The illustrious illustrator

Penelope's new book

2012-02-18T22:42:00.008Z

Waking up to a package from Amazon equals only to waking up to a bacon sarnie (preferably accompanied by a cup of freshly brewed coffee) courtesy of my husband Simon!

This morning it was the Amazon man. I had to get up for a client meeting anyway so it was quite timely but I had to wait with opening the parcel until I was back home again. And then I have devoured it just like a bacon sarnie!

It is a latest comic from my favourite French dessinatrice Penelope Bagieu. I have started following her blog many, many years ago (even before her first book was even published!) and it is still among my favourites. I have all her books in my home library (adventures of Josephine are my favourites) and this one does not dissapoint either!

I was in Brussels last week and this book was in all shop windows displays of the comic book shops there (of course not a sight of it here, despite an old alliance...) but I have managed to restrain myself as I knew that Simon has already ordered it for me! However I have not managed to restrain that well from the huge amount of Belgian waffles (surprise surprise, the REAL Belgian waffles do not have anything in common with a company of either bacon or maple syrup. Actually my fellow Belgians were really appalled by the whole idea - for them it is whipped cream all the way!).

I have not brought the book but I brought a massive cold. I have recovered now but last several days were quite a struggle for me. I am working on another editorial commission and I hope I will be able to post some more about it soon. Meanwhile - bisous!

From the desktop

2012-01-27T23:33:00.007Z

I have found this image ready to post on the blog on my desktop, somehow I have forgotten all about it! I like the halo that scanning of a wet paper has created.

I am planning to do some illustrations inspired by the Spring collections soon as I am seriously craving Spring by now. I hope it is going to be a bit warmer by the time I will be going to Belgium in the beginning of February. It is just a week work-related trip but I hope it will be fun anyway.
I like the calmness of the home country of Hercules Poirot!

Thoughts (and Images) On Instagram

2012-01-08T15:57:00.004Z

I have too jumped on the iPhone bandwagon, finally.

It was really inevitable - I might not be on Facebook (which according to a good friend of mine is already replacing good old emails echange with its instant messaging) but not being on Twitter really felt like being cutt off from the world. At least that cool part of the world. Part of the world with MacBook Pros under their arms (in Marc by Marc Jacobs covers...) and with white earphones in their ears.

And then I have red Garance Dore's post (on her blog and I like her blog very much as she is one of the not so numerous illustrators who are also exquisite photographers) about her joining the Instagram community.

So I went to check out what it was, this mysterious sounding Instagram. Several hours later I have emerged from the Instagram world because the battery in my iPhone 4 was down to 5% (it has a big screen after all).

Usually I do not do communities. Communities oblige one to be a part of something and I am quite well on my own, thankyouverymuch. As a photographer I have never been on Flickr but the instantaniety of taking pictures with your crappy iPhone camera (have you seen it's performance in low light? Well, get yourself a SlowShutter app, baby) is very alluring. And then there are the filters. Oh dear, these vintage feel filters that will make a cute work of art out of the most awfull picture you have taken. Bliss.

Some people cheat and take the image with their 'proper' cameras, postproduce it and only then let it out to the outer world on their Instagram feed. I do not understand them. It is like esprit d'escalier! The whole appeal is that you take the images right here, right now and share them instantly. The filters reflect your mood at the time and then with one click of a 'share' button - plop, your feelings are out there in a one visual diary.

I like it very much, so in this year expect more of these on this blog!

Follow me @Sylwiassta:

How I did it?

2011-11-21T18:19:00.007Z

I was recently asked a question about how my illustrations come into being.

So I thought it might be interesting to show you an example (based on the illustration from my previous post) how the illustration looks like BEFORE it is being worked on. These are the rough drawings that were sent to the editor so that they could decide if that is what they want.

In the end a pose with some loose hair won and went into the colouring and background adding stage.

All elements are drawn by hand, then scanned and then coloured in the computer:

Oh, I could SO use some of that!

2011-11-12T22:40:00.003Z

I am just back from an extensive trip to Poland and I have already managed to loose my Polish mobile card! What a nuissance, let's update the blog with the latest work (published this month in Twoj Styl magazine) and chant ommmmmmmmmm instead.....

Facial Yoga

2011-10-07T14:03:00.004+01:00

Have you heard about facial yoga? I was really surprised when a beauty editor got in touch about illustrating a feature about these exercises. You are supposed to do lots of funny faces that are going to strenghten your muscles and stop your face from sagging.

Here are some asanas for your face that I prepared for this feature. I will be able to unveil the finished illustration in next couple of weeks.

Lady behind the wheel

2011-09-13T18:06:00.004+01:00

The blog was very quiet for a while and unfotunately will have to stay that way for another while before I will be able to gradually dig myself out from under a pile of previously arranged work (mostly in photography which was recently published in The Financial Times, yay!). So watch this space and for the time being I am posting my latest illustration that has just been published in Twoj Styl magazine this Autumn.

The illustration is about a growing number of female drivers:

A profile of a lady

2011-07-28T16:48:00.002+01:00

A quick post about some latest work that I was preparing recently for an editorial illustration:

Die Illustratorin

2011-07-16T18:43:00.002+01:00

I have recently came accross this short film about Tina Berning's work. I have admired her (from afar of course) work for many years and I hope one day I will be able to achieve a similar quality in my work!

Meanwhile, have a look:

http://youtu.be/gCLei-Nmevc

Glitter thoughts

2011-07-08T00:41:00.003+01:00

All house got covered in red glitter but I am very happy with the result of another mix of photography with some non photographic media:

End of procrastinating

2011-06-16T14:08:00.004+01:00

And back to work again! It will be quite a full on week with a new comission and 3 photoshoots but at least summer sales have started so it is a good reason to avoid spending all my money when things can get even cheaper in next couple of days!

Here is the full illustration that you have seen in bits so far and I am off to look for an eyepatch and painting foil necessary for my tasks in next couple of days (do not ask...). I will better give the Harvey Nichols a wide berth today...

Procrastinating

2011-06-05T19:36:00.004+01:00

I have spent the whole day catching up with my favourite blogs (for the first time in weeks I had the whole day free and without any stress of an imminent deadline!) and making some notes about what to get during upcoming summer sales!

Elizabeth

2011-05-25T15:56:00.004+01:00

The brief for this editorial illustration was mentioning an English queen and I was hoping to be able to draw HM Elizabeth II with her floral dresses and quirky hats but it turned out that the editor ment the very first Elizabeth. And she is only featured in the background of the illustration anyway.

Here we are:

Out of the box

2011-05-23T23:47:00.002+01:00

I think I have to start thinking out of the box - the deadline for this commission is approaching fast!

The diet plan - continuation

2011-05-09T18:16:00.002+01:00

I hope you remember my illustration for a 'diet article' in this month issue of Twoj Styl magazine - here is the final version.

Meanwhile, inspired by my own work (ha!) I went for a jog yesterday (I am recovering today and it is raining heavily anyway) and now I am having some supertasty and healthy Spring food aka the green British asparagus with a fresh organic steamed salmon. So the idea of getting some more physical activity + a better diet is working for me so far!

Husband in a good company

2011-05-04T18:34:00.004+01:00

My husband has two prints for sale at the prestigeous viennese West Licht Photographica Auction! The bidding finishes on 28th of May so go, have a look and buy!

P.S. I had to plaster the images with a watermark so that teenage girls would not post them all over their tumblrs without crediting the photographer, grrrrr...

I like when clients pay promptly

2011-05-04T18:24:00.009+01:00

Proof in the images (paid household bills not displayed) :

- Marc's bag (I have managed to snatch the last one in red at Harvey Nichs)

- COS shirt that required a trip to Glasgow but was a perfect sartirial choice for an important client meeting

- Earl Grey tea from Mariage Freres - my favourite kind of black tea, with milk or without

Fairy tale with knobs on aka The Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T11:37:00.008+01:00

India Knight in the Sunday Times News Review christened todays event as 'a fairytale with knobs on' and I am looking forward to see how Sarah Burton's design works on Princess Kate.

So before I am off to celebrate our extra free day (and my husband goes to get himself a royal wedding sick bag) I am posting this illustration that I did a while ago for the royal engagement. As usual please click on the image to see it much bigger:

Spring dieting

2011-04-21T20:34:00.005+01:00

The Spring has arrived and it is time to do some dieting. I must confess that I have gained a bit of weight over the Scottish Winter and I have even started a gentle running regime to lose the flabby bits that suddenly appeared around my waist. However I still would eat anything what my character has on her 'red list' over what I have included on her 'green' one...

The illustrations were prepared for an article about changing our dieting habits so that to loose weight for good. I would be interested in Tracy Anderson's routine that British press is recommending to speed one's slimming down process but so far a circle around the Meadows will have to do.

As usual - please click on the images to enlarge them:

...and a bit about the decision making

2011-03-24T23:52:00.003Z

Please click on the images to see all the details!

A bit about the stage fright

2011-03-24T23:35:00.004Z

So far I was doing just pretty illustrations for Twoj Styl for their beauty section but to break this 'vanity spell' the picture editor commissioned a set of illustrations for their new 'self-help' feature. The first set is the version of the illustrations that is published with the text about decision-making skills and the current one is about...the stage fright!

It was a very interesting text to read and a very interesting task to illustrate the fear of public speaking. In both cases the illustrations show two stages - before and after:

Breathing excercises in print

2011-03-19T23:45:00.004Z

My illustrations were published in the current issue of Twoj Styl magazine - the next issue contains some more of my drawings in their 'self help / psychology' section:

I would love to feel like that...

2011-02-25T00:54:00.001Z

And this is how you would feel after making a right decision:

Decisions decisions

2011-02-24T20:42:00.006Z

I am rubbish at decisions making.

For example last week I went to spend some of my hard earned cash on some shoes ( a girl always need shoes, right?), I decided to buy them within 2 minutes of wearing them in the shop. Came back home and then decided that well, I do not like them that much after all. And they do not go with any of my skirts ( a classic case of too slim legs combined with too sturdy shoes, I looked like I have stolen them from an older brother that I do not have!). Well, to my disappointment the shop protects itself from such undecided shoppers like me and it turned out that I am not able to get my cash back when returning the shoes, I will get a store credit.

So now I do not have anything nice to wear this early Spring and all my cash is locked in some stupid shop's store credit!

No wonder that when Twoj Styl comissioned me with illustration an article about decision making I knew too well how to prepare the drawings! These are some of the proposals for this commission. Stage one (I seem to be permanently in that stage with my decisions...):

Slimming down

2011-02-18T22:48:00.007Z

The latest illustration for Twoj Styl's beauty section comes bang on time - I have to confess that I have gained some weight over Christmass and from size 8-10 now I have to look into size 10-12. I hope to start some much needed (also for some relax purposes) exercising the moment when weather improves (I hate the gym threadmill and I am scared of all the germs that sweaty human beings leave on the gym equipment - weird, I know!) but this illustration depicts a special machine called Zeltiq, that actually freezes the fat off one's butt (and other flabby bits if necessary)! Looks like some monster from a science fiction movie but apparently it works.

Here are some trial versions I did and soon I will publish the version that the editor has chosen:

Breath in, breath out

2011-02-04T21:13:00.003Z

I was hoping to post my new illustration (for an article about breathing exercises) for Twoj Styl a bit earlier but a sudden bout of flu stopped me in my tracks. So let's breath in deeply and have a look:

New new new!

2011-01-20T21:14:00.010Z

I am back in Edinburgh after my annual trip to Poland.

This year I have failed to buy ANYTHING at the sales though I usually find Polish brands to be very exciting and well priced (hello Simple, hello Solar). Even though my shopping was nonexistant, my stay in Warsaw was pleasant and as usual I have sent out some promos to several Polish magazines - busy bee.

Some editors have already got back to me so we will see how our cooperation is going to be like in 2011! I am extremely excited and about to send out some nice promos to the British mags as well.

Here is a sneak peak of what went into the orange envelopes:

Welcome in 2011!

2011-01-06T23:37:00.004Z

There are big changes coming up during this first week of January 2011 - The Illustrious Illustrator has a new website! Finally, a proper, grown up version of my online portfolio showing my work to it's best. Let's hope that art directors and picture editors will notice...

And after a long while my old header had to be exchanged for a new goggie, but let's not forget the old one which I am posting here -it (kind of) has a sentimental value:

Summary

2010-12-29T00:48:00.005Z

Soon it will be a third year of this blog and I am genuinely surprised what I have managed to achieve throughout all that time!

I have since illustrated a book ( Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt's Petits crimes conjugaux), contributed to numerous fashion websites, got commissions for many features in the biggest Polish glossy magazines and a first solo illustration show in UK!

So no wonder I am looking forward to 2011 - I have so many new ideas, new website is coming up in a matter of days and I hope I will be able to find new exciting clients thanks to it!

See you next year then! Meanwhile I am posting my last image from my horoscope series, Saggitarius (featuring an orange Hermes Leica! Nope, sadly the image is not based on my selfportrait.):

Cougars

2010-12-15T19:56:00.004Z

The latest editorial commission dealt with a winter in a woman's life - the menopause time. It was a difficult task - I wanted to draw an attractive eldery woman ( as I think it is definitely NOT an end of the female attractiveness - just look at all these fab fiftysomethings like Carine Roitfeld or lady Amanda Harlech) with a flame still glowing in her heart, still beaing able to have a fabulous love life. Just in case the art director wanted to have one more cougar and another less cougar option, here are both ladies. This illustration was published in Zwierciadlo magazine:

How to illustrate immortality?

2010-12-06T13:25:00.004Z

Two latest illustrations for an article about immortality... in the internet. As usual please click on the image to see all the details:

Let's start December

2010-12-01T21:02:00.003Z

December started in Scotland with a massive invasion of winter - a blizzard wiped the world white today and should keep me home tomorrow so that I could finally sit down to preparing some Christmas cards for my family, friends and clients - yup, it is this time of the year!

I hope I will have some more time in New Year to pursue my personal work while mentaining a steady flow of ediorial commissions. Watch this space!

A Scorpio girl from my Horoscope series for Twoj Styl:

Back from Paris

2010-11-20T20:33:00.004Z

I went to Paris for several days and now I am slowly accustoming back again to a much slower pace of Edinburgh (I think it must be the metro, throwing one into a frenzy or all these delicious things that my husband and I had there throughout our stay, mostly cheese and crepes Nutella- chocolat!). I have thought that a nice girl toying between a Chanel bag and a Hermes one would be a good illustration of my short trip to the capital of France - the image comes from my horoscope series for the Twoj Styl magazine.

Manicure

2010-11-20T20:23:00.004Z

Since Barry M Nail Paint in 313 and Chanel's Rouge Noir are a staple in my Autumn manicures, it was a pleasure to prepare an illustration for an article in the latest issue of Twoj Styl magazine, talking about the most unusual manicures available on the market. The technique I was asked to illustrate originally comes from Japan and uses a special powder to buff the nails to a shiny perfection.

As usual, please click on the image to see all the details:

Listen to your grandma

2010-10-29T23:58:00.004+01:00

One of my latest illustrations for the series of interviews in Zwierciadlo magazine - this time about support that young women get from women of older generations. My amazing mum sent me a huuuuge parcel with at least a dozen copies of various magazines that feature my work so I will be posting them one after another. Thank you mum!

Btw, speaking of women of older generations - a picture of my mum that I took this Spring in Edinburgh has just been featured on the most amazing blog dedicated to mum all over the world: The Pictures of My Mother. Please click on a link to have a look and read the story!

Familiar face...

2010-10-22T00:59:00.004+01:00

...in Zwierciadlo magazine - they do that to all their collaborators at some point - a mini interview!

Here it is in print:

New Portfolio

2010-10-16T10:32:00.006+01:00

My new portfolio book courtesy of Pina Zingaro and my husband + a completely new design of the website coming in December/January = watch this space!

The only thing is I definitely have to get more sheets!

The Second Virgo girl is a bit late...

2010-10-01T01:37:00.004+01:00

I have honestly thought that September has 31 days so I would have some more time to post my second Virgo girl but to my surprise last month turned out to be one day shorter! I should have better counted my knuckles (you know, this old childhood game where you are counting your knuckles - first knuckle of you right hand is January with 31 days, then the gap between the first and second knuckle is February, then the third knucle is March with 31 days again and so on until December which will be your last knuckle of your left hand with 31 days to come).

To cut long story short here is the cute girl:

September and welcome in the Autumn

2010-09-14T20:55:00.004+01:00

Autumn definitely has arrived and settled now in Edinburgh. I was meeting with friends yesterday at The Spoon Cafe Bistro and one of them looked throught a rainswept window of the cafe and commented: 'Yup, that is us, until at least early May'.

I had to run some errands in the city center for my other company today and the wind broke my umbrella in two. Luckily a Pound Stretcher was nearby (I used to buy sweet and beutiful expensive umbrellas from Harvey Nichols or Jenners but frankly I cannot see the point anymore) so I was able to get a replacement for £3!

The September Lassie has two incarnations; here is the first one of this month's Virgos:

August Girl - already!

2010-08-17T20:46:00.002+01:00

I have no idea how it happened but it is middle of August already! So here is a joyful Leo girl for you now - for me, it is back to work! See you very soon after I have some well deserved rest...

July Girl

2010-07-23T12:11:00.001+01:00

This month's girl in a bigger version:

Oldies but goodies - March Girl in print!

2010-07-18T14:51:00.003+01:00

During my visit in Poland I have managed to take a picture of my illustration for Twoj Styl's Piesces horoscope in a March issue of the mag, that I have not got sent to Scotland for many reasons - finally here it is:

What's on - July edition

2010-07-18T14:39:00.005+01:00

July is traditionally one of the busiest months of the year, when I am desperate to combine work with some much needed summer break. This year I have managed to fly for a short stay in Poland to help my mum with one of her balet events in Lublin (the poster for one of them is here), get involved in a big venue photoshoot and design of their brochure and then do some more illustrations!

I am very happy with the results and here is the latest sneaky peek at the July edition of the Twoj Styl magazine:

Summer has arrived!

2010-06-28T00:09:00.006+01:00

Do you remember THIS post by any chance?

Well, the summer is here - I am wearing sandals and I have been baring my legs in summer dresses the whole week! It has also arrived in a solid, printed version of another set of illustrations published in Twoj Styl magazine in Poland which my dear Mum sent to Scotland. So here we go, please have a look (when you click on the image it will appear bigger):

Hairy girl gets less hairy

2010-06-23T00:11:00.003+01:00

The illustration from the previous post. As usual please click on it to see it bigger!

Long long time ago...

2010-06-22T13:06:00.003+01:00

I am back from Lausanne after exciting several days and even meeting several of my idols! I had a good look at what was available in bd in Fnac and several other bookshops and my favourite choice was a book about Friedrich Nietzsche! However, back to what I was to write about - some new illustrations came out in print in Polish magazines. You might even remember my posts about them from long time ago:

http://theillustriousillustrator.blogspot.com/2010/04/hairy.html

This is just one of them and here is a chosen version in the Twoj Styl magazine:

June Beauties in print

2010-06-14T23:25:00.003+01:00

My fantastic Mum has just sent me another packet with Twoj Styl and my illustrations in that magazine!

Sorry to be absent so often from blogging and drawing but this June is my graduation month and I will be off soon to the opening of my first important group exhibition in Switzerland! More about that here:

http://www.sylwiakowalczyk.com/

Meanwhile - the girls in print:

14 thousand pounds

2010-06-08T00:53:00.003+01:00

If I had that kind of money to spend I would have got David Hockney's lithograph of green palms splashed against a shrimp-pink background from Open Eye Gallery in 34 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh. It was the only print that is left unsold and in my humble oppinion one of the most striking (though a portrait of a troubled Brooke Hopper from 1976 was very impressive as well) ones that feature in this mini exhibition. Go and have a look until Saturday 12th of June!

I used to do quite a lot of lithographs at some point and I wished I had access to the workshop here to do some more, helas! Nothing like that exists in Edinburgh. In case I am wrong, please drop me a line!

http://www.openeyegallery.co.uk/

June beauties

2010-06-06T23:56:00.004+01:00

A surprising heatweave was scalding Scotland for several days last week so I took the opportunity to slack a little bit with work and go to the beach with friends instead. They brought wetsuits and went for a swim while I aimed at a perfect Vettriano pose on the windswept shore scoffing some tasty barbaque.

We had tons of fun so now when it is raining I need to post a latest horoscope illustration for Twoj Styl's June issue - the Gemini:

May girl in print

2010-05-28T13:31:00.003+01:00

Windmill in print

2010-05-25T01:32:00.002+01:00

Windmill

2010-05-20T10:45:00.003+01:00

Still in my pyjamas - I am working on a new illustration for Zwierciadlo magazine! Meanwhile I post my latest work published there last month - a copy of the magazine is on its way to me by post so fairly soon I will be able to show you how it came out in print!

May girl in a slightly naughtier version

2010-05-19T17:16:00.002+01:00

May Girl actually had a different version originally, which I have toned down a bit - I gave up on the idea of a bull-piercing. I decided not to present her with a fringe either as she might have looked too much like a Highland Coo!

I just would like to announce that I have finally graduated after two years of MFA in the Edinburgh College of Art so now I will have some time to sit down and do some new promotional work!

Monsieur Chopin - the poster

2010-05-11T00:05:00.003+01:00

When visiting Lennoxlove castle I saw a piano on which Chopin used to play during his visit in Scotland. This trip actually turned out to be a straw that broke the camel's (or rather composer's) back - he could not stand the climate and...Scottish ladies who were trying to convert him to the Church of Scotland!

And this is how the poster is going to look like (as usual, please click to see it bigger!)

Monsieur Chopin

2010-05-10T23:50:00.004+01:00

One of the recent books that I have read is Chopin Prince of the Romantics by Adam Zamoyski so I was more than thrilled with a commision of designing (and illustrating) a poster for a dance performance by The Lublin Ballet Trust young dancers. They will be performing to Chopin's pieces but some of the dances will be definitely with a very modern twist. Funny how I have always considered Chopin to be a boring and too sweet but now when I actually do not have to play piano anymore, I find him to be very intelligent and powerful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNIK1yaKr_4&feature=related

May girl

2010-05-08T18:53:00.003+01:00

Another month, another beauty - this one is published in the May issue of Twoj Styl magazine:

Hairy

2010-04-21T22:38:00.003+01:00

Another apetising summer subject - unwanted hair. A third illustration from my series is published in the April issue of Twoj Styl magazine beauty section!

I have succumbed...

2010-04-10T00:21:00.003+01:00

and with a first day of Spring (unusual, I know!) I went and bought a tube of Perfectslim...

Here is the illustration in print:

The April girl in print

2010-04-07T17:45:00.002+01:00

April Girl

2010-04-04T23:12:00.003+01:00

A familiar face for Spring!

Naughty Bunny

2010-04-02T20:41:00.003+01:00

So that all these chocolate eggs and bunnies would not gather in the area of your hips...

No more dimples

2010-03-31T21:53:00.006+01:00

There were several manic days in our household lately as I was trying to finish all the rest of the Horoscope images for Twoj Styl before the end of the month and also my mum came from Poland for an Easter break visit.

I must be mad but I like to work on several commissions at once as it keeps me focused so much more! The only downside is not enough sleep, much less socialising and no time for any Spring shopping at all!

The latest published illustration is for a beauty article about cosmetic procedures which allow women to get rid of unwanted dimples - these dimples in female tighs and butt which us, girls consider not at all cute: a much dreaded cellulite. Definitely to be get rid of before summer!

P.S. My new haircut did not work exactly the way I wanted but it is a story for a different kind of illustration - definitely a less glamorous one...

Lace

2010-03-17T21:43:00.003Z

Somehow lace is not my kind of thing in fashion - I am more drawn to what Phoebe Philo does for Celine. The more I was surprised that that lacy illustration still works for me even though a magazine decided not to use it in the end. Click on the illustration please, to see it much bigger!

A windy day

2010-03-14T21:34:00.003Z

A Scottish Spring is extremely windy! No chance for a nice hairstyle today. Btw I have got finally my appointment for a haircut, it has to be something a la Kate Lanphear or nothing!

While I am at it...

2010-03-13T23:48:00.004Z

I am currently working on a new commission for the magazine, so it would ne nice to show you the illustration featured in the current issue of Zwierciadlo magazine. This time it is about consolation and finding strength in ourselves to fight with a crisis - hence the idea of two 'selves':

P.S. My mum very kindly took some photos of the printed work on her mobile so I am posting it even though the quality is not the best...Sorry! I will take proper pictures when my copy of the magazine raches me - for now, just a little sneak peak to give you an idea how it came in print:

March girl

2010-03-07T22:34:00.004Z

There is a girl that I have forgotten to show you - Pisces girl drawn for Twoj Styl's horoscope, published in the March issue of the magazine. My Mum is coming for a visit in couple of weeks so she will bring the whole stack of Polish magazines for me - cannot wait!

How it looks in print

2010-03-03T23:39:00.008Z

I need some advice about storage of all the multiple copies of magazines that are publishing my illustrations. I guess the easiest way would be to scan all the pages and have them all as pdfs or tiffs. I will also have to invest in a new portfolio case as the old A3 one is way to bulky to store them and not to mention that it is very awkward to carry - I remember too well struggling with it in depths of a Polish winter and at the height of London summer. And apart from all that I definitely need a haircut!
Note that the illustration was used twice - once to illustrate the article, the second time to open the chapter. It makes me wonder should I have been paid twice?

A wise redirecting

2010-02-28T16:41:00.005Z

My biggest follower aka my mum sent me this week a January copy of Zwierciadlo Magazine (I made a short post about it before , in November 2009) with my illustration to an article about strong female leaders who manage to redirect their talents into new directions, especially under a current economic climate.

This time I tried to use a different than usual technique of drawing and worked with ink, pen and watercolour. As usual, please click on the illustration to see it bigger!

I will post soon about how (nicely) the illustration was used in the layout of the magazine. Meanwhile enjoy the one which was chosen to illustrate the inteview with a psychoterapist Tanna Jakubowicz-Mount:

February girl

2010-02-18T19:38:00.003Z

Winter is still holding strong so here is a girl for February - in a sherling jacket. Sleeveless though - we are in Scotland after all. Girls here are not affraid to get a wee bit cold to show off an outfit!

The Illustrious Illustrator Talks

2010-02-15T22:48:00.003Z

15th February, Monday 5 pm, Lecture Theatre, Hunter Building, Edinburgh College of Art!

EDIT: It was stressfull but fun! Thank you all who came to hear me talking about my work!

Aqua

2010-02-07T16:49:00.007Z

Another Aquarius for my horoscope series in Twoj Styl magazine:

Happy Birthday!

2010-02-04T00:39:00.002Z

One of my favourite illustrators, Norman Rockewll was born on 3rd of February, he must be an Aquarius like me!

An illustration for Twoj Styl's horoscope feature:

Reading time!

2010-01-29T19:24:00.003Z

Look what I have got! A spectacular book with a very wise and to the point preface by David Hockney. He confirmed a conclusion we have reached with some other illustrators - friends: if you cannot draw you are an artist. If you can - you are an illustrator. You are also hanging there in a limbo between graduating from an art school and actually making a living.

Have a great weekend! There are some more fashiony collaborations on the horizon for next couple of months!

Now I am off to do some Friday evening socialising (hence the Chanel varnish!) Yay!

Capricorn girl in print

2010-01-27T23:25:00.002Z

Capricorn girl

2010-01-26T22:37:00.003Z

With Capricorn up it is time to feature a little illustration that I did for a horoscope feature in Twoj Styl magazine:

Ah well...

2010-01-21T22:45:00.002Z

Some of the commissions are ment not to happen. I still like the drawing though! Please click on it to see the reaction of pigeons:

My birthday is coming up!

2010-01-20T14:46:00.003Z

The best part of the winter is approaching - my birthday! I will be celebrating probably all week long though as my husband's bday is 2 days after mine!

Some drawings of Aquariuses for Twoj Styl's horoscope:

Summer will come...soon

2010-01-15T00:21:00.006Z

Another set of illustrations for Twoj Styl magazine in Poland. Some more girly stuff about beauty preparations that we should start now for the summer. Do you recoginise the girl from my sketch?

January girl

2010-01-13T22:39:00.003Z

All I need is a bikini and some free time in Bahamas... Soon I will show you the whole set of latest editorial illustrations this drawing comes from!

Insides of the star

2010-01-10T14:16:00.003Z

A detail of the back of the cover:

Under a bright, happy star

2010-01-10T14:03:00.003Z

The cover in flesh (but without flash...). More info in the publisher's website HERE.

A new cover

2010-01-03T23:12:00.013Z

The production started in August so that after several versions a cover for a selection of Christmas short stories by top Polish writers was published in two versions - silver and gold. When I rushed to get it while in Kraków, in two bookshops I was told that it was sold out! A silver version was on display in Znak's own bookshop but the place was closed for Christmas so I had to get it somewhere elese ( I got a gold version and I promise to show it to you soon).

The ribbon is actually a photograph! The stars were designed in Illustrator and are based on folk christmas tree decorations.

Fluttering eyelashes

2010-01-01T17:54:00.001Z

Entre nous

2009-12-29T01:09:00.004Z

I am back from my visit in Poland! Every time when I arrive in Warszawa I direct my first steps to Miedzy Nami Cafe for their delicious food and friendly atmosphere. At the airport I bought a January issue of Twoj Styl with my latest illustration for an article about...lash extensions!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-13T23:54:00.004Z

I am going to spend Christmas in Poland this year, this time my trip is for more than just three days. I am going to visit my friends in Warsaw, stay with my mum for a week and fly back from Krakow just in time for Hogmanay.

A very Merry Christmas to all of you from The Illustrious Illustrator!

Interviewed!

2009-12-09T00:41:00.004Z

I came across a very well written Polish fashion blog Fashion My Passion whose writer, Ania has a section there about fashion illustration. I have dropped her a short email (ah well, shameful selfpromotion but one has to find people somehow!) and the result of our correspondance is a short interview with me published on her blog this Monday. It features some of my favourites fahion illlustrations I did last year.

Thank you Ania for this very nice experience! It is always a pleaure to talk a little bit about Paris :) When I get my hands on these Chloe shoes I will definitely draw them!

http://fashionmypassionash.blox.pl/html

December girl

2009-12-01T22:02:00.003Z

St Andrew's Girl

2009-11-30T22:32:00.001Z

Last one this November:

All year in Zwierciadlo magazine

2009-11-30T20:53:00.006Z

I got a very nice offer from Zwierciadlo magazine (a Polish glossy magazine directed at readers interested in psychology) to prepare a series of illustrations for one of their ongoing series of interviews. This particular series is going to be featured in next 12 issues so my illustrations are going to be present in the magazine throughout all of next year! The first one for which I have prepared a drawing deals with the subject of female leaders, women who leave their past lifes to start a new career for example.

Here is one of the proposals , another one got chosen by the editors so I will post it when I get a copy of a magazine.

Glamourous eyelashes for Twoj Styl

2009-11-24T17:39:00.014Z

I got luckily inundated with new commissions this month so my blog had to go into a minihiatus but I am back again and you can see now what I was working on during last couple of weeks.

I must say that like doing these very feminine illustrations for big glossies because the whole challenge lies in delivering the material as beautiful and as effortless looking as possible. Think Rene Gruau, think David Downtown, think Tina Berning.

P.S. Just to balance things out I also got commissioned to do a series of illustration on some more serious subject than ways of achieving super long eyelashes. However it of course depends where your priorities are. I like the balance between important and girly. So I will post these other illustrations later also because editors still have to make their decisions.

P.S.2 I am reading at the moment a brilliant comic novel 'Gemma Bovery' by Posy Simmonds. The main caracter is a girl illustrator.

Rest of my beauty illustrations

2009-11-12T22:25:00.005Z

Here are some of the illustrations which were not used in the publication.

Beauty in the internet - a close up

2009-11-03T14:50:00.002Z

Please do click on the image to see it bigger!

Beauty in the internet

2009-11-03T14:44:00.006Z

I am myself an avid reader of beauty products reviews in the internet so it was a real fun to be commissioned to illustrate an article about this subject. My copy of the magazine has just arrived in the post, managed to squeeze past the postal strike.

Dea with poppies

2009-10-24T21:52:00.004+01:00

My friend Dea, a supertalented violinist from Berlin, who very patiently posed for my portrait project and now has been turned into one more attempt of mine of combining my photograph and drawing. My previous attempt is here.

Next week I am again completely piled with work. Yay!

Kak mag

2009-10-19T00:40:00.005+01:00

Every husband should bring his wife a nice gift on the way back from a business trip. In case of a graphic designer/ illustrator/ photographer wife the best solution is to bring a coveted Russian design magazine that is impossible to buy in UK!

I came across KAK magazine years ago when a friend (who is one of the people in charge of a Polish magazine of similar profile 2+3d) asked for its latest issue to be lugged from Moscow. Kak is not exactly the easiest publication to get hold of, it is usually available from museum's bookshops and these were not omnipresent in Moscow ten years ago! His issue is probably a collector one by now!

I am going to flick through the images in the magazine as my Russian is very basic, I can barely decipher the letters and even that takes awfully long time (Simon might just oh so kindly translate some titles for me as his Russian is fluent after years of living in Russia). I am also going to stroke the clouds on one of the covers as they are made of a nice, suedy material, extremely pleasant to the touch! No wonder that some issues of this magazine can cost up to £20!

Oh, I did get some gorgeous perfumes from the duty free too!

Beauty on line

2009-10-16T17:56:00.003+01:00

Another illustration comissioned by Twoj Styl magazine came out this week in their November issue. Cannot wait to see it in print!

Posessions

2009-10-08T20:27:00.003+01:00

Last one from the series - it depicts a story about marrying a wealthy, older man. Something that I sort of did, especially if you skip on the 'wealthy' bit!

Love and business

2009-10-08T20:24:00.002+01:00

Yes, I do work in the same business as my husband. It is great to cooperate with someone who does not need... words to communicate! I have learnt a lot throughout all those years of working together.

Real wifey

2009-10-08T20:20:00.004+01:00

Actually I hate when my husband calls me that but I love cooking for him. He is away on his photographic assignment in Russia for next couple of weeks so I will have to do the dishes myself. Again - I simply had to put a dog in the drawing somewhere!

(Future) Bride in waiting

2009-10-08T20:16:00.002+01:00

A little inquisitive dog and bride's shoes make this illustration my favourite of the series.