Fabulous Doodles Fashion Illustration blog by Brooke Hagel: 2019

3 Ways To Find Inspiration When Facing a Creative Block

Fashion illustrators, like any other artist can face creative road blocks and ruts so I thought I'd share my top three ways to find inspiration when faced with a creative block and the dreaded blank page.

(One of my Met sketches inspired by Guo Pei gown at "China: Through the Looking Glass")

1. Go to a museum or gallery. Whether you have time for the whole museum or just one wing or exhibition, go. You never know how discovering a new artist or even seeing an old master will get your creative juices flowing. Bring a sketch pad, snap some photos (if that's allowed) or simply stroll the galleries and see what you find. I've been visiting the impressionist wing of The Met pretty religiously since I was about 14. I can’t visit the museum without popping in to see my old friends Monet, Cezanne, and van Gogh and without fail every visit I find a new gem. A new favorite painting, a new favorite spot that day, a new detail of a painting I never noticed before, or a combination of colors that strikes me that given day. If its photography that inspires you go see a fashion photography exhibit. If its vintage fashion, check out the Costume Institute. Or just gallery hop and see what you find and where the day takes you. A clear mind and an open afternoon is sometimes just what the doctor ordered sort of speak.

(92nd Street Y)

2. Take a class. This is one that, similar to a museum is probably easier in a city but if you look I’m sure you can find one at your local collage, art shop, or community center. If you’ve been wanting to learn more about portrait drawing, figures, watercolors, or fashion illustration, there’s a class for it. And if committing to an entire class is too intimidating then you may want to consider a workshop which is usually only one or two days. In the past I taught a few fashion illustration classes but I’ve actually been thinking about offering a workshop in the new year. (Click here if you’d like to add your name to a waitlist for info when it’s available.) The older we get the more distance grows between us and our school days so it can feel slightly uncomfortable taking the plunge but it's so nice learn something new and immerse yourself in learning and expanding your mind and creativity. Its also nice to meet to new people with similar interests.

(Ralph Lauren "Aviator" collection sketches by Audrey Schilt)

3. See a period movie. Once in a while epic period piece film comes along that makes its mark on pop culture. These type of films historically can also be quite inspirational to fashion design. Two examples that come to mind immediately, although I’m sure if I gave it some more thought I could write a blog post on this topic alone, is in 2005 when Ralph Lauren showed his Aviator collection inspired by seeing the film The Aviator. A second example that stands out in my fashion minded brain is in 1998 when the J. Peterman catalogue offered early 1900's beaded gowns inspired by Titanic. I vividly remember looking at those drawings (remember the catalogue was all sketches!) and wishing the replica of Roses dress was within my budget for a prom dress! Unfortunately it was not, at $2000 for the replica and $35,000 for the original my babysitting money certainly didn't cover that.

I hope these ideas of mine inspire you. And let me know in the comments if you have any tricks for a creative slump that have worked for you.

Fabulous Doodles 2019 Gift Guide

It's been a few years since I've put together a gift guide but this year I thought I'd give it a go and share a few of my favorite things ranging from items I use everyday to new gadgets, client projects I've designed and the perfect little starter kit for the aspiring illustrator. I hope you like my little list and maybe it inspires you to shop for the creative girl in your life or better yet, add to your holiday want list!

1. For the boss babe: I received this gorgeous cup as a gift years ago and its been a stunning staple on my desktop ever since. Brass and moonstone cup by Addison Weeks adds an extra dose of glam to any desk, holding brushes, pencils, or a small bouquet.

2. Embossed "Feminist" 18k gold plated keyring. I have a similar one on my keys that I look at everyday while riding my elevator up to my apartment and I love it! Will make the perfect gift for your wing woman.

3. For the sentimentalist: Polaroid Lab Printer. The past few weeks I've had the pleasure of using this printer at Ferragamo events and I've been loving it! You can take and edit photos on your phone then once they're perfected place your iphone atop the printer and print an actual Polaroid! Its the best of both worlds.

4. For the Fashion Design Major: An Apple Pencil is something I've been teaching myself to use for the past few years. It takes some getting used to adjusting from pen and paper to digital but once you get the swing of it the possibilities are endless.

5. For the wine lover: Sociologie Blushing Rosé. My go to hostess gift for any party. I illustrated the whole Sociologie Wine line but the blushing rosé is by far my favorite.

6. For the entrepreneur: Acrylic Kate Spade business card holder. If the entrepreneur in your life is anything like me her card are show-off-ready so this card case is perfect!

7. For the fashion plate: Brooklit illustrated phone case. I change up my phone case pretty often but its always one from my illustration phone shop! Anyone on your shopping list who got the new iPhone will be in need of a new case. And if you use the link here you can get $10 off your first order and free worldwide shipping.

8. For the aspiring fashion illustrator: a fashion illustration starter kit, complete with a large sketchbook, my favorite mini travel sketchbook and a pack of my favorite skin tone Copic markers will always be a great gift because you can never have enough good supplies!

Previous posts to check out:

Celebrating 10 Years of Fabulous Doodles Blog

Ten years ago today I hit publish on my very first blog post here on Fabulous Doodles! I had no idea back in 2009 the doors that this blog would open for me and the fashion illustration career I would build with this blog at its roots. I realize I sound corny and sentimental here but I can't help it. I'm actually getting choked up sitting here thinking about where I was when I started and where I am now, both physically and in my career. I started Fabulous Doodles because I was working as designer in corporate America and I published the first post sitting at that very corporate desk at lunch. Although it was a creative job and related to my field of interest it was corporate America. I hated the people I was working under, the 9-to-5 lifestyle, the corporate environment, and I really missed illustrating so I began to draw again. At the encouragement of friends I started blogging to share my sketches as well as feature designer sketches and work I found inspiring. I thought it could be a good creative outlet.

Jump ahead ten years and now instead of sitting at a corporate desk "doodling" I've built a fashion illustration portfolio and website (BrookeHagel.com) with a dream list of luxury clients in the fashion industry I've illustrated for including Burberry, Chanel, Dior, Ferragamo and Vogue. I used to have "illustrate a book" on my bucket list and over the past ten years, due to this blog, I now have more than twenty books under my belt. Its surreal to me looking at that "shop books" page of my site! And to top it off I'm writing this post from my new home office/studio in an apartment I love.

It wasn't always easy. It's not like the blog was a huge success from the start and I just up and quit my 9-to-5. (As you probably guessed if you took a look at that first post!) In actuality I lost my job in the recession. Promptly freaked out, didn't know how I was going to pay the rent. I took odd jobs, babysat, did what came my way but I kept blogging and the fashion illustration opportunities kept coming. Until eventually I no longer needed the odd jobs. It turned out that my corporate 9-to-5 was my last full-time job working for someone else and I've been working for myself ever since. The first few years it was rough and even the middle years I wasn't always comfortable with the freelance life of quiet-slow summers where not much or no work came in and insane holiday months but I've learned how to ride the freelance wave sort of speak and I'm okay with it now. I've learned to save, to budget and to manage my time and fluctuating income.

Theres a lot more to learn and a lot more I want to accomplish, more clients I'd like to work with and continue to work with, more products I'd like to see my work on, and more industries I'd like to have the opportunities to collaborate with. I'd also love to see my social media reach grow, become "verified" on Instagram, a featured grammer, and hit six figure digit follower counts but thats an ongoing struggle. Some people lucked out and blew up at the beginning, were featured early on, or just really know how to play that game. For me it's a struggle but I'm trying. Opening up and sharing is hard. Its hard to put yourself out there to strangers and share photos of yourself (like I am here) and videos. To be vulnerable, and authentic and not curate and perfect every post before sharing it. I know thats what people relate to and connect with but its hard for me. Its something I need to work on. Anyway, I digress. Today's a celebration. Ten years of Fabulous Doodles! Ten years of building my business and working for myself! I have a bottle of Perrier-Jouet champagne I've been saving from working on a project with and I think its time I popped that bottle, poured myself a glass and celebrated. And if you know me, there might just be a piece of cake with it! Cheers to you, my Fabulous Doodles readers!

Ferragamo Fashion Illustration Invitations

Custom fashion event invitations have always been a part of my business but over the past year and a half or so Salvatore Ferragamo has become one of my best clients and for them I've drawn many. Rarely does a major holiday pass where I'm not hired to sketch for Ferragamo and with that often comes illustrating a new custom event invitation. Since we've done quite a few now I thought it would be nice to take a look back and feature some of my favorites here on Fabulous Doodles. Each illustration is inspired by a look from the current seasons runway collection that the corporate team sends along. Occasionally the look is shown on a model but sometimes it is sent to me as isolated pieces photographed individually. I then interpret the pieces into a stylized sketch and photograph the sketch on my desktop for the Ferragamo design team to use on the invite layout for an designer studio vibe.

Its been great to have these sketches and invitations both to share on social media with my followers to let people know of the upcoming events, as well as to have the sketches to serve as examples beside me framed at the events as a sample of what it is I am there doing. I always have framed samples at my live-sketching events but this way it is 100% on-brand and representing the most recent Ferragamo collection.

I hope you've enjoyed this round up of my Salvatore Ferragamo invitations as much as I enjoyed drawing them!

Similar posts you may have missed:

Live Sketching at a Vogue Office Party

A few weeks back my friends at Vogue called to ask me to live sketch a party up in their offices. Now I've worked with Vogue countless times throughout the years illustrating events for their clients and partners but this time, sketching in Vogue's very own office, was a first!

Throughout the years I've been to Vogue's office many times, the first visit with shaking hands and my portfolio which I recounted in this post you may remember where I actually thought I was going to pass out in the lobby. But in all the years I've been working with my Vogue friends this was actually the first time I was asked to come to Vogue with all supplies and illustrate right there, live, in the Vogue office. And I have to admit it I was a little more nervous than my norm these days, but I shook it off pretty quickly once I was with the ladies and started sketching.

The party was a surprise for one of the Vogue staffers and having me there to live sketch was part of the surprise. Throughout the party I live-sketched everyone in their fabulous work wear. Normally one wouldn't think of an office party as a place to score sketch worthy looks but obviously the Vogue office was a sketching goldmine of one chic look after the next!

I had a great time and hope to work with my friends more in the coming months. Similar posts to check out of past years events we've come together for that I've highlighted here on Fabulous Doodles:

Pages

3 Ways To Find Inspiration When Facing a Creative Block

Fabulous Doodles 2019 Gift Guide

Celebrating 10 Years of Fabulous Doodles Blog

Ferragamo Fashion Illustration Invitations

Live Sketching at a Vogue Office Party