PASTEL PRINTS

I DREW THIS ONE YEARS AGO, BASED ON AN OUTFIT FROM PRADA. IT LANGUISHED IN THE "TO-DO" FILE UNTIL I HAD SOME FREE TIME AT X-MAS TO TINKER WITH IT. I DECIDED TO JUST THROW ON SOME DIFFERENT PRINTS AND KEEP IT REALLY SIMPLE. WITH THAT HAT PULLED OVER HER EYES SHE LOOKS A TAD OMINOUS, NO?

PRINTS PLEASE!!!

THOUGH THE COLLECTION ITSELF WASN'T MY CUP OF TEA ( a tad TOO vintage for me), THE PRADA F/W 2012 COLLECTION DID FEATURE SOME AWESOMELY RETRO MAKE-UP AND PATTERNS. THE WHOLE THING WAS SERVING BRADY BUNCH REALNESS. THE MODELS HAD THREE LAYERS OF COLOR IN THEIR FLAT IRONED HAIR; A COMBINATION OF BLACK, RED, ORANGE, AND/OR BLONDE.  FACES HAD LOOSE WHITE POWDER DUSTED OVER OTHER PALE SHADES OF PINK AND CORAL. EYES WERE DARKENED W/ BLACK AND THEN LINED IN YELLOW OCHRE TO MASK THE BROWS.

THE PRINTS BROUGHT TO MIND A MISH-MASH OF LATE 60's MALIBU CHIC. WE CAN'T ALL PULL OFF MULTIPLE RETRO PATTERNS, BUT IT'LL BE FUN TO TRY!

ITALIANS DO IT BETTER

OK, I MAY BE A MONTH LATE ON THIS, BUT HERE IS MY MINI REVIEW OF MILAN FASHION WEEK A/W 2011. I'VE PICKED SOME OF MY FAVORITE LOOKS FROM THE ITALIAN DESIGNERS TO SKETCH AND SHOWCASE HERE. I NOTICED A BIG TREND TOWARDS FUR AND FEATHERS AS AN ADORNMENT ON CLOTHING FROM THE ITALIANS THIS SEASON. FUR IS ALWAYS FUN TO DRAW!

THE CLOTHING ALSO SEEMED A LOT LESS SEXY THEN NORMAL, AND A BIT MORE FUNCTIONAL. THERE WERE DEFINITELY SOME NODS TO ERAS GONE BY, LIKE THE 60'S MOD-DOLLY-BIRDS AND 70'S DISCO-COKE-DIVA. PLUS THAT CHICKEN HAT AT MOSCHINO STOLE THE DAMN SHOW, HELLO!!!

AND DIDN'T KRIZIA COME OUTTA LEFT FIELD!!? I LOVED IT! I HAVEN'T TAKEN NOTICE OF THAT LABEL IN YEARS. TO BE HONEST I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS AN ITALIAN BRAND! I THOUGHT IT WAS JAPANESE! OOPS! THE SHOW WAS SO FRESH AND MODERN AND AWESOME! THE HAIR AND THE COLORS AND THE TECHIE FABRICS. J'ADORE! IT WAS BY FAR MY FAVORITE SHOW THUS FAR (granted, i haven't looked at paris fashion week yet. i DO have a job you know!!!)

NOW BE PATIENT WITH ME KIDDIES AND I WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO LOOK AT THE FRESH LOOKS FROM FRANCE AND GIVE ANOTHER ILLUSTRATED REVIEW . . .

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAV-OR-IT THINGS!!!

ONCE UPON A TIME I HAD A MESS OF EMPTY PICTURE FRAMES (ALL BLACK OF COURSE, I ONLY DO BLACK FRAMES!) AND DECIDED TO DRAW LIL' PICS OF SOME OF MY FAVORITE ITEMS FROM MY WARDROBE TO PUT IN THEM. EACH ONE OF THESE DRAWINGS IS INDIVIDUALLY FRAMED AND HANGING IN A SMALL CLUSTER ON MY WALL AT HOME. MY FAVORITE OF THESE IS THE PRADA GLOVES. I SPENT WAAAAAY TOO MUCH MONEY OF THEM ONE WINTER, THEY DON'T KEEP YOUR HANDS WARM AT ALL, BUT I'LL BE DAMNED IF THEY DON'T LOOK AMAZING ON!

COLOR ME BITCHY

WHEN I WAS BUT A WEE LAD I USED TO LOOOOVE TO BUY COLORING BOOKS. MOST KIDS COLOR IN THEIR COLORING BOOKS, BUT NOT ME (i was weird). I USED MINE AS REFERENCE MATERIAL. YES, EVEN AT A YOUNG AGE I WAS ALWAYS COLLECTING REFERENCE FOR THINGS I WAS INTERESTED IN DRAWING. OBSESSIVE MUCH?

I WOULD SCOUT COLORING BOOKS FOR ALL THE CARTOONS I LIKED AND USE THEM TO LEARN TO DRAW THE CHARACTERS. I WOULD SOMETIMES TRACE OVER THE LINES WITH TRACING PAPER AND A PENCIL SO MANY TIMES I WOULD WEAR A HOLE THROUGH THE PAGE! WHENEVER A NEW DISNEY FILM CAME OUT I WOULD GO RIGHT OUT AND SPEND ALL MY MONEY ON COLORING BOOKS SO I COULD SEE A CLEAR LINE DRAWING OF WHAT ALL THE CHARACTERS LOOKED LIKE.

I'VE NOTICED THAT KIDS NOW-A-DAYS DON'T REALLY HAVE COLORING BOOKS LIKE MY GENERATION DID. I NEVER SEE THEM ON SALE AT THE SUPERMARKET OR THE TOY STORE AS THEY WERE IN MY DAY (i make it sound like i'm 100!). THIS GAVE ME THE IDEA TO START MY NEW COLLECTION OF PRINT OUT COLORING PAGES FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES! MY COLORING PAGES ARE, OF COURSE, BASED AROUND MY LOVE/HATE OF ALL THINGS FASHION. AAAAND, I EVEN GIVE SOME HELPFUL HINTS TO ALL THE CREATIVE THINKERS OUT THERE RIGHT ON THE PAGE. HOW CONVENIENT!

JUST PRINT IT OUT AND GO KRAZY KIDDIES!

*MARKER PEN ON BRISTOL BOARD W/ PHOTOSHOP.