There was a lot of last minute prep involved, since I was notified about this event pretty late in the game. But being that I’m no stranger to all-nighters or some hard work, and had help from good friends, everything came together without a hitch.
I met some fantastic people, including representatives from the other 15 companies participating, Oscar nominees, television and film stars, musicians, and pro athletes. Everyone seemed to really love my work. I got fantastic feedback from the guests as well as gave three filmed interviews! (I’ll see if I can find them online and share them with you here soon.)
In addition to gifting prints, posters, and bookmarks, I also gave some gift certificates for a custom illustrations which can be used towards a custom bridal illustration or to capture their favorite red carpet look.
The gift certificates are also being included in gift bags being sent to the ladies of One Tree Hill; Sophia Bush, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Jana Kramer, Lisa Goldstein, and Shantel Van Senten. As well as Maria Shriver, and Jamie Lynn Sigler. It was a great event and what is hopefully the first of many.
(If you want to see all the photo's I'm going to post them all in album on my facebook fan page, so if your not a fan already there's no time like the present!)
The first step in tackling any fashion illustration is to choose a pose. Looking at a picture is the best way to do this. It takes some time to find good poses, so you should hold onto them and start a "pose" folder for future reference. I've found that be best resources for tears are high fashion magazine editorials and catalogues. Bathing suit layouts are great because the figure is not hidden under clothing.
The most important element to look for when choosing a picture is that the top of the head to the tip of the toes be visible. It must be a full body shot otherwise your just guessing what the legs or feet look like and your drawing can come out distorted if your guess is not accurate. In the beginning its also best to choose poses that are straight forward, with the head and body facing front. Three quarter poses and profiles can get tricky.
To begin drawing a pose from a photo it's helpful to make a copy of it (or place tracing paper over it) and draw the shoulder, bust, waist and hip lines as well as the center line and panty line, as I have done with all these images. (This helps to know where seams and other clothing details should be placed.) Then draw a loose gesture drawing to get the main muscle masses down. You can create the final sketch outline from the gesture drawing and erase the unnecessary inner lines or just layer on another piece of tracing paper or thin marker paper and outline the body. Then start designing! 
