Creativity & the Importance of Changing It Up

(Olivia Palermo inspired Fashion Illustration by Brooke Hagel) 

I'm so excited about these new sketches, especially this first one shown above. Lately I've felt stuck in a creative rut. I've been digging out some old tools and trying new things but nothing was doing the trick or "clicking." I revisited illustrating in charcoal and conte crayon, and playing around with fine point pens but that just didn't do it. A few weeks ago I dug out my watercolors in hopes that some paint would invigorate me and freshen up my illustrations, and although I had some fun and came up with a few [Golden Globe inspired] fashion illustrations, it just isn't for me at this time. After accidentally shattering the glass I used to clean brushes all over my glass desk, which then splintered into a million little shards and cut me up to the point where for two weeks it looked like I had been attacked by a cat, I decided to put the paints away. The accident also destroyed a client project I had to then redo, but luckily it just missed my new Macbook! So major crisis averted there.

A week or two ago I finally had a wave of creativity by delving into a new medium, black craft papers with white. I'm not sure if it was brought on by a stack of colored card stock paper that happened to be sitting beside me (waiting to be organized in the revolving mess that is my home office) or that I happened to be on Anthologys website that morning looking at the art of chalkboard artist Dana Tanamachi, but I decided to grab a sheet of black paper, pull up my "She's a Sketch" Pinterest board and try out a sketch in all white. Well one sketch quickly turned into three (shown above taped to my wall) and was hooked! They'd be too costly in printer ink with the full black background to make and sell prints of for my Etsy bridal shop but I'm just thrilled to be excited by drawing again and these high contrast brides were the first step in a developing my new illustrations and new style that I'm so loving now.

After black I decided to try out some of the silver, gray and tan papers as well. I also added more tools to the illustrations to try out different effects. I started with only white pencil and white charcoal but have now added black sharpies, Copics, opaque white markers and colored Prismacolor pencils. I'm so excited and invigorated by these new sketches. I happen to be traveling but I'm eager to try printing these once I'm back in my studio and seeing if I can easily reproduce them and make prints for Brooklit. I especially like the illustrations on the tan craft paper, both in the final resulting look of them and the process of creating them. It feels great to be excited about sketching again.

Honestly its a challenge to stay creative and passionate when your passion becomes a business, and clients want a specific style or look and it can feel really stale and uninspiring. Even though I'm a person who tends to resist change I'm learning that its important to change it up from time to time and try new things, especially in my artwork. In this case it was finding a new medium that's exciting me and livened up my work but it could be any change. A change of scenery, or maybe enrolling in a class and trying new techniques or sketching from models instead of images on paper, a screen or your imagination.

Thank you for all the encouragement. Working solo without a team around you is sometimes tough but every time I tweeted, Instagramed (@Brooklit) or texted something I was working on, I received such wonderful feedback and encouragement. I can't wait to continue playing with these new tools and techiniques and see where it takes me.

Best Dressed: Oscar's 2013

From the minute Jennifer Lawrence stepped onto the Oscar's red carpet I knew who my best dressed of the night would be! What's so ironic is that just last week I had to draw this very Christian Dior Haute Couture gown for a magazine editorial (its yet to be released but I did Instagram this sneak peek a few days ago,) and I fell in love with this dress. I even got into a discussion with the Fashion Director about the fabulousness of this gown when I dropped my sketches off at the magazines office. Its not just the dress alone though, Jennifer's entire look was beautifully flawless. The Chopard jewels, the modern twist of a delicate necklace falling to the back, the up swept do, the jeweled bag, it was all perfection and made quite a memorable Oscars look for the new face of Dior and Oscar winning it-girl.

(Sally Field in Valentino, Kerry Washington in Mui Mui, Amy Adams in Oscar de la Renta, Jenna Dewan in Gucci, Stacy Keibler in Naeem Khan, Charlize Theron in Dior, Georgina Chapman in Marchesa, and Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji) 

Although Jennifer was hands down my favorite of the night many were looking red carpet chic. I was blown away by Sally Field in a dramatic ruffled Valentino. Charlize Theron was stunning in a white beaded peplum gown by Dior Haute Couture. And last but not least I loved Octavia Spencer in her go-to designer Tadashi Shoji. Her dress was so ethereal and luminescent, and that buttery tulle against her skin was beautiful. I just loved it.

Who was your best dressed? If you somehow missed the Oscars (which I couldn't imagine!) you can check out WWD for more red carpet looks from Hollywood's most fashionable night.

Costume Design: The Academy Collection

(Marilyn Monroe by Dorothy Jeakins) 

If you tuned into last night's Academy Awards arrivals you probably spotted the large costume sketches along the entire red carpet. Many were iconic sketches by legendary costume designer Edith Head but others were not as recognizable. I quickly jumped onto the Oscars website and found a bunch of costume designers sketches featured from the Oscar's official "Academy Collection." The sketch shown above is from the 1960 film Let's Make Love, which was Marilyn Monroe's second-to-last film.

(Liza Minnelli by Theadora Van Runkle) 

I'm always impressed by how well costume designers can truly capture characters features and personalities in their costume illustrations, its something I try to achieve with my custom bridal illustrations. This next costume sketch (above) is a example of that. Its of Liza Minnelli playing the part of Francine Evans in Martin Scorsese's 1977 musical New York, New York.

(Elizabeth Taylor by Helen Rose) 

This last costume design sketch just may be my favorite. The pose, the gown, and the overall rendering is simply beautiful. This classic old Hollywood illustration is of Elizabeth Taylor by costume designer Helen Rose for the 1954 MGM film Rhapsody. The rendering of the draping on this gown is stunning.

(All illustrations from The Academy Collection. Check out more costume sketches from the Academy Collection here.)

Valentine

Happy Valentines Day to you, all my lovely Fabulous Doodles readers! And thank you for all the love and support you send me (via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) all year long. XOXO, Brooke

Designer Fashion Illustrations {NYFW Fall 2013}

Here in New York we're in throws of Fashion Week, which to me means designer sketch time. Ever since my college days a major highlight of NYFW has been when the trade paper Women's Wear Daily shares designer sketches and the inspirations behind the collections. I used to have to hunt down the illustration issues, but now everything is shared online. (Am I dating myself here?!)

Its always fun to pick my favorites to feature here on Fabulous Doodles and the Rachel Zoe sketch (shown above) was a no brainer. She's actually the only designer I'm showing again from last season's picks. What I love about this fashion illustration is that the pose is playful and unique, being a profile with a kicked up leg. The illustration is also stylized but not cartoonish or unsophisticated, and is wonderful example of rendering textures.

This Pamella Roland sketch is unique because the illustrator went with a very stoic profile pose. You don't see profile silhouettes too often because they're difficult to read and really see the garment designs, but that is not the case here. Its a lovely sketch of a beautiful gown.

As you may know my previous NYFW season reviews, I absolutely love illustrations done on craft and construction papers like the Oscar de la Renta sketch (shown above.) The floral pattern, which I'm pretty sure to have been photoshopped or cut and pasted on top is beautiful and I think the mix of white charcoal with pen and/or gauche is a really nice effect on the dark paper base. Highlighting around the croquis is something many designers choose to do, and its interesting to see how the de la Renta and Rachel Roy illustrations both have it but so differently, one in white and the other with heavy marker and conte crayon.

This Wes Gordon illustration is a little more abstract than the others I've chosen this season. I really like the watercolored work and the the overall feel of the illustration makes a nice visual. For more designer sketches straight from the New York collections head over to WWD (that's part one, here's part 2 & part 3.) Which designer made your favorite sketch? Are there any you absolutely loved that you think should have been included here?

(These illustrations were all created by the designers and their design houses, featured on Women's Wear Daily.)

New Bride Fashion Illustration Prints

Last week I finally added some new bridal fashion illustration prints to Brooklit Bride, my etsy wedding illustration shop. Often when I'm stuck in a creative rut or have come to a roadblock on a project I'll take a break and sketch something different to inspire me and get the pencil moving. Last week I went through my sketchbook and realized I had a bunch of new brides in there ready to be scanned at added to the shop. Molly (shown above) is my favorite of the new girls. She was inspired by a recent New York Magazine Weddings cover I admired where the bride was wearing a cozy sweater. Adding to the casual and sexy off the shoulder sweater I gave her a messy bun and nerd-chic glasses, then juxtaposed her look with a sleek skirt and pretty bouquet.

The next bride is drawn in a classic a-line tulle gown with a beaded waistband and draped sweetheart neckline. She ended up looking so poised and regal that I gave her the name Grace after Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco.

Penny here (shown above) is a Pinterest inspired bridal illustration. I recently started a "Sketchable Headshots" board featuring women with beautiful faces and sketch worthy hair styling and accessories. Penny, with her floral headband and pretty pout were taken right from this inspiration board. For her dress I kept it simple and modern with floral lace details to compliment the bohemian vibe of her headband and named her Penny after one of my favorite boho movie characters, Penny Lane from Almost Famous.

And last but not least is an elegant bride I've named Mia wearing a dropped waist tiered gown with lace applique trim at the neckline, waist and tier hems. Her hair is in a traditional updo with a chunky bangs for a modern (and First Lady) twist.

All these new bridal prints are available in my bridal shop, Brooklit Bride and the wallpapers featured are all from Graham & Brown.