PARTY IN THE USA

IF THERE'S 3 THINGS I LIKE, IT'S COMICS, FASHION & HUNKS. THOSE 3 FINE TOPICS LED ME TO DOODLING THIS HIPSTER HUNK VERSION OF CAPTAIN AMERICA. I SAT DOWN AND COMPLETED THE WHOLE PIECE, FROM 1st SKETCH TO FINAL, ALL IN 1 DAY.  I MAY POSSIBLY DO MORE MARVEL HIPSTER HUNKS NOW. MAYBE THOR? IRON MAN? WOLVERINE? SPIDER-MAN? OR, WAIT, ISN'T SPIDER-MAN ALREADY A HIPSTER HUNK???

P.S. - THE FINAL SKETCH (I DID A FEW) OF HIPSTER CAP USA IS INCLUDED ON THE RIGHT.

UPDATE: THE FINE FOLKS OVER AT COMICALLIANCE.COM  HAVE INCLUDED THIS PIECE IN THEIR WEEKLY "BEST ART EVER THIS WEEK" COLOMN. CLICK OVER AND TAKE A LOOK!
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2013/01/04/best-art-ever-this-week-01-04-13/

THE GOSSIP

THIS SIMPLE PIECE FEATURING 5 MINI DRESSES FROM PIERRE CARDIN'S A/W 1969 COLLECTION ARE AMONGST MY FAVORITES OF HIS DESIGN CAREER. THE VARIOUS BOLD SHAPES ON THE DRESSES SHOW HIS MOD AESTHETIC IN A EASY AND GRAPHIC WAY. 

I HAVE WANTED TO SHOW THIS GROUP OF DRESSES TAKING PART IN A 'TELEPHONE GAME'-LIKE SITUATION FOR YEARS. I DREW THE B&W VERSION BELOW IN 2005. I FINALLY TOOK IT OUT TO RE-DO AND FINISH IN 2012. I'LL LEAVE IT YOU GUYS TO PICK WHICH VERSION YOU LIKE BEST.

CHIC IN PINK

I'VE HAD THIS PIECE, BASED ON A VINTAGE YVES SAINT LAURENT PINK SILK GOWN, KICKIN' AROUND FOR A WHILE. I COULDN'T GET A HEAD I LIKED FOR THE FIGURE. FINALLY I TOOK IT BACK OUT AND GAVE HER A BETTY PAGE HAIR-DO AND GIANT HAIR BOW. NOW SHE'S FINALLY READY TO MAKE HER DEBUT.

IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS

ANYONE WHO LOOKS AT THIS BLOG REGULARLY KNOWS THERE I DON'T DRAW MEN TOO REGULARLY. SO, WHEN I WAS ASKED TO DO SOME ARTWORK DETAILING MEN'S FALL TRENDS FOR DETAILS MAGAZINE I WAS EXCITED FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO INJECT SOME TESTOSTERONE INTO MY PORTFOLIO. 

I DID SEVERAL SKETCHES OF THE FIGURE BEFORE THE ONE SHOWN HERE WAS CHOSEN BY THE MAGAZINE. IN THE END, THEY CHOSE TO COLOR THE FIGURE IN NEON YELLOW TONES TO MATCH THE REST OF THE MAG'S GRAPHICS. A DIFFERENT CITY-SCAPE WAS PUT IN THE BACKGROUND AS WELL. IT'S ALL FINE WITH ME, I GOT PUBLISHED AND PAID! AND THAT'S CALLED A WIN / WIN, KIDS.

ALL WASHED UP!

HERE WE HAVE THE FABULOUS CHRISTIAN DIOR "VENUS" GOWN FROM F/W 1949 . . . IN AN OLD METAL WASH TUB. 

I SAW A PICTURE OF THIS DRESS THE OTHER DAY AND WANTED TO MAKE A COMPANION PIECE TO MY EARLIER DIOR 'FARM GIRL'. I SHORTENED THE FLOOR LENGTH GOWN SO WE CAN SEE OUR FANCY LADY STANDING IN HER BATHIN' TUB. HAIR AND MAKE-UP INSPIRATION WAS TAKEN FROM DIOR'S SPRING 2011 COUTURE SHOW FEATURING DESIGNS AND STYLING INSPIRED BY THE GREAT FASHION ILLUSTRATOR, RENE GRUAU 

(if you don't know who he is, go look him up now! you won't be sorry!)

I'VE ALSO INCLUDED MY ORIGINAL SKETCH. I TWEAKED IT A BIT IN PHOTOSHOP TO GET THE PROPORTIONS I WANTED. 

RETURN OF THE SPICE

I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW BEYOND THRILLED I WAS THAT MY FAVORITE BAND OF ALL TIME THE SPICE GIRLS REFORMED FOR THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES. THE SIGHT OF THE FAB 5 ALWAYS BRINGS ME SUCH OVER WHELMING HAPPINESS!
I WAS SO INSPIRED BY THEIR PERFORMANCE (done atop 5 decked out British black cabs no less!) THE I HAD TO PUT PEN TO PAPER STRAIGHT AWAY AND DRAW THEIR COSTUMES A.S.A.P. WHO KNOWS WHEN WE'LL GET TO SEE ALL 5 SPICERS TOGETHER AGAIN, BUT I HOPE IT'S SOONER THAN LATER!

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!