I can finally reveal that this illustration is a Mother’s day gift. While I’d gotten input on the sketch from my Mom earlier, I didn’t tell her until Mother’s day that the illustration was a custom gift for her. Kind of sneaky, but it worked out well for me! She said the lady kind of reminds her of Belle, from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I kind of see it, but it was completely unintentional. I used the bright blue because it’s my Mom’s favourite colour 🙂
I’ve been making some changes since the image showed above, based on my Mom’s preferences. She’s pretty happy with it so far, I just have some minor changes to make. When it’s done, I’m going to get it printed large so she can hang it on a wall. She’s had art from me on the wall before, but nothing this detailed. I’m glad to give her something really nice and finished that she can display.
Changes I’ve made since include a different pattern on the ground (I switched it to a multi-coloured tile), the removal of the steps in the back, and the addition of some plants. The finished piece is viewable in this post.
My Mom enjoys Regency romance novels, so I used a little Regency inspiration for the clothing. The earlier changes to the sleeves and gloves were based on that. Obviously the bodice is completely wrong for Regency, as the dresses in that time had a vertical emphasis and often an empire waist line. For personal work, I tend to design fashion in a very eclectic way. I like using a particular period as a point of inspiration and then going beyond that and creating something unique, instead of creating something random. It’s a nice change, and I like to encourage myself to experiment.
I should say that I’m defining fashion design rather loosely here. I’m drawing clothing, but I wouldn’t know where to begin to physically create some of the more complicated pieces. Basic mending is about all I can do with a needle and thread. I would definitely be intrigued if someone felt inspired enough to attempt creating any of the clothing that I’ve drawn in my personal projects.
I hope you like the image so far 🙂