Sale! Sale! Sale!

I was working on this small, editorial feature about sales shopping while wearing my own sales find: a warm and cosy jumper from Acne AW12 that I've scored at the Harvey Nichols sale. Yupee!

I have unfortunately missed the very first day of sales in Edinburgh as we were away for Christmas so on my first day back I made a bee line for my favourite shop to see what was left. Luckily for my bank account there were not many interesting things available any more, especially that this year I have promised myself that I will be reasonable and stick to THE SALES RULES:

1. Always ask yourself if you would buy it if was full price. Even if it is 75% off it will be wasted money if you do not wear it at all. If necessary try it on several times.

2. Go for items that you were eyeing but that you've dismissed due to a high price tag - well, now it is not so high anymore so...

3. ...so make sure that it fits perfectly or if it does not but you are desperate to buy it, make sure that your tailor will be able to fix it

4. Go for classic pieces that you will be able to wear for many seasons to come or...

5. ...break all the rules and buy what you fancy, something absolutely crazy, something with a bold pattern for example or EXTREMELY high heels!

Lip injection

One of the most scary beauty procedures - lip injection, ouch!

Peplum - the whole set

I was given a task to depict an evolution of a fashionable detail of peplum thoughout decades. It was another fashion feature in an October issue of Twoj Styl magazine. Here it is in full (as my Instagram image posted in a previous post just depicted a detail).

Peplum

I have not decided to get one for myself yet but I have featured it in my latest published illustration - here it is (image via my Instagram):

Are you planning to get some peplum element into your wardrobe?

Polish Red Cross summer first help leaflet

I was honoured to do some illustrations for a first help leaflet for the Polish Red Cross as a part of a summer help series of the Twoj Styl magazine. Here is a small sample - what to do when you burn yourself (pop your burn hand immediately under a cold stream of water!) and how to position a head of an unconscious victim so that they do not suffocate :

No hosepipe ban here...

The Scottish summer usually means drowning not is deep sea waters but rather in rain and...juicy strawberries which seem to thrive in the permanent humidity!  Here is another drawing from my series of summer accidents to avoid this year: drowning.

Coup de soleil...

...nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!

Today on the blog another illustration from my series about dangers of summer holidays for July issue of Twoj STYL magazine, this time a sunburn.

In the blazing sunshine

Wow! I would have never thought I would be writing these words while in Scotland but my, oh my, it is really hot here this week! We are living with our windows wide open and enjoying laying on the grass in the park and working in a blazing sunshine! The red, juicy strawberries and barbacues are all over the place and one has to slather a lot of sunscreen so that to survive whitout lobster's limbs.

Therefore my latest commission was spot on with the timing, with lots of swimming suit cladded gals, sunshine and hot summer dresses in the brief. It is not all about the sea and the Sun though, there are some serious issues in the article that the drawings are illustrating but it is better to be safe than sorry. So do not stay in the sun too much, reapply your sunscreen, hydrate and enjoy your summer while it lasts! I am off to a barbacue now!

I am in the new issue of Twoj Styl Magazine

I know, I know, I am a bit late again with that but the latest issue of Twoj Styl magazine has just reached me from Poland! And my illustration is in it:

New work for a beauty department of Twoj Styl magazine

It was a tricky subject to pull off in style, this one!

The picture editor emailed me about a new commission, stating that this one is not especially attractive as it concernes a foot peel, one that is really thorough so that it leaves your soles baby smooth and delicate for Spring but...it involves some unapetising elements that need to feature in the illustration for the article about a foot therapy called 'callus peel'.

I like a good challenge and after a quick exchange of ideas in our emails I sent this two illustrations which are now published in the April issue of the magazine.

Luckily the other illustration was concerning a sound massage so it was much more picturesque. Here is one of the sketches for the first idea, as you can see, we decided to feature an esthetician in the final version!

How I did it?

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!

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

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

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

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

End of procrastinating

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

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

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

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

The diet plan - continuation

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!