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Archive of ‘inspiration’ category

2015

2015 Turn Up! by Veronica Marché

 

This is how I’m feeling about the new year right now — excited, elated, anxious with optimism — in a word, “turnt.”

2014 brought a lot of excitement and new things for me — I was featured on television for my illustrated stationery. I met one of my illustration idols. And I capped off the year by being published in Essence magazine, a book I’ve read cover-to-cover ever since I was a little girl. Dreams can be reality.

Last year I learned to assert my worth as a creative and as a professional. I’ve been inspired over and over again by other illustrators and artists who’ve been documenting their journey online, like Meagan of Travel Write Draw and Danielle of Final Fashion. And Andrea Pippins’ blog Fly made me meditate on what it means to be a black woman and an artist, learning how to infuse my work with celebrations of my identity and heritage — bringing my full self to the table. And I’ve already landed a new commission that allows me to do just that.

Before 2015 started, I’d already committed myself to becomine bigger, badder and better, in illustration and in life in general. And I’m already feeling electric about the change ahead. I’m getting married this year. I landed a new day job in design that will free me up to really focus on the kind of illustration I want. I have ideas coming out of my ears and each passing moment brings more confidence, more excitement.

I am EXCITED! 2015 is going to be great. I can feel it in my my bones. And my pencils too. :o)

Say Hello To Fashionable Scribbles!

So a few months back I got an email from a young lady named Harriet, all the way from the U.K., asking me how she could get started in fashion illustration. You know I was thrilled — I love seeing young women grow their creative talents!

I told Harriet to draw every day, start a blog, and start asking family and friends if she could sketch them.

(Pssst: By the way, that’s my advice to everybody — if you want to get your creative juices flowing, do it every day, share it online, and ask your peeps if you can share your talent with them!)

Well, I got an update from Harriet last week, and she’s been putting her watercolors to work! She has an adorable blog up now called Fashionable Scribbles, where she shares her newest drawings and practice sketches.

Check out Harriet's runway sketches on Fashionable Scribbles!

Check out Harriet’s runway sketches on Fashionable Scribbles!

She’s been creating drawings of bloggers from around the IFB universe, and she’s even been able to show her work to Randy Fenoli of “Say Yes to the Dress”! How cool is that?

So today, I want you to head over Harriet’s blog and show her some love. Leave a comment on one of her many sketches and tell her to keep up the good work! :-)

Illustration is Everywhere

Hey friends!

One of my favorite things to do when I’m out and about in Philadelphia is to see how people and companies are using illustration. I’m a total geek about it, obviously, but I can’t help but notice the little (and sometimes big!) ways illustration is used to brighten our world and  make it a little bit more joyful.

Fashion Illustration at H&M

Fashion Illustration at H&M in Center City Philadelphia

For example, I was shopping in H&M on Chestnut Street when I noticed this large illustrated mural in the corner of the store. The artist seems to have used brush and ink, a new favorite medium of mine, and it definitely has a sketchy, high fashion vibe found in a lot of runway drawings. It caught my eye as soon as I walked into the store — I wish I knew who the illustrator was!

Illustrated print pouches by Cath Kidston

Illustrated print pouches by Cath Kidston

Then there are these adorable pouches my friend Erin brought back for me from London. They’re by designer Cath Kidston and they are the absolute cutest. I love the graphic double-decker buses and the bright red and sky blue color scheme. The smaller pouch will likely be the new home for my pencils, while the larger one is going to make for an awesome makeup case.

My bags for T.J. Maxx, hanging out on the corkboard in my office.

My bags for T.J. Maxx, hanging out on the corkboard in my office.

And of course there’s the work I’ve done for T.J. Maxx — most recently, the all-occasion gift bags that debuted this past spring. There were a fun way to make gift-giving a little more stylish, and they’re hanging out, for the time being, on the main corkboard in my studio. (My favorite is the “Happy Birthday” girl with the very on-trend striped crop top!)

The next time you’re out and about, take a closer look at the fun, bright things around you. You might see illustration in more places than you expect. When you do, tweet or Instagram me! I’ll be sharing my illustration finds with the hashtag #illustrationiseverywhere. :)

Illustration Master Class with Bil Donovan

Master Class with Bil Donovan by Veronica MarcheHow exciting would it be to meet AND work with someone whose work has inspired you for years? I can tell you from personal experience – VERY EXCITING.

This past weekend, veteran fashion illustrator Bil Donovan came to Drexel University and blessed us with three days of lecturing and workshop teaching. The first night, he gave us an overview of his incredible career (Christian Dior and New York’s St. Regis hotel are just a few of his major clients), and for the next two days, he taught an intensive workshop — an illustration bootcamp, as he calls it. I’ve admired Bil’s work for a long time. He works primarily in brush and ink, giving his illustrations a sense of movement and ephemeral glamour. My friend Jeanne was in awe of his technique. “Look how he controls the water,” she gushed. “The man literally CONTROLS THE ELEMENTS.” (That made me laugh).   Still, Bil’s style is quite different from mine. While he works in ink and brush, I work with graphite and markers. And while his illustrations employ selectivity — of color, of line, of everything — mine (at least for now) have a highly rendered style. Suffice it to say, I was worried if I’d be able to make the cut in one of Bil’s classes! Turns out there was no need to be – Bil is a super engaging, incredibly encouraging instructor, and encouraged me to continue working in and developing my own style. “I’m not worried about you, you got it,” he told me. I might have squealed. Anyway, here are a few snapshots of my work over the weekend: Quick gestural drawings in brush and ink. I’ve always loved warming up with gesture drawings, and sometimes they turn into their own work of art. This one is going up on a wall in my apartment. brush and ink exercises A new favorite exercise introduced by Bil – continous line drawings. (Don’t take your pencil off the paper. EVER!) continuous line exercises The weekend was not without some excitement. Particularly, the inkspill I had on day two. Yikes! inkspill No worries, though. My friend pointed out that the spill looks like a shoe, so I’m going to turn it into an illustration of a stiletto bootie. :o) The last sketch of the weekend. “Just go for it,” Bil told us. So this is me playing around with water, ink and composition. final drawing   I gotta say, I’m kinda in awe that I got the opportunity to learn under someone whose work is so inspiring to me. Many many many thanks to Bil for being a great teacher and cheerleader, and of course, shout-out to Drexel’s Fashion Design Department for making such an awesome weekend happen. I have more snaphots and some video over on Instagram. Make sure you follow me there. I’m @veronicamarche.

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