Friday, January 9, 2015

Fashion Illustrations.....

Hey guys.  It's freezing here in Atlanta, and I feel like I'm moving in slow motion.  But at least I'm still moving.  I've been busy working on furniture commissions and trying to stay on track with my 2015 goals. As I mentioned a few days ago, this is the year of trying to learn some of the things I've been wanting to learn for years.  One of those is fashion illustrating.  I know, kind of ambitious, but I have tons of books I've purchased over the years related to the topic.  Time to get them off the shelf.   I taught myself how to draw many years ago, so it's not completely foreign to me.  I've always been envious of the Project Runway people who can just sketch a new design in 30 minutes.  This new skill will help with me with another skill on my list to learn....designing doll clothes.

Back to fashion illustrations.  I was about to scour YouTube for videos on hand sewing (I want to be better at this, too), and I ran across a Fashion Illustration channel I am subscribed to.  It is hosted by a high school student, Zyra Banez.  She is fabulous at her craft and offers tons of tutorials on fashion illustrating.  Below are two of her many videos.  Check her out.






So my goal for January is to watch at least three videos per week and practice sketching at least one day a week.  Wish me luck!

As soon as it warms up, I will get back to the doll room.  Right now I am held up in my bedroom because the rest of the house is FREEZING.  Luckily I have my sewing machine and furniture making supplies here with me.

Update:  I think Zyra just started college.

26 comments:

  1. WOW! This is 1st for me. First one to comment...lol! Good for you! Glad to you working on 2015 goals. I have hand sewing almost mastered. Learning to operate a sewing machine is next on my list. It's freezing in my neck of the woods too. 14 degress...Yikes! Keep warm :)

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    1. Sonya - I wanted to figure out how to top stitch by hand. No one was showing how to do it, so I just did it on the sewing machine. I'm not even sure why I desire to get better at hand sewing. My sewing machine is always near me. Whew, you are freezing, too. My house just won't get warm. I was starting to think the pilot light was out, but I have hot water, so I don't think that's it.

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  2. Hi Vanessa! this is quite a project, but I'm waiting for the new fashions you were going to sew.
    Too bad that in Atlanta is so cold, here in Italy we are having one of hottest and dampest winter I can remember!
    Anyway, I want summer back!

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    1. billa's dolls - I am sewing a couple of pieces right now, just to get back in the swing of things. I will be taking a doll design class soon. Good thing about cold in Atlanta is that it doesn't last long. I just have to hang in there for another day before the weather breaks. Hot and damp? I'll take that today.

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    2. Hi Van, hope to see your girls modeling your fashions soon, and I really like the idea of learning fashion illustrations, I love them (expecially the ones from the 50's).
      Well I like it better when it's hot and dry actually: I could grow mushrooms in the living room!

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  3. You've got some great goals Vanessa. I would've liked to design doll clothes myself, but I can't draw worth a flip! LOL But I've crocheted a couple of sweaters that I'll be posting tomorrow. Freezing up here too. It was 12 degrees out yesterday morning. Geez! Marianne and I started reminiscing about Colorado! LOL :-)

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    1. Cindi - I am dubbing you the crochet queen. Drawing is just like everything else. The more you practice the better you get. My heat decided to stop working. Isn't that always the case. The coldest day of the year, and no heat. Of course it's the weekend which means I won't get service til next week. Don't worry. It's still nice and toasty in my room.

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  4. Yes, is cold. Today was a little better than yesterday. Those videos are totally awesome! She does really good work.i look forward to seeing your work. Your wood work is phenomenal so I can only imagine what your designs will be like.

    P. S. I would be interested in that doll design class. What part of town will it be on?

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    1. Georgia Girl - I'm supposed to be getting up now to go to woodworking meeting at 8am, but it's awfully cold out there. I didn't get to go much at all last year due to my injuries. The doll class is online. Here is a link. http://www.pixiefaire.com/products/design-academy I can't give a recommendation since I've never taken it before. You may want to wait until I take it, before you spend the money, and then I can tell you if it's worth it or not.

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  5. It's cold here today too - for Summer (only 20C today which is about 70F). Hope it warms up for you soon. Your bedroom sounds like an interesting place what with the sewing machine and furniture supplies and dogs. Do you have enough room for your bed? Serously, it's good to hear you are well and ready to try new things. And the fashion illustration videos are gorgeous.

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    1. Carrickters - Lol. I have a refrigerator and a microwave in my room, too. Those were added this year when I was bedridden. If the dogs didn't have to go outside, we could stay in the bedroom for a long time. I was so impressed with the young artist. She said she started drawing about age 6 because she was bored. Can you imagine how creative some of the kids would be today if they put down the phones and stopped watching so much tv?

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  6. Yay, Vanessa! Best wishes for your hand sewing and your fashion illustration development.

    Sixteen degrees here in Philly. High of 22 possible. Waaah. Kidding ;-)

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    1. D7ana - Thanks. It's warmed up a little here. That only means it's warmer outside than it is in my house. Brrrrr.

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  7. hi vanessa. your goals for 2015 sound great, i do love your furniture and now with you doing fashion i will definitely be ordering fashion for my dolls since i'm splitting my time between my minis and my barbies. i wish i could send you some las vegas weather to warm you up. stay warm.

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    1. shirley - Thanks. I would love some of that Las Vegas weather. I didn't know you lived in Vegas. That's one of my favorite places.

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  8. Hello from Spain: I like your plans for the new year. I'm sure you fulfill your goals. I'm looking forward to seeing your designs clothes for dolls. I see on television of my country that you have very cold and snow in Atlanta. In my country we have temperatures of 10 degrees. Not too cold. Keep in touch

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    1. Marta - Thanks. I think baby steps will help me get to those goals. 10 degrees sounds cold to me. We don't have snow here. Maybe that's in North Ga. Keep warm.

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  9. That girl has got some serious skills. I'm sure you will have mastered this craft in no time.

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    1. Muff - Isn't she amazing! I'm not really trying to master this, I just want to get a start and build on it in the next few years. Sometimes I'm just too impatient and I want to be good at something right away. So unrealistic.

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  10. Ms. Vanessa
    Are you going to do anymore stories. Cause Iove the blogs. Do you know anyone else doing barbie blogs. I have read all of yours and this other one. Where they had the baby. You guys have me wanting to do this. I am 40 years old. But I love barbie dolls.

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    1. Angelia - Welcome to my blog. I plan to do stories sporadically this year. I have quite a bit on my plate, and stories take a lot of time. I see you found one of the blogs that does doll stories. Here are a couple other doll story sites. www.onesixthavenue.blogspot.com, www.roville.net, and thewaverlys.blogspot.com

      There are quite a few that I'm sure you will run across. I'm 46 so don't feel bad. Dolls bring us joy and isn't that what it's all about?

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  11. Cool idea. I am trying to get better at clothes making. I used to sketch when I was younger, but now I just make it up in my head and start putting the pieces together. I'm not that skilled with construction. Maybe sketching will work.

    I'm looking forward to seeing your projects go.

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    1. Janainah - I think whatever method helps you get to your end goal is just fine. I'm not sure sketching would help with construction. That will probably come with practice. Good luck!

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  12. OK, I watch a lot of Project Runway. From time to time they have a designer that doesn't sketch or know how to sketch. That is always a surprise to me! Normally they are self taught. Not knowing does make it hard. I don't draw so it is nice to see how.

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    1. Ms. Leo - I would be so intimidated if I were on that show and couldn't sketch. They usually get 30 mins, which doesn't seem like a lot of time to me, to come up with something original. I guess that's why they are there and I am not. LOL. I spent about an hour today looking at more of her videos. She is such a great teacher to be so young and not to have taken any courses.

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  13. Hello, Vanessa
    WOW! What an excellent post on Fashion Illustrations
    That's called awesome looks :)

    www.fashion46.com

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