Tala Samman & Natalie Lines Illustration

As some of you may know, I'll be spending a lot of my time in Dubai from Novemeber, I'm excited then i get a bit nervous, then excited again. In anticipation for this i've been working with Dubai Blogger Tala Samman, who i'm sure you're already very aware of, her blog is clean, fashionable and bursting with content on a regular basis which keeps it a powerful tool for her business.
We've been working together on a few blog posts to add an extra bit of flare to her articles, it's always a pleasure to draw a beautiful face so i've enjoyed working with her! 

We worked on some illustrations together for her Article on 2015's Best foundations, from an illustrative point of view all the products worked really well together visually and came together to make an illustration i'm really proud of. 

A small update on personal work i've been creating for my website shop. You can purchase prints over at shop.natalielines.co.uk for £10!

Tala has also started a career in DJ'ing, which is a new exciting step in strengthening her identity in the business world, i created this illustration for her Instagram, I think she slightly resembles Anna Kendrick in this image, If you're a blogger in Dubai and want to collaborate then shoot me an e-mail to natalielines90@gmail.com and we can chat! 

2015

Hey All, it's been a while hasn't it? I've, as always been super busy with work but i've finally had five minutes to update on what i've been up to, etc.

A lot has happened and i've been doing lots of preparation for 2015, I'm going away to Barcelona For a few months in February and i'm a little nervous, but mainly excited about it! it'll be lovely to see the city properly and obviously I need to see all of the galleries, etc! If you have any good suggestions on what to see, then please let me know!

Fashion wise, things are changing, as you can see my photo to the left is probably the most natural i've been in a while (ha) I'm so inspired by simplicity i'm really going to encourage it more this year, Designers such as Whistles and Reiss are fast becoming my favourites.
Makeup wise, i'm going to play with some more natural hues, i've loved my new pink lipstick (in the shade Love Me") from Essence, stupidly cheap but applies as well as expensive brands, it's long lasting and very smooth.  Also, MUA's highlighter is always beautiful to aid contouring. I've also been making an effort to wear less eyeliner and use just mascara, it's such a simple change but i think it makes a big difference. 

So yeah, a quick catch up, and i'll be posting some big work in the next few weeks for a hairdressers i've been working with. 

some of the imagery i've been loving for 2015, lace lingerie, pastel blouses, and metallic accessories. 

Wedding Wonder Show Illustrations

Hey, I wanted to show you what I've been up to in the Illustration world! I recently created a fashion illustration for The Wedding Wonder Show, in Newcastle, the brief was to create a lovely boho bride who needs to be carrying lots of beautiful shopping bags. I thoroughly enjoyed this project, it had a general direction and wasn't too specific allowing me to put a creative spin on it, I wanted to use confetti all around, but a happy accident made me use it as decoration all over the dress instead! It's so nice to use so much colour, i wanted to keep to a colour palette of rustic golds and pinks. it's so exciting to see this illustration used in so many places over social media.

Keep in touch

CoCo Chanel Perfume Illustration 7/20

7/20 We're getting somewhere now! It's so refreshing to add something to my portfolio on a regular basis, Also creating new content is really helping with time keeping, creativity and so much more. Don't get me wrong, it can be a massive struggle when juggling other tasks and have other commitments, but the rise in social media and interest has really been lovely. I've been eager to draw this legendary perfume bottle for a while now, and doing this challenge has given me a great excuse to do so, i'm also building up a much stronger beauty portfolio which I've been wanting to do for a while. I may have a break from the beauty products in the next few days and focus on food which is another avenue i'm eager to pursue, delicate cakes, biscuits and cocktails might feature in the next few illustrations. What do you think? are there any suggestions for things you'd like me to draw?
I also have some exciting news to share in the next day or so, i'm bursting not being able to tell anyone!

 This print is available HERE for £10

Watercolour Lips

5/20 My newest illustration, created with a mixture of digital and traditional techniques. This was a really challenging piece, I couldn't quite get the teeth right, and It took a lot of tweaking before I was comfortable to release it, I was really glad it only took around 4.5 hours to complete though! What do you think of this? are you liking the new colours i'm using in my work? 

Sheer Lingerie Print 4/20

4/20 As a fashion illustrator I am obsessed with some of the new trends emerging, one of them being lace bras, with thin straps, sheer detailing and beautiful colouring, they really make lingerie interesting again. I was pretty bored of the standard balconette and other shapes, so i've really taken to this. I've been wanting to draw these for a while now, and having the opportunity to create new illustrations every day has made me made quick decisions and actually take more chances. I've recently set up a society 6 page for international orders, so if you're outside of the UK you can now order my new prints HERE. If you're in the UK then grab a bargain,

Every image from this Illustration series are £10 each. 

Accessorise with Turquoise and Gold

3/20 I wanted to draw some of my favourite things, with one of the most lovely colour combinations, gold and turquoise. I've been waiting to try this out for a while now and I thought using it with nails and jewellery would be a great opportunity. I added tiny gold flecks at the top of the nails to create an ombre affect and used deep rusty golds to compliment the pinks. I've added a close-up shot at below so you can see all the delicate rings i've drawn, I love the look of piling up accessories and i've been dying to try it myself, but maybe i have to live through my illustrations for now. Make sure you check out the rest of the set and keep coming back each day.

 This print is now available for £10 HERE

Day 2! So, uncomfortably and unwillingly I was encouraged to use more colour in my work, Usually this doesn't go well for me, which is why I'm never too eager about it. However I chose to use some watercolour washes in my work this time and decided to use them in a different way, adding other hues and colours, making them look a bit more interesting and less flat, surprisingly it worked, I increased the saturation through photoshop to make them pop a little more with some curves, which seemed to give a really warm bright look to the finished piece. I was concerned that working on a new illustration every day would harm the quality of my work, I had the idea that rushing my designs would mean I would sacrifice the detail that I love to put in, But i didn't allow myself to do that, I worked extra hard and made sure I was creating content that I was proud to release, when it comes down to it I'd always chose quality over quantity, It's also made me make decisions quicker, which is where I think i was going wrong before when experimenting with colour, I'd over-think the process too much and never let it grow enough to enjoy the finished product. I've seen that coming out of my gothy comfort zone has really blown away some cobwebs and let the creativity flow again. Make sure you check back tomorrow for a new Illustration. Day 3 is going to be a little different.
 big Thank-you to Elliot for making me try colour again.

 This print, along with the shoe print from yesterday is now available HERE for £10 

Congratulations Olivia Palermo

My favourite lady in fashion Olivia has gotten married in a wonderfully quiet ceremony to her partner of 6 years, Johannes. I've always loved Olivia's style, she's always been able to pul off the most gorgeous outfits in an effortless way. something i've always been envious of, She really reminds me of Audrey Hepburn in some of her outfit choices. If you've been on Olivia's website you can see some of the official photographs released by her, in the most beautiful tule skirt with floral detailing, and a round neck jumper with three quarter length sleeves, A lot of people has expressed their concerns with her wedding dress, but I adore it, it's simple, stylish and a little different, She also chose to wear blue Manolo's as her "something blue" which is a really unique touch. As soon as i saw the photos I had to draw it,  I used little flecks of glitter and fresh flowers as props to add on top of my drawing, the photos had such a fresh natural look I wanted to add to that and use the glitter as textured confetti, I love drawing 2 dimensionally on photoshop but lately I've loved adding extra 3d props to make the illustration a little more interesting,

You can see the lovely article about Oliva's dress here, Photograph reference taken by Johannes Huebl

What do you think of Olivia's dress and my illustration?

I added a small floral circle

I played with some glitter to make some confetti

Want a personalised wedding Illustration? I charge £100 for any size up to A3 printed and posted. You can purchase it HERE

ENTER "SUMMERWEDDING" AT THE CHECKOUT FOR 10% OFF

Company Magazine July

Hello! My new illustrations for company magazine have just been released in their July Issue, it's about amazing festival make-up, featuring my illustrations, I worked so hard on these and wanted to make sure all the colours were bright, and popped.  I loved this project, lately I've felt that my work has taken a big leap and i've definitely made a conscious effort to spend a lot more time to get that extra detail in, At the time it's hard to see the difference but comparing it to old work makes me feel a lot better!

Do you see a difference in my work? I've uploaded a high-res Gif of the new illustrations so you can see some details, i based the different looks over one eye so you can really see the affect different shapes and colours have on an eye. My favourite is the orange and purple look, the colours are so punchy! 

Debenhams and Gather.ly illustration

Well hello! It's been such a lovely springy day, fresh, bright and complete with some april showers! I've been working on a slightly secretive project. Organised by the amazing gather.ly I, along with a group of artists were given a line to interpret by Debenhams, and to create a piece from the quote. We were allowed to be so lose with the brief and really do what we wanted with it, i loved that aspect and decided to do a feminine flowery illustration.
Gather.ly works within the creative industries making sure no-one misses out on amazing opportunities to work with great brands, they're a new company but it's obvious they're going to make a big impact in the art world, and for great reason, i'm so glad they approached me and gave me this opportunity, so if you et a chance, check them out.

I'm not a fine artist, I played around a little with concept in college, but it's not something that is the driving force for my work, it sounds little vain to say but visuals are obviously very important for me. Chris Turner, a film-maker from London came to film and interview me about the piece and I explained the techniques and processes I go through to get to the final illustration, Now, I'm absolutely terrified to hear what I've said, i'm not the most eloquent of speakers and i'm not used to interviews/camera in my face, so I'll apologise now for the nonsense i've most likely have spoken. Having said that Chris's work is really great and i'm looking forward to seeing the film he's made about all of the artists. There will be an exhibition in London (Shoreditch) on the 14th May  at The Allpress Espresso  Roastery 58 Redchurch St, Shoreditch, Greater London showing everyone's final pieces, it's going to be relaxed and really informal,  I haven't exhibited a piece in so long, So that's exciting. It's open to everyone, so pop along and check out The Art Of Interpretation 
 

I get distracted easily......

You may know I use a lot of pink, I adore the colour, however I really wanted to get away from it and use some different tones, Black and white adds such class to an image which I really like within this, The model has more of a mature look so I didn't want to undermine it with pinks and pastel colours. The ink splashes were created traditionally, i then scanned them in and edited them in photoshop, along with the illustration. I really hope you like the final piece and seeing around my workspace. 

Want to know who else is exhibiting, well. We have Jean Jullien, Charlotte Posner,  Edward Carvalho Monaghan and Eleanor Rose

Kraft Wedding Matchbooks

Happy Monday! 

 I'm proud to show off my new Matchbooks, I've been doing these for a while now and they're really picked up in popularity, especially for Weddings, They make excellent favours for guests, and they're not too expensive either. They come staples with little envelopes to put a gift in for your friends. A popular choice is flower seeds, such as forget me nots, or poppy seeds. As you can see form the picture one client has gone for the flowers seeds and another has chosen a little mint to go inside. They're both chosen their own wording to make it personal and used one of my designs to make it stand out a bit more. I've just introduced the Kraft range! They're so  lovely and vintage, It's best to stick with darker hues on these as when printed things colours will appear darker due to the colour of the kraft. I really is endless what you can use these for and the wording you can have to change it up, if you have any questions or want something a bit different then you can email me. 

You can purchase them on my website here! 
from £30 for 50 Matchbooks

New Skirts and New Items

It's an exciting day! My new fabric arrived and i've been making my new cushions, glasses cases and pouches. I've also got a lovely new skirt from Zara, it's off white and pleated.  It's a little long, so i'm going to take it up to just above the knee.

I wanted in involve some of the things I make into my posts, and especially the fashion side of things to show how they can be used and styled. My glasses cases have been made with my kitty print on them as a prototype, i'm selling them for £10 on my website here. My phone fits in it too, so i'm popping that in there when I don't need the glasses. 

I'm working so hard to get lots of products together, i'm pleased to see some of them getting stocked in shops and i'm trying to expand my hand made items so I can try and be more self sufficient. Illustration wise I've been making lots of new prints and working with new companies which i'm really excited to talk about! until then, thanks for reading!

Primark top £2.50 Blazer (Given to me) Zara Skirt £39.99 Primark Slingbacks £7

Lipsticks

I'm a huge fan of lipsticks, RARELY do I dare to do no colour, if i do i'm always wearing a moisturiser /chap stick for some comfort, I get asked what colours i'm wearing so I thought it'd be interesting to get some of my favourites together.

Loreal
I was given this lipstick by my aunty, as I usually wouldn't bother buying anything else until my collection 2000 has run out, But i'm glad i've had the chance to try something new,   it's a great Lipstick, lovely packaging and feels very luxurious, It also comes off easily on glasses and whatever you eat, but blotting should help that. This is an amazing intense red lipstick which is one of my must-haves.

Sleek - Mystic 783

This little lipstick is modestly packaged but it has become one of my favourites, in a beautiful bold purple colour it applies really well and has a very smooth moisturising feel, if you're worried about wearing a Matt lipstick which may make your lips look dry this really is a great find,  creamy and vibrant and surprisingly long lasting, at £4.99 it's a win win. 8/10

YSL Rouge 

it is far by the best lipstick i've ever bought, in every way it's exceptional, The packaging is beautiful and hardy, it's lovely to hold and it really feels like it's worth every penny, The scent of the lipstick is very fruity, and obviously the coverage and the feel is everything I want from lipstick, the colour is intense and only one/two applications is needed, the staying power is brilliant and it has a really nice mouse like texture. At £25 it is the top of my price range, but it has lasted a long time and i'd love to own more from that collection. 9/10

17 Lasting fix lipstick - Hot Chilli
This is one of my go to lipsticks, not quite a red as it has a gorgeous orange tint to it, it doesn't quite have the super human staying power as sleek Mystic though,  which isn't a bad thing as it's still brilliant, anyone who's not quite brave enough to try a full on red might want to give this a try one evening, you won't need to worry about re-applying and it won't look flakey. £4.29 8/10

Collection 2000 Volume sensation - Cherry Pop
When you get a Red lipstick you need a good one! and this is it,  (the search is over!) I'm always being complimented on this and for the price it's incredible value. It stays on so well, it's creamy, moisturising and had a really vibrant coverage, it goes everywhere with me i had no idea it was meant to be plumping but it does have a little glossiness to it which may add to that illusion, Great find and i can't recommend enough. £2.99 9/10

Rimmel Apocalips - Apocaliptic,
 Intense, vibrant and smooth, it' much thicker than a gloss and it's lovely to wear, the colour is super strong and really gives a nice edge to makeup, it can look a bit much if worn with heavy eye-makeup but it depends what you want to get out of it. I love this Lipstick/Gloss and it's one of my favourites, might be worth using a lip liner if colour bleeds on your lips. £5.99 8/10

This is my FIRST ever make-up post so i hope it wasn't too boring and at least a little interesting, Thanks for reading if you got this far, would love to know your fave lipsticks and what you thought of this post. All photographs have been taken by me.
 Nat x