Teal and Gold (Practice Session)

My first illustration in about a year. It's from a practice session, a long overdue practice session.

I love it! A bit rusty, but practice WILL make perfect. I will keep drawing the curvy as long as I live, God willing.

My life goal: To become one of the best fashion illustrators in the world. To be hired to illustrate for designers and sell illustrations to all art collectors.

What do you think about this illustration?

Recent sketch: Lingerie, curves

A post to display my love for thick and curvy hips and legs. I dabbled a little in lingerie sketching. I didn't want her in just panties and a bra. I had fun drawing this. It made me consider lingerie design... a little.... We'll see.

ELANN ZELIE: Zelie for She

ELANN ZELIE: Zelie for She: This new collection is designed around a strong women! She wants to Inspire whoever she can, and be a hustler! hus·tler : An aggressive...

Part One: Bitten by Houndstooth.

This is part one of a sportswear line for young women. It is perfect for a day at the office or a night out with friends, this line is perfect for the busy woman who has no time to change her outfit. Consisting of dark red, grey, black, and white each piece of this line can be mixed and matched with other colored pieces of your wardrobe.This line possess the qualities of every female; femininity, strength and youth.
*The true color of the dark red is not shown well in these pictures due to the use of my cell phone camera.

A dark red knit slightly fitted crew neck sweater with 3/4 length sleeves. Paired with a houndstooth pedal wrap skirt. 

Accessories: Black hair bow, layered black beaded necklace and black ankle strap shoes.

 A dark red kit cardigan with a hi-lo hem and a pencil pocket on the left breast. Underneath we have a white blouse with a hi-lo hem. To finish we have a black skinny pant. 
Accessories: Houndstooth print hair bow, black beaded bracelet, black geometric shaped rings, and simple black pumps.
 A short 3/4 sleeve cardigan over a dark red cowl neck sweater with a black and  large houndstooth print on an angled hem skirt.
Accessories: Grey hair bow and red pumps.


Thanks for viewing! ;-)

Sketching Through it All.

I am getting back into my love for illustration from a long hiatus. It's much tougher than I thought. I have allowed myself to become stagnant and the remaining pages of my sketchbook to remain unfilled. I am a stay-at-home mom, I am looking for a job,  I have moved from one location to another, and dealing (still dealing) with the loss of my dearest mother I was almost willing to give up my passion. I began to think there wasn't any chance of me returning to my sketch book and my blog. 'Ish' had got real and I felt tired, depressed, and defeated. I had gave birth to a new important and dependent person in my life (my son) and lost the only parent I had all on one year.
I came to the realization that losing hope and losing focus on my passion will only lead me further into the canyon of depression.  I was beginning to feel like I was going to lose more people and things that meant so much to me. I became a little paranoid.
So, I began to practice again. I also began to hug my family tighter, kiss them, and tell them I love them much more than I used to.  Practice makes perfect and I have to make it my mission to perfect my God given talent while doing the best that I can with my life as a wife and mother. Even if it's once a week or once every two weeks, I  cannot allow myself to rust.

Key piece: Khaki colored twill hi-lo skirt.

From the past. I almost forgot about this.

I was playing around with grey, olive, and beige to create a plus size line for the fall.

The Adventures of Motherhood as an Illustrator!

Well, it's been a while since I've wrote anything in my blog. I've been busy with being a new mommy. So, I still haven't done anything new yet.  I haven't forgotten my passion and that I am still in love with drawing! Finding the time, space, and energy to continue illustrating has been challenging! I have a little boy that enjoys climbing on his mom, sitting on mommy's lap while she types, likes to touch and play with whatever his mommy is touching including her sketch pad, pencils, and paints!
So, I have decided for the time being to continue to post illustrations out of my archives and show them to anyone who is willing to look!

I'm back... and my little boy is here!

I am back after months of prepping for the arrival of my little boy.
Little Vasel III arrived August 3, 2011. I'm so very proud!!!

I know, I know it's been too long!

I have subscribed to emails from Vogue Italia's V Curvy newsletters! In a recent e-mail was a link to Vogue Italia's June issue cover story titled "Belle vere".
Here is a link to the latest email from them.

http://www.vogue.it/en/magazine/cover-story/2011/06/belle-vere

Let me know what you think of the link.

And new posts and illustrations coming soon!

Sketches from the past. (Part One)

You know something... When you have been sketching as long as I have (11 years) as you clean and organize your living space, you'll begin to find old sketch books with designs and random paintings. For anyone who illustrates please forgive me for what I am about to tell you. I found one of my sketch books from college under a magazine which was under my husband's PlayStation. And to my shame it also had many unused pages in it.
Anyway, I have sketches in them that consist of not only plus size practice sketches, but sketches of the non-plus size variety. If you would like to see them, feel free to scroll on down and take a look-see. Please let me know what you think, I would love to hear/read from you.

 
This practice session here was done after graduation, but while I was still sitting on campus. As you can see, these sketches consist of the non-plus size variety.
 I felt the need to practice with shading and creating the complete look of full skirts and half-full skirts. These were done with (believe it or not) a violet Crayola marker, violet and dark purple color pencil for shading, a black prismacolor marker (with fine and broad point), and prismacolor pencils for the flesh tone and hair.

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Trend Illustration: "Roseberry." Swimsuits of Berry Red with Soft Shades of Pink.

Rarely do I design swimsuits, but that doesn't mean I don't have fun doing it! When I am coming out of a designing dry spell my first five or so designs are usually experimentation. I start off experimenting just in case things don't turn out as well as I would like them to. I only show people what I am proud of, even if it takes me a whole day or two weeks! Taking into consideration the detailed oriented person that I am, time management on sketching, painting, and detailing, results are typical until it becomes a constant activity again. I can say though... I am proud of these! Experiment successful!

Back to the topic of the designs that you will see, I included the trend that was featured in April 2011 issue of Harper's Bazaar titled "Just Blush" in the smart shopping section on page 92.
Please let me know what you think. I would love to read your honest comments.
The title of this illustration: "Roseberry".

New sketches in the process, yet my brain won't let me continue.....

Over the past few days I have continued practicing and perfecting my skill in fashion illustration. I've done some, but I have hit a small block. I believe the block is more mental than physical. I've gotten frustrated to the point that my body itches and not just my growing belly. Even though I am 24 weeks pregnant, I don't want the feeling of me getting tired and frustrated to hinder me just when I am making great progress. Sometimes, I can be too hard on myself and feel that my illustrations are not what they used to be. Well, of course this problem of mine has been mentioned in one of the previous posts.
Another dilemma I am having is that, since I have been doing more research in plus size clothing and even doing research on plus size modeling and fashion shows, I have been getting so many ideas that it is crowding my brain to the point where I am getting frustrated. In fact, my husband had to stop me and help me relax and at least verbally express how I feel right now and that took about 15 to 20 minutes away from writing this blog entry.
I have also been dealing with trying find a job that fits my career path and trying to find one while I am six months pregnant. I have been thinking about if I should wait until two to three months after my son is born to work or to continue my search and see if someone will hire me even though I would have to be absent from work at least six weeks. I'm just not sure, but I did just begin to pick up where I left off on my search. In addition, my search has been anywhere but here (in Cleveland, Ohio). For the positions I am looking for, the search is leading toward New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, and even Philadelphia. So, at this point I am wondering if I'll even get an interview. I'm wondering if I get an interview, how will I get there and will they hire me at this point of my pregnancy knowing that I am going to have to take time off to heal after giving birth and take care of my baby boy.
I have too many things in my brain right now. I think this would be the point where I should end the research and pick up again tomorrow. If I don't, I will not get a good nights sleep and it is now 11:25 pm eastern time. 


Good night readers!

My Life Is A Runway - Torrid Fashion Spring 2011

Forever 21 does Plus Size?!?!?! I am SO late!!!

Okay! So, I may be late on this news, but I am very excited to announce to those who did not know like me! I went to the website to see if it was true and see what they had! I am amazed to find that these clothes are classy, cute, and affordable. I am even excited to see that they featured curvy women with curvy women hips and thighs. It gives a realistic view to what the clothes would look like on someone with those size or shape thighs. *Grinning with Excitement* 
 Here are a few items I absolutely adore from Forever 21 Plus.
Crest Patch Cardigan
Lace Trimmed Floral Top
Knit Skinny Pants
Ruffled Leatherette Jacket

"I don't have to be as good as someone else to be great at what I do." ~Ebony Glass

I've been feeling a bit shameful and upset with myself. I think I have every right to be. I've allowed myself to become overwhelmed with "life" that I haven't allowed all of me to exist. I haven't allowed the existence, the total existence, of my love for art and creativity. At times I even felt self-conscious about myself and compared myself and my illustrations to others.  I didn't allow myself to paint, draw, sketch, even just color with a pack of Crayola Crayons.


In turn, I felt stagnant in myself. I felt stagnant in what I was blessed with the gift to do. I kept looking at my sketchbook and thought "I'm just not good." or "There are people who sketch WAY better than what I can do." I felt like my talent was shriveling up in front of me every time I ignored it to focus on what I could not control. That spooked me! 


I came the realization that I am the only one responsible for what I do with what I am blessed with and no one else. Besides God, I am the only one who knows what my potential looks like at the core and where it comes from. I'm the only one who knows what the naked root of my talent looks like. I'm the only one who knows how powerful that root can be and what can stem from it.


I had to say to myself, "I don't have to be as good as someone else to be great at what I do." And I mean just that. So, this writing this blog, continuing of my illustrations, and posting them is my way of dusting off what I've allowed to become dormant and showing it to everyone who cares to look. 


I owe this to God, to myself, to my husband, my son (who is kicking me in the uterus as I type), to my family, and even to you (the reader). So thanks for reading or looking. I'll do the best I can to not disappoint you, but remember... I have to not disappoint myself first.


Thanks for reading! Have a blessed day!

Color experimentation with Fuchsia and Royal Blue.

Fun for the spring. The use of watercolors and watercolor pencils helped me execute this illustration. :)

Experimentation with color for the Curvy over 30.

Had fun experimenting with drawing hats and ruffled collars and cuffs. 
Outfit:Yellow blouse under a peacock blue cardigan worn over a cotton black stretch straight leg pant. Royal purple hat.

 

 Dress: Peacock blue and royal purple top connected to black stretch  skirt. On the sleeves, waist of skirt and bottom of skirt 3 1/2 inch gold chains.

First blog illustration.

Pencil Sketch of the Curvy woman...

This may seem weird, but I LOVE to draw legs!