashion illustrations click on over to Brooklit my etsy shop.

(Illustration: Brooke Hagel, photo: Teen Vogue)

Child Fashion Illustrations {Sadie Yanks}

How insanely adorable are these little girl fashion illustrations inspired by the lovely Sadie, daughter of Editor in Chief of Hamptons Magazine and Editor at Large of Gotham Magazine Samantha Yanks!? I met Samantha about a year and a half ago at New York Fashion Week. We had great chat about her love of fashion illustration, discussed possible custom sketches, and soon after started following one another on Instagram.

Aside from the recent book I illustrated (which I just posted about this weekend) and the occasional bat-mitzvah girl, I haven't actually drawn many children. Well, cut to this summer and Samantha posting all these amazing photo's of Sadie and her adorable Hampton's-chic looks that I continually "like" on Instagram, and the conversation of custom sketching her fabulous little daughter started up again. 

I chose my three favorite looks from Sadie, which turned out to be Samantha's favorites as well! I tried to capture not only her style but also attitude and personality, which certainly shine through in her photos. I have to admit, I'm sort of obsessed with how these sketches came out! Samantha loves them too and we're making them into large prints to frame and hang in Sadie's room. I can't wait to see how they look blown up and in her space. 

To commission a custom illustration of the little one in your life simply click over to my Etsy shop where you can see more examples of my custom work, read about the process and purchase a custom listing of your own. Also be sure and follow Samantha through her site, twitter and instagram for all her chic and "#spyLUXE" finds.

(Instagram photos by Samantha Yanks and illustrations by Brooke Hagel) 

My Third Illustrated Book, The DREAM BIG Academy

I'm so excited to share that the third book I've illustrated is now available! The DREAM BIG Academy Rosie Wants to be a Fireman is written by Marissa Klein and illustrated by yours truly, Brooke Hagel. This was such a fun project to work on and quite different from my previous two books, which are drawing tutorials as opposed to a story-based children's book about a single character.   

The DREAM BIG Academy Rosie Wants to be a Fireman is a wonderful little book in what will hopefully become a full children's book series about a little girl named Rosie who goes to bed at night and dreams big dreams of the places she could go and what she could become when she grows up. I think Rosie will truly touch both little girls as well as their moms. I'm not yet a mom but I can tell you she resonated with me, my inner girl, and the big dreams I had and still have for myself. (Rosie even has a stuffed elephant named Ellie, which was the name of my favorite childhood stuffed animal! Mine was light gray and about ten times the size of Rosie's but it's a fun coincidence nonetheless.)  

This book is in the process of being self published by the author Marissa Klein, through a fundraising site called Indiegogo. By clicking on over to The DREAM BIG Academy page on Indiegogo you can help Marissa reach her goal of self publishing this book while getting yourself a signed copy of the limited first-run! If you chip in a little more you can also get a signed print of Rosie to frame and hang in your home. I have my fingers crossed that Marissa raises all the seed money she needs to publish this wonderful little book and I can soon hold a printed copy in my hands. 

Male Fashion Illustrations {Milan Fashion Week Spring 2014}

 (Roberto Cavalli)

Milan Men's Fashion Week is approaching and in anticipation Women's Wear Daily has published a bunch of designer illustrations, including the chic Roberto Cavalli sketch shown above, set to appear on the runways straight from the designer's drafting tables. Yes, I'm featuring male illustrations ladies and gents, you read that correctly! Over the past four years of Fabulous Doodles I written countless posts on designer illustrations from womenswear fashion weeks but this is the very first menswear feature.

(Les Hommes and Diesel Black Gold)

There are many reasons for this. First, men are extremely difficult to illustrate. Secondly, I was a womenswear fashion design major and spent years of college and subsequent years since, strictly drawing women. Last but not least I never had to challenge myself with illustrating men until my recent foray into live-illustrating at events where I can't exactly turn people away just for being male.

(Z Zegna and Ermanno Scervino)

Men are challenging to draw, every illustrator and designer I know personally admits to that. The line of a man is very straight and angular and its hard to make them statuesque, slim and fit without appearing girly. And if you draw them too big and brute then they come off sort of dumpy instead of masculine. You also have to be precise when drawing tailored pieces (as shown in the Brioni below) and its quite difficult to draw masculine facial features. Put too much pressure on the pencil while rendering the eyes for instance, and suddenly your man can look like he's wearing mascara.

(Brioni)

For me learning to draw men is a work in progress, for years I used to actually turn down projects that requested a male illustration, but over the past year and having to live-illustrate men more and more I've learned and consequently improved. Studying these designer sketches from the men's collections, and how these designers render the male proportions and male features can only help my illustrating and hopefully yours as well. 

These designer menswear sketches are from Women's Wear Daily, and if you click on over you can check out even more illustrations and inspiration from the spring 2014 Milan collections.