New Years Resolution #1: Illustrate

As part of my self training for next year top of my agenda is fashion illustration.

I have been having a little self retrospection over the past week or so whilst evaluating how I want my business to grow and prosper. Some of this time has been spent looking in my old sketch books. Here is a snippet from my first fashion sketchbook which is dated 1998 which is about two years after I first started to learn how to sew:

Lots of cuttings, some textural experimentation, some painting. Exciting to look at, touch, read...
Now they look predominantly like this:

Well, now my sketch books are only full of sketches in the same poses, which is great for getting idea's down on paper fast but uninspiring aside from an idea documentation format. I've been looking at my sketchbooks and thinking how I need to bring the creativity back into my drawing and research process in 2013.

So I started today with getting a new book: Fashion Illustrator by Bethan Morris and some practice with ink on a rough pencil sketch.

Here is the image I'm illustrating from, my layout sketch in my notebook and the pen and ink drawing using a brush, my dip pen and just plain old indian ink. It felt so free and joyous compared to my sketch book flats.

So, my first resolution is to find my drawing style for Curve Couture. And from there start to work on more illustration portfolio works in a variety of media and styles.

I have left this piece as it is for now, but I think it needs some more work once I figure out what that is. Stay with me for more illustration exploration in 2013.