A few years ago I decided to try and make the whole illustration thing a way for me to make money, it was an enormously scary decision and I was so nervous about really trying to do this as a living. I saw Company Magazinehad an illustration competition and decided to enter, I didn't win but the art director really liked my work and wanted to commission me for my first published fashion illustration, I soon found out how passionate they were about new talent, art and fashion. They took a chance on me and made people take me seriously. if anyone comments on my work it's because they've seen it in company. I'm sad to hear they're going but I wanted to thank them for letting me be in the magazine over 14 times with my drawings. You're going to be missed.

 6/20
 apologies for missing a day, I think all this use of colour gave me a migraine ;) I wanted to draw some lovely pink and purple hair this time, inspired by Katy perry and her love of colourful hair this piece was created with her in mind. It took me the longest amount of time to create this illustration, and i completely underestimated how i'd have to balance my time, especially whilst working on other commissions at the same time. However, I love that it came out so well and the response on Instagram has been really encouraging

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? 

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 

Keep your heels and your standards high

Good Morning everyone! Thank-you for the increase in new followers, if you're reading now, Hello! 

 I wanted to let you know about a little task i've set myself, in the name of creating new content, in a fast and interesting way, I'm creating new illustrations everyday from yesterday to the 22nd July (My Birthday) So i'm excited to show you my first drawing, I've been wanting to draw some stunning high heels on top of my favourite books for a while now, A print which would look beautiful in the room of any fashion and shoe lover, Chanel is an enormous inspiration of mine so I had to sneak that book in too.

Prints are available for a cheeky £10 so get it here

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

Street Style New York

Fashion weeeeeek! It's very exciting, and as much as I need to see what's on the catwalk I seem to really enjoy looking at the fashion from the front row and attendees lately, a street style frenzy has swept the internet in the last few years thanks to bloggers and independent fashion lovers,  It's really interesting to see the people who attend these shows and how their personal style is influenced by it, Obviously if I could buy designer my wardrobe would be crammed with Burberry, Lanvin and Givenchy, but unfortunately the life of a new freelance artist only allows a high street wardrobe... Which is fine! There are many stores  which really keep up with the trends and offer very well made clothes. For me, Zara has some of the best elegant pieces that are simple and beautiful. 

 Reading through Vogue online I came across New York fashion week street style images, All of the people chosen had such a unique sense of style, I had to draw a few of my favourites,

The first being Sonya Esman who is wearing my ultimate love at the moment... (Boyfriend Jeans) paired with a lovely textured coat and fluffy bag I really enjoyed the different surfaces mixed within this outfit, I think it works so well due to the muted colour pallets brought together, this is a look I'd love to try out, maybe with a nice white blouse.

Next is an outfit which really reminds me of something I wore when I was young. The skirt/trouser combination isn't something I'd be confident enough to try, but Veronica Gledhil wears this so well, if there's something I've learnt through fashion in the last few years it's never to say never, if you hate a trend and publicly bash it, prepare to eat your words when it's styled to perfection and you unwillingly love it (I'm still not going to say I'm unsure about trainers on the chanel catwalk...) I love all there is about this outfit, its a real breath of fresh air in street style but still remains on trend with the shoe style and linear silhouette. For a petite girl such as myself i think this outfit would unfortunately enhance my shortness, but you never know, I'd like to try a more layered look.

 Next is Lainey Hedaya I'm a big fan of capes, I don't own any but I'm starting to be convinced (thanks to Suki Waterhouse too) they're very feminine and I love the movement with the extra material, I especially like the length of this cape, I can imagine it being worn over a beautiful 1950's evening gown, making it beautiful for any occasion. There is a sophistication with this outfit which I can really appreciate, the Manolos work perfectly adding a just enough detail to the outfit without it being over done. 

All the links to these ladies twitter accounts can be reached by clicking on their name! I hope they all like these illustrations and you enjoyed reading some of my thoughts on street style x 

Company Magazine Illustrations March 2013

Woo! It's been a crazy month of work for me, I've done loads, and they're all being released at once, these were drawn very late last year (drawn the same time as the Paris Issue work) These are my favourite drawings so far, They seem so delicate and really represent spring (drew lots of little flowers)

We went through a few outfit changes, added various accessories, removed things and worked out what looked better, I'm really pleased with the final result, I roughly drew out the placement of the products for them to be replaced with the photographs, 

Any thoughts on the drawings?

Susie Bubble

 Whilst flicking through the couture week photos, I always have a look through the front row, it's really interesting to see the style of the people who attend, and how they're influenced by fashion, of course it's different for everyone, but Susie Bubble is a lady who always stands out to me, her style is so unique, She is aware of the trends but doesn't let them control her, she wears what she wants, and it never comes across in attention seeking way, Even the brightest and extraordinarily colourful outfits appear to be put together with not only thought but a humble love and understanding of fashion.

When I see an image that I want to draw, it bugs me for a while, I can't get it out of my head, I think about how i'll draw it what colours i'll use and if i'll add any mixed media, I love being bugged by inspiration.

I envy those who will wear an outfit regardless of how others may react, I do wonder how i'd dress if wasn't so conscious of people's opinions. Saying it sounds very shallow, but i'm sure it's something that people can relate to. Having said that, the blogging world is really taking over, and with that is more exposure to new trends within different countries, which is an exciting and inspiring time, a few clicks and you can find the most stylish in any place you may want, It's great to challenge your perception of style and try things out of your comfort, I think susie is doing just that, and I'm excited to take a few more risks this year.

 If you haven't heard of Susie or her work (i'm 100% sure you know who she is) then check her out here 

Company Magazine Illustrations Part 2

Le Flick! The second Illustration commission for Company's Paris Issue!

I'm so excited to show you these lovely eye makeup catwalk looks, all taken from the biggest shows on Paris Fashion week. My favourite is the Alexis Mabille, it's just so elegant and a style that really suits anyone, not to mention it's created the trend which we're seeing on everyone lately.

They're all different eyes, I created them all black and white at first but along side the colourful chanel look, it appeared realyl stange, so some colour was needed to balance it all out,  I kept the hues of the eye colour quite similar as i wanted the black pencil marks to really be the focus, i rarely draw with such dark heavy strokes, but I wanted the eyes to be in the same focus as the make-up and not look like an afterthought, Anyway, I hope you get to read this issue and see it in the flesh for your-self

 Natalie xx

2013 in pictures

From Left to Right

1. Jan - We had the most beautiful snowfall, I took my camera out immediately to take some photos, I still think they're my best, they didn't need much editing, the natural light was just stunning. I still like flicking through these, hoping that 2014 will bring beautiful sights too.

2. Feb - We still had some snow, so my Sister and I decided to make some cake-pops, they were brilliant, we bought a little oven with circular moulds so they turned out really well, we then popped them in the snow and I took some photos.

3. March. As I recall it was still a little snowy, it was my mums Birthday but she had to cancel due to the weather being really rubbish, A few weeks later we managed to have the party and made lots of little cake pops for everyone to nibble on.

4. April - I really decided to start taking the blogging seriously, looking back on the post my design work has come a long way, I really have listened and learnt and I like looking back to see the change, I'm always aiming to improve.

5. May - My first Company magazine Beauty Commission, Until this point i'd been working on lots of illustrations with company for their music section, I was really glad to be given the opportunity of drawing some make-up and expanding my portfolio, It was great experience which has improved my skills.

6. June - One of my favourite months, It was so hot, and  everywhere was blooming, I spent a lot of time in Tenbury Wells for my Boyfriend who was producing an Album, I would then spend some time with a friend playing with the chicks and making Elderberry Cordial and lots of other lovely things.

7. July - My 23rd Birthday,  I was in Stratford a lot this month, my boyfriend and I watched the River Festival, again the weather was great ( I honestly think it was one of the best summers) The festival is great, there are lots of lovely canal boats and market stalls, in the evening there's a fireworks display too, so it's really worth going to.

8.  August - I went to Portugal, my first Holiday in 4 years, I last went to Greece, which was beautiful, especially Lindos ( a sickening everlasting boat ride away from where we stayed)

Portugal is beautiful, the sun was hot, the food was amazing and the company was even better. I really loved this Holiday, it went so fast, but I'm glad we got to do so much, visiting the reservoirs, going on a Jeep Safari and seeing new things.

Later in the Month I took my boyfriend to Ragley Hall to the Battle proms, it's highly recommended, and I hope we've started a tradition.

9. September - My first phone cases were printed! I was so excited, my images printed really well and they sold better than i'd imagined, you just wait for this year, So many more designs and so many beautiful things to put them on.

10. October - My first experience in a pop-up shop, I was pretty nervous as i'd never done anything like that, although It was one of my goals so i decided to jump at the opportunity, i'm so glad i now have the experience in doing this, I now understand the market more, what sells, what doesn't :(

11. November - It was pretty quiet for me, I really enjoyed not doing much and just appreciating Autumn, the shop kept me ticking over so I kept my head down with that.

12. December - Christmas! It started off pretty rubbish, but a visit to the German Market and hanging out with good friends quickly changed that, For the first time ever we booked to go out for Christmas lunch, It was lovely and my Mum and Grandma really loved not having to cook. I got a new 50mm lens so i'm excited to start 2014 with it.

Thanks for reading if you got this far, it's been really nice to look back on my year and remember what i've done.

Fashion illustration new working in progress

So we're fast approaching the NEW YEAR!
so i thought i'd show you what i'm up to and the plans for 2014, I've already finished a few Illustrations which will be in magazines early next year! which is mad to think i've already completed work which will be shown in the new year. (for two of my favourite magazines) I'll post them when the magazines are out! :D

This particular piece is in it's very early stages is drawn from some reference images that were taken by a friend of mine of a lovely model called Amy, She was great to photograph and gave me some amazing photos to draw from and play around with, I brought some roses on set so i could draw them and then visually build them all around to how I wanted, etc.
 This particular piece is only for my own illustration portfolio, but it's nice to do something for myself and explore some new ideas, techniques i'm working with.

If you can see the detail in the lips and eyes you can tell how pain staking it was to create all the little grooves and shadows, it's a difficult territory to be in, as I still wanted to retain the Illustration quality and not make it too realistic.

 Now! This lady is Laila Daho  you may recognise her from youtube! she does some awesome vidoes on make-up lifestyle etc, i'm working on a banner for her youtube, and this is a very early stage of the work! 

Fashion Illustration Lauren Conrad

 New Illustrations, I wanted to start some really detailed work with some watercolour bits added to it, i decided to draw the lovely Lauren Conrad, She's perfect for me to draw, i adore her fashion sense and the craft work she does, I wanted the illustration to reflect her feminine style.

Close up of the illustration, i tried to add extra details in the Lips 

A work in progress of the a new piece of Artwork,  It's going to be a large piece with lots of delicately illustrated flowers and roses! I can't wait to finish this piece as it'll be for sale once i've completed it,
 I'm adding lots of pastel shades, pinks, purples and some lovely limes.




 I'll keep you all updated!

Company magazine illustrations

Woah, nothing wedding related Natalie? That is a shock!

 Considering most of my followers are more likely to be interested in my illustration work, i think i should probably post about it, I'm currently sat on a bed eating American candy, flicking through Company and wondering what to write..

I couldn't find a paper copy of Company today so I bought it on my Ipad which i've never done before, I'm now hooked! i love having a magazine when traveling, but having them all digitally saves me loads of space and i can indulge without feeling too guilty, (they're loads cheaper if you want to buy a years subscription)
However working in printing I do enjoy flicking through pages and.. at the risk of sounding like a loser I do love having a hard copy now and again,  plus my Grandma always wants a version, bless her

I was asked by Company to illustrate three ladies who are quite influential in the music industry, i really enjoyed the project and tried to incorporate things that were mentioned in the article that related to each girl.

One of my favourite illustrations was for Sarah, she mentioned how making a good impression was vital, making cups of tea for the right people is something everyone has to do! I drew a few cute little cupcakes and pots of tea to link in with the interview.
I can relate to the tea making, however as a non tea drinker please be aware if you want a drink from me I've had bad feedback ;) I'm more of a Hot chocolate girl,

Perry from little mix was another little illustration featured within the larger one of Anya (Syco A&R)
 I loved using watercolours in this and partially shading her hair, i'm going to explore this style a bit more i think..


I've also got an Illustration in the #Readitandtweet section, I'm looking for a nice new book to get addicted to as i've just finished the Hobbit, What are you reading?

Anyway, what do you think? I'd love to know if you liked the feature, for anyone looking to get into the music industry it's really worth a read, networking is they key
#GirlPower

FASHION WEEK

I haven't had much time to really sit down and draw what i want, so i've only managed three illustrations so far, one each from NYFW, LFW and Milan FW, so i took the opportunity to have a little experiment with my work, each one looking a bit different, leaning toward a water colour style though.
firstly,

New York: Ralph Lauren
 I tried to make this a bit different and have a hand drawn- not too neat feel to it, I added some highlights to the gloves and tried to make the face and arms have a pencil sketched look.

Ralph Lauren 2013 A/W NYFW

Next i drew an outfit from one of my favorite collections of LFW, which was TOPSHOP Unique, i drew their cleopatra show last year but i'm excited to do a proper illustration with the military vibe they've obtained now. This is one of the images i've drawn, i plan to illustrate a few more and arrange them all together. 

TOPSHOP UNIQUE 2013 A/W LFW

Keeping with my Watercolour theme i wanted to make this look quick and washed out, i'm not entirely satisfied with the outcome, but i do like the polaroid edges, once this is placed with the other topshop illustrations i think it'll work better, at the moment i don't think it's as striking as it could be (maybe a little dull) but as i said this is a small part of a bigger Piece.

GUCCI 2013 A/W MFW

This is, again (like the topshop illustration above) a small part of a bigger art piece. Gucci's collection blew me away, completely dark, alluring and beautiful it was a collection i saw straight away and knew i had to draw! Milan and Paris are the weeks i'm most excited about as my favorite designers are showing, everything is always immaculate and precise. This is a backstage shot i drew, As the collection is dark with mainly blacks and deep colours i didn't want this piece to be on a white background like the majority of my works, i think working on black makes drawings stand out instantly, every highlight is noticed and equally there isn't much opportunity to hide your mistakes.

A very early Work in Progress shot of the above illustration. 

I couldn't resist having a go at drawing this, I love drawing hair... 

My TOPSHOP piece from last year, egyptian inspired. I've fallen out of love with this and now want to redeem myself with a better topshop illustration to do their new collection justice. But this is the style in which i plan to compile the rest of the work. 

GIVENCHY 2012 S/S

Another example of how i  want to arrange my new pieces. 

So, who are you most excited about seeing/illustrating in Fashion week? 

I'm looking out for;

MILAN

Prada

Moschino

Versace

Dolce and Gabanna

Cavalli

PARIS

Dries Van Noten

Gareth Pugh

Balenciaga

Balmain

Nina Ricci

Lanvin

Viktor and Rolf

Vivienne Westwood

Celine

Kenzo

GIVENCHY (eeeek)

too many more to list!

take care x x 

Company magazine and new shirts

So! I have a few things to write about so i thought i'd put it all in one! 
Firstly, My illustration for company magazine has been published in their March 2012 issue, It's the second issue of Company restyled - with gorgeous Zooey Deschanel on the cover.
   My Illustration is to accompany the magazines new Book club, you can contribute your book recommendation on twitter with the hashtag #readitandtweet  (click the link) and maybe tell me what you think of my work alongside it :) 

I loved drawing this, i tried to go for a chic nerdy girl, a little bit like Jess from New girl, make sure you check it out on p94 

on company magazine online

thanks for looking, make sure you get the April issue to see new work!

My new shirts

i've been working on a few more shirts, i have a black cotton shirt with silver flat studs, or a pastel pink with tall silver studs. i love wearing these, they'll look great with knits and jumpers?

Are you interested in these? i'm planning to sell a few on Etsy and my own shop?

i'd love to hear what you think.

x Nat x