Monday 29 April 2013

Caracal in the Corner.


I've been really interested in Caracal's for a while now, and because they are so adorably cute, I thought I should illustrate one! If you have never heard of Caracal's, they are a type of wildcat found in Africa and some parts of Asia, and they are often known as the 'African Lynx' because of their close resemblance to the more well known big cat. I just think they are such a beautiful and interesting wildcat. In my illustration the cat is obviously inside a house, but I don't condone keeping these cats as domestic pets! It's only inside because I had the idea of a children's story, where the Caracal wanders into a house because it's an orphan and makes friends with a little girl until it is ready to be released into the wild again. I hope you like it!

C xxx

Thursday 25 April 2013

Artists who inspire me: Danny Roberts.




All artwork belongs to Danny Roberts.

I'm sure many of you will be familiar with the work of Danny Roberts, or will have at least seen it on your online travels! If you don't know about Danny, he runs the blog Igor and AndrĂ© which is filled with his lovely art. Danny is actually one of the first artists I found that inspired me to try fashion illustration in the first place, so I owe a lot to him! I simply love his style, and I feel that it is so easily recognisable nowadays. 
Danny started his blog as a means to track his artistic progress, and if you look through his archives you can really see how his style has grown and evolved. He also writes and illustrates books which tend to have a whimsical fairytale feel and are full of his own unique characters. I just think he's such a great and interesting artist and it's definitely worthwhile spending a couple of hours on his blog. You'll definitely be inspired. 

C xxx

Monday 22 April 2013

My Summer Essentials


Well, it seems that we have had a few rare glimpses of sunshine over the last few days so it seemed appropriate to make this little illustration! If you've followed for a little while, you may be aware that I LOVE Juju jelly shoes. I know they might be seen as a little childish, but they are so darn cute. Anyway, it seems Juju have released a ton of new, amazing shades for this summer, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them. Everything else in this illustration is pretty standard really - I'm sure most people love a tasty ice lollipop on a hot day! Although if you are going to the shop, be sure to bring a cornetto home for me. 

C xxx

Thursday 18 April 2013

I want a cat.


I do indeed want a cat, but sadly, I can't have one! So for now, this illustration will have to do. A version of this illustration will also be featured in a mini zine Cowbiscuits is creating - get in touch with her if you are a fellow crazy cat lady! 

C xxx

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Never be afraid to experiment.


Here is my latest illustration for Karla's 'Tales of Creativity' charity project. I thought of the little tagline for this one, and I wanted to try and create a fun image which reminds us that sometimes we need to experiment to produce our best work - even if it turns out to be a little crazy or weird. I think sometimes we all fall into the trap of feeling the need to fit in with what everyone else is doing, this goes for blogging as well. It's definitely getting harder to be original these days with so many awesome and inspiring blogs around. So yes, what I'm basically trying to say is don't be afraid to do something a little different; maybe some people won't really 'get it' or like it, but it can also really help you to stand out. Karla said something very similar in a recent email, paraphrasing she said 'thinking outside the box helps to get your work noticed' and I do think that's absolutely true. 

I'm definitely not claiming to be the most original person in the world, but I do try and experiment with my art, and if you go back through my archives you will see that my style has changed so much! 

Let me know what you think! 

C xxx



Sunday 14 April 2013

Monsieur Notebook.

A little while ago, the guys from Monsieur Notebook got in touch and asked if I would like to receive a free leather notebook with my artwork engraved on the front cover. Of course, I said absolutely, and here is my finished notebook! 



I sent over a selection of illustrations, and the guys ended up choosing 'Mango Sorbet' which I was really happy about. I also adore the deep rich red cover they chose for my notebook. You can see the texture of the engraving a little better in the photo below. I'm so thrilled with my new notebook, it's amazingly unique and I can already tell I'll get a lot of use out of it. 


Just a little doodle to christen my new notebook!

When I sent over my illustrations, I had to transform them into black and white line and block drawings as you can see above. It was actually interesting to see my illustrations in black and white as colour is usually such a big part of what I do. I was incredibly happy with how this one looked though - nice, clean, and simple. 

I'm so happy that the guys asked me to take part in this - my notebook is beautiful quality and I'd recommend them to anyone. 

In addition to notebooks, Monsieur Notebook also stock sketchpads of various sizes, and they will soon be selling watercolour notebooks too! 

Take a look at their blog here for more info! 

Stockists

Inkthistle 
Pen & Paper Stationery Co
Blank Journals
Write Here!
Treasure & Relish

Prices start at around £9.25 which is incredibly reasonable for a leather notebook of such high quality. Another important thing to mention is that these notebooks are ethically sourced and hand finished in India, ensuring every employee receives a fair wage - an amazing reason to support the brand. 

Let me know what you think! 

C xxx

Friday 12 April 2013

Gem Fatale and Roxy Cat!


I'm sure most of you all follow Gem already, and you will have seen her adorable new bob haircut - I think it looks super cute on her! I did a little portrait of Gem AGES ago, so I thought it was about time I illustrated her again. I've always loved Gem's blog, in fact, I'm fairly certain it was one of the first I ever followed. Gem is currently living the dream, and she is now a features writer at Company magazine - she has done so so well, and I loved reading her first column. 

C xxx

On a Cruz'

If you haven't already check out On a Cruz' then you must, it's such an awesome blog written by an effortlessly stylish lady. A little while ago, she suggested that I draw Olivia from The Cosby Show which I thought was a super unique suggestion, however I thought it might be even funner to draw her instead! Anyway, here is the photo that I used for inspiration, I love everything about this outfit. 


And here is the illustration I came up with!


I really enjoyed drawing this piece, it's definitely one of my favourites from recent months. Let me know what you think!

C xxx

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Jade of The Style Rawr!



I'm guessing by now you guys know how much I love the girls from The Style Rawr - they have an awesome blog! In the past couple of weeks I've drawn an illustration for both of them, and also a solo one of Tara, but now I've drawn one just for Jade. Of course, I had to feature some leopard print in there, but the good thing is, they all match up perfectly now! 


Let me know what you guys think! Are you fans of the girls too? 

C xxx

A lovely gift from Marta.



Yesterday, a lovely little parcel arrived at my apartment - it was a cute gift from my blogging pal Marta! Marta runs Glitter Detector, and she is currently hosting an awesome giveaway so make sure you drop by and say hi! I've followed Marta's blog for such a long time now, and I can tell you she is probably one of the sweetest blogger's around. She's always been really supportive of me and my blog, and I truly appreciate it! 

Anyway, Marta sent me this cute fabric brooch made my her very own sister. Her sister has been making these 'crazy girl' brooches for a little while now in various designs, you can check them all out on her blog here. My little 'crazy girl' is really well made and feels sturdy - I'm going to attach it to my satchel today to make it look a little jazzier. Oh, and another sweet touch was that Marta's nieces drew a couple of pictures for me! 

C xxx

Monday 8 April 2013

Treats from Mina all for £15.

 
Earlier today, Rosie mentioned on Twitter that Mina had a special section of their site dedicated to £15 treats! I thought I would put a quick collage together of some of my favourite items, maybe one or two of you can grab a bargain!

1. Jessy Trench coat in Grey. 

2. Popsicle dress in Red.

3. Head Girl top in Green.  

4. Enid Dress. 

I think all of these pieces would be absolutely perfect for spring/summer. The colours are all super pretty and wearable, and I love how dainty Mina clothes are. If you have never heard of Mina before, they started out as a little stall at Portobello Market and have grown into a huge brand thanks to the likes of Sienna Miller, and Fearne Cotton all wearing Mina clothes! Read the Mina blog here.  

Let me know what you think of these pieces and if you decide to treat yourself. 

C xxx

Sunday 7 April 2013

Ropes that hold you down.


So, this is the fourth illustration in the 'Tales of Creativity' series, as part of Karla's charity project. The original idea behind this one was 'ropes or chains which hold you down' and stop you from achieving your goals and aspirations. I think this is my favourite of the series so far, mostly because I think it is something everyone can relate to, whether you are in the creative industries or not. The makeup artists flying around on makeup brushes were particularly fun to illustrate! Rich stated that he would like some colourful, happy mua's flying overhead, so I thought this would be the ideal way to encompass that idea. Anyway, I hope you like this! 

C xxx

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Little Strawberry Girl


I thought this little one was too cute to not get her own illustration! I added a nice pastel background featuring some pretty springtime flowers - I just wish the weather would improve now! I also love the outfit she is wearing, I do wish I had this in real life - oh well. Of course, this is actually part of the 'Tales of Creativity' project, which is why she has a pretty massive makeup brush strapped to her back!

C xxx

Hello Daphne!


I often look to models for inspiration for my illustrations, and of course Daphne Groeneveld has such a unique and distinct look, so it was natural that I'd want to draw her at some point! I think she looks like a mixture between a cute doll and an alien, and I love that her eyes are set quite far apart, because of this she already fits in quite well with my typical style. I think Daphne often gets really interesting editorial work, so I'm going to have a good look through her archive of work and see if I can find any more pretty looks. 

C xxx

Monday 1 April 2013

Comparison stops creativity.


Firstly, I hope you all enjoyed your bank holiday Easter weekend. Did you get many treats? My parents bought me a Thorntons egg with toffee pieces in the shell, it was awesome! 

Anyway, this illustration is the next in the 'Tales of Creativity' charity series. The idea behind it is about how constantly comparing yourself to others, hinders you from producing good and original work. I'm sure a lot of us can relate to this! If you would like to see Karla's blog post about it you can click here. I really like the little 'strawberry girl' in this illustration, I may have to do a piece which just features her in the future! 

As always, if you have any stories about the difficulties you have faced in the creative industries, please get in touch with Rich. His email is wolves_tog@yahoo.com, I'm sure he would be happy to hear from you! 

C xxx