COMMISSIONED

ONE STYLE AT A TIME

Happy Monday, loves!
For this post in the
COMMISSIONED
series, I thought I'd share with you
a recent custom fashion illustration commission
created for Maria of the superb fashion blog:
One Style At A Time.
If you're a fan of fashion and not yet familiar with Maria,
I know you'll love One Style At A Time.
Maria is very fashion savvy,
so it's  perfect that she lives
in the fashion capital of the world,
New York City.

The new illustration made it's debut
on One Style At A Time this last weekend
when the blog celebrated it's
oh-so-fashionable two-year anniversary ...
congratulations, Maria!

THE ILLUSTRATION
When Maria contacted me for a commission,
we discussed a variety of options and poses
for her fashion illustration that she wished to use as
her new blog header and avi.
With a "sitting at her desk" pose selected,
we quickly moved on to the other details that
she wished to see in her illustration.
This is always such a fun part when clients
choose what they'd like to see created ...
sort of like shopping!
I asked Maria to send me photos of herself,
as well as a list of the items she would like included
 (and photos of those items if she had them),
and also what she would like to be wearing in the illustration.
Some of the items Maria chose were:
a glam mirrored desk, pink peonies,
a classic black Chanel 2.55 handbag,
a Hermes Birkin bag at her feet,
fashion books on her desk
and a french chandelier.

Once I received all the info,
it was time for sketching to begin ...
and once a first rough sketch was completed,
it was e-mailed to Maria for approval.
I've grouped together some of the images
of the fashion illustration of Maria
from first sketch of her face (upper left)
and complete rough pencil sketch (just below it)
to steps along the way after painting had begun ...


When I had completed the Birkin bag and its contents,
 I e-mailed Maria and included a little tease as an attachment.
It was a sneak-peek of the Birkin bag
I was placing at her feet in the illustration.
Her bag was filled with the March 2013 issue of Vogue
(the month and year of her two year blog anniversary).
You may be able to just make out a little of the face
of Beyonce on the cover of the issue ...

I also added a chic silk scarf peeking out
over the side of the bag ...
here's the attachment Maria received ....

Ahhhh, Birkin ...
so much fun ...
I'm such a tease, I know.

For an illustration such as this one,
I often paint with layers of gouache and acrylics.
It's essentially a painting as I would do on canvas,
but for an illustration, the painting is created on illustration board
so that it can be scanned when complete
and placed in electronic file format to be e-mailed
to the client.

Soooooo ...
when the illustration was complete,
it was e-mailed to Maria ...

And below is the illustration
as it appears on Maria's header ...
she found the perfect font to embellish it!

Here's the link to
One Style At A Time
so you can see it in person ...
thanks, Maria, it was so much fun!
Now ...
what are we going to create for your
three-year anniversary, I wonder? lol

Have a wonderful week, everyone!
Thanks so much for joining me!
See you Wednesday!

OOH LA FROU FROU
is the blog of illustrator
SANDY M

To custom illustration inquiries,
drop Sandy a note here.

Issue photo:
Vogue Magazine