vogue

Twigs and Green

Brushwork, Illustrations, Projects Series
Sun Maker, Gouache on paper, by Jeni Moore 2016

FKA Twigs had first come to my attention in 2016. While “Twigs” initially gained celebrity as a singer, it is both her origins in dance and her magically photogenic presence that drew me to her. And during that year, I had been creating my “Diaphanous” series. [This series can be simply defined as couture derived outlines – sans models.] This painting shown above had been inspired by an Elle magazine feature of FKA Twigs; although only the Salvatore Ferragamo dress as photographed by Paola Kudacki emerges in my work.

In this most recent illustration, FKA Twigs is finally seen and depicted as I have sketched here. This was done first with a mechanical pencil on student grade paper. After which I scanned and copied the image onto a textured piece of card stock so that I could add the chalky black background. 

“FKS Twigs” Pencil and pastel, 8.5″ x 11″. 2021

Once again, I owe credit to Ethan James Green for his 2019 editorial photos from Vogue’s October issue. And the gown worn for this feature is Dior Haute Couture. 

A Tripp with Cecil Beaton

Illustrations, Projects Series

When researching for a little background story to accompany my sketch which is taken from a 1949 photo by Sir Cecil Beaton, I found Beaton himself being interviewed that the BBC had aired in 1962. Because Beaton had not just “one vocation” – his photography, theatrical stage design, and writing, to name a few – he was asked “Does photography keep going all the time?” In answer Beaton says, “No, uh… I don’t want to get stale at it. … I want to try to remain an amateur at it in order that I have the amateur’s freshness and spontaneity.” 

I feel rather aligned with that belief a great deal of the time. Yes, there are times when I yearn for a level of decisiveness in mastering a medium; but would it also feel painfully repetitive? 

Evelyn Tripp by Cecil Beaton 1949
9″ x 12″, Graphite and Colored Pencils

After viewing the BBC interview, I continued on this YouTube track by watching a film entitled “Beaton by Bailey”. In this, photography legend David Bailey more or less profiles Cecil Beaton in documented snippets. Some of these, lovingly. But then some, a bit tarnished. What I had taken away from the contrast is that Beaton’s works were better with seasoned muses. For Vogue, he had captured Evelyn Tripp – who does not at all fade amidst numerous Matisse cut-outs added to the set. 

Photo of Evelyn Tripp by Cecil Beaton 1949

Penn in Pencil

Illustrations, Projects Series

This could also be titled “Penn and Patchett in Pencil” as model Jean Patchett is the poised woman holding the wine glass for photographer Irving Penn – circa 1949. Citing the caption as found online, Patchett is wearing “silk taffeta… from Vogue Design #6708”. Does the #6708 refer to a dress pattern? I wonder.

The half page size copy of Penn’s black and white photo proved mysterious in parts also. In the original, a shadowy violin player is seen in the background. Very barely! There is a dark door dividing the musician and model, obscuring outlines of her skirt. So, I used the visible clues to render all that I could… 

Penn in Pencil
8″ x 12″ sketch 2020

LV’s Thistle Design

Illustrations, Projects Series

 

The Thistle pattern, artfully applied to a Louis Vuitton jacket and as worn by Kaia Gerber, brought the word “pluck” to my mind. Found in Vogue’s March issue [“The New Edwardian”] and photographed by David Sims, I just love that diagonal action in Gerber’s hair above the uniformly vertical pattern. Does anyone say “plucky” these days? Well, this is pluck all over!

Louis Vuitton Spring 2020

Wild Abandon

Brushwork, Graphic, Projects Series

Am I ready to break more rules? I ask myself. There are, for argument’s sake, “technical” illustrators and then there are illustrators who master the human form and go on to find a way to express these skills on a more emotional level. And I aspire to fall into the latter category.

Again, I was taken by Ethan James Green’s series of photos for the July issue of Vogue. As I had already depicted the marvelous Raquel Zimmerman, this time I opted for Imaan Hammam who wears Dries Van Noten. Van Noten’s designs are driven considerably by the force of his own palette. For me, I couldn’t tell anyone if I favored his more industrial hues versus his vibrant ones… 

imaan-in-drie-van-norton-2019

Illustrating the Impact of Norma Kamali

Graphic, Projects Series

While my assorted visions can be fuzzy at times, nobody could say this of the legendary designer Norma Kamali. And I cannot pinpoint the exact year that I was first smitten and intrigued by Ms Kamali, I’ve recently reconnected with her present collections – and being blown away in both her aesthetic as a designer as well as the considered integrity that she upholds both personally and professionally. Rather than fill this post with the Kamali history, there is a fascinating article one can read on Vogue’s pages.

As my salute to Ms Kamali, I joined together one look which dates back to 1983 [roughly being that era when she arrived on my radar] with the tracksuit found in her present line. Quite the companions!

Norma Kamali Salute

 

Another Dorothea

Brushwork, Projects Series

Just last month I had posted my rendering of Dorothea McGowan, in which she was crowned in flowers… There is actually a veritable Candyland out there of Sixties era McGowan photo shoots. Among them, a stunning vignette which is credited as photographed by William Bell. Other than his many other credits when he had worked for Vogue magazine, I had no luck in finding out more about the man.

In this [primarily] oil pastel piece, I knew I could only try to capture the overall mood. Also, there is no monkey to be found in the photo which I worked from. Of course that didn’t prevent me from adding one.

dorothea-in-recline-05-02-2019

Bride and Groom – Groom and Bride

Projects Series

Do I dare to even imagine the red carpet hoopla which will descend at the Met’s gala for their upcoming “Camp: Notes on Fashion” costume exhibition?! Already I am beside myself over Vogue’s May 2019 issue…

Their editorial “warm-up” is entitled Breaking Camp. Already stupidly giddy over actor Ezra Miller, I’m now smitten with his photo shoot partner Keiynan Lonsdale – both attired in Thom Browne. Furthermore, I am {SO!} now following photographer Ethan James Green.

Pencil sketch of an Ethan James Green photo for Vogue of two young men in a matrimonial pose.

Sketch of Ethan James Green photo [May 2019 of Vogue]

A simple pencil sketch with touches of violet – but uncharacteristic in this is that I used a bit of color burn filtering for its presentation here.

Valentino, Fall 2015

Brushwork, Projects Series

While digging through my bulging folder of coveted images, I rediscovered a beautiful editorial for Vogue’s September 2015 that had been shot by Mikael Jansson.

Grabbing a piece of sketch paper, not quite 6” x 9”, I started throwing down some oil pastels and colored pencils – both being water soluble. The result, I mostly happy with it. Regrettably, I hadn’t scaled this to fit the model’s feet – nor can I find her name!

Valentino Couture Through Mikael Jansson’s Lens

Shanelle on Parchment

Projects Series

Needing a break from my pen and ink studies, I looked to the Spring 2019 fashion pages. Vogue’s March issue has a profile piece on the [often] nomadic minded Rick Owens. As I just happened to have parchment paper within reach, I began sketching Shanelle Nyaiase [as photographed by Zoe Ghertner] and was intrigued with just how graphite appears in the process.

While colored pencils, understandably, might have been a bad turn… Yet I can never resist when an orange hue is involved!

Shanelle Wearing Rick Owens

That Twist

Brushwork, Projects Series

In the mid-Sixties, twenty year old German countess Vera Gottliebe Anna Gräfin von Lehndorff-Steinort was transformed into the now legendary model known as Veruschka. Photographer Richard Avedon, who I recall as that era’s Annie Leibovitz [as in “you know you’ve arrived if you’re posing for…”]  produced many of his fashion iconic images with Veruschka.  The stunning photo below was taken during Avedon’s tenure at Vogue.

Black and white photo of Veruschka taken by Richard Avedon

Richard Avedon photo of Veruschka, 1967

My own take on that photo became a kind of neon negative, done in gouache and watercolor:

Gouache and watercolor painting of Veruschka in reds and purple against a bright yellow background

That Twist

Marisa by Penn

Brushwork, Projects Series

The actual title I give this painting is “A Girl Can Dream” – as Marisa Berenson has mesmerized me since my own childhood/girl years. A case of Marisa envy, if you will. And the photo behind the painting is another I’ve held onto for I-don’t-know-how-long! The original was shot by Irving Penn. [Interesting side note: My father had been a commercial photographer and disliked the work of Penn. However, he never elaborated on this.] And with as much credit compliance I can provide, I can only assume that this Penn assignment first appeared in Vogue. That is my guess and can also only speculate on the year it was taken.

An Irving Penn photo of Marisa Berenson, who is wearing a pink outfit

Marisa Berenson by Irving Penn

Plainly, a lot of artistic license factored in this. In addition to modifying her Adele Simpson outfit, I riffed a bit from Milton Glaser in transforming her hair. [See iconic image of Bob Dylan which Glaser illustrated for his greatest hits release, 1966.]

Gouache painting of an Irving Penn photo which features Marisa Berenson, with artistic modification of colors and hair

A Girl Can Dream