Recent Work / Chow Sang Sang - Part I

A few months ago I got to work on a super exciting project for Chow Sang Sang, a huge jewelry company here in Hong Kong. They asked me to illustrate the invitation for their 80th Anniversary Event.

The marketing manager for the company had seen my work through a mutual contact's social media and reached out to me. Yay, finally my hours of aimless internetting are paying off - MOMMMMMM!

The idea was to showcase their new line by using an illustrated model and photos of the real jewelry. This would also give the client more flexibility if they wanted to change up the pieces to be featured. 

Here are the initial pencil roughs for the project, I really liked the last sketch with the gemstone background, but the client ended up going with Sketch A with a more mature vibe that's more in line with their market and with a more versatile single colour background.

And good thing as the event ended up having to be reorganized - as the original event was centered around a yellow diamond that was being flown in especially for the event but due to traffic restrictions from Occupy Central (solidarity!) the date and theme had to be changed. So pretty white pearls it was instead.

Close up of the hand-drawn logo I did for the event illustration. I love hand drawing logos and lettering for illustrations that I make, it's a small detail that really unifies the image - plus picking fonts is literally the bane of my existence.

This was such an amazing project to work on, thanks so much to Chow Sang Sang and their amazing team for their support! And I hope their guest really enjoyed opening up this lovely piece of mail with my illustrated girl in it.

Stay tuned for Part II of my collaboration with Chow Sang Sang! That blog post is coming up next week.

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Live Drawing / Marks & Spencer

Last month I got a super exciting chance to create an original illustration for Marks & Spencer! I love M&S, when I was in England this summer I stocked up on so many pairs black tights and comfy-cute bras. Plus they're so nice there, whenever I stop by the stores here in Hong Kong they always call me ma'am, I into that.

Located in Lanson Hotel in Causeway Bay, M&S hosted the press event to present their A/W 2014 collection and to celebrate their first time presenting at London Fashion Week. This was the first time I've ever been outfitted by a brand for their event, it was so much fun to pick out an outfit with the M&S team, after many maybe outfits I finally chose a body hugging mid-calf Per Una dress in a red and black geometric print paired with gold and silver accessories. I love how the dress is super comfy (girrrl, I gotta werk!) has a qi-pao vibe because of the length but it's still super modern because of the print and stretch knit fabric.

READ ON to see more photos of the event and my live illustrations.

Recent Work / Tod's x BagaholicBoy Goes to Milan

A few months ago Bagaholic Boy asked me to create a few illustrations for him to celebrate his upcomping trip to attend the Tod's runway show in Milan. Such a fun job, although I've never been to Italy before (I did work in an Italian restaurant during university, ciao Giovanna!) I have eaten a lot of pasta. I did some research and went on a little sightseeing tour of Milan on the interwebs and found the landmarks that were most representative of the city. I finally settled on the Arc of Peace, the Arco della Pac at "Porta Sempione".

I almost never draw architeture so this was a fun challenge, notice the bronze goddess at the top riding in her chariot with the little D-Cube Micro Bowler in the crook of her arm. They seeeeeee her rollin' they hatin' (even in Ancient Greece Chamillionaire is relevant).

Tod's D-Cube Shopping Bags

Tod's D-Cube Micro Bowler

Recent Work / RSVP

My newest illustration for Hong Kong Tatler: "Is the RSVP a Dying Art?". Drawn in ballpoint pen and coloured digitally. I just have a total soft spot for the colour pink right now, especially a cool and crisp shade like this one.

Read the article here. As always thanks to the editor Charmaine!

Live Drawing / Guest Artist at Lane Crawford

I'm so excited to share that I was invited by Lane Crawford to be one of their live drawing artist for the Global Traveller in store event last month. They had three artist working at each of their Hong Kong locations, Cary Kwok at IFC, who's work I was really inspired by after seeing it at ARTHK11 and Telephone Fung at Times Square, Causeway Bay. It was surreal to see one of my illustrations blown up as a life-size backdrop for this job!

For three days I was set up at the Canton Rd. store doing quick 5 minute live portraits for guests of the event. How can you top a temporary studio inside Lane Crawford? Surrounded by a bucket of drawing utensils, glamorous people, the latest collections, amazing soundtrack and an endless stream of sparkling water (gelato and bubbly too!), I felt spoiled! 

The theme of the illustration was 'Front Row' the idea being that the guest would be sketched sitting next to some of the fashion greats, Grace Coddington, Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, his little kitty Choupette and Anna Della Russo. I also wanted to feature an Asian star so who better than Fan Bing Bing? Who is known for her otherworldly beauty and out of this world fashion choices.

Click through to see the rest of the image heavy post and photos from the three day event.

Recent Work / Food x Fashion Illustrations for Hong Kong Tatler

I just finished the latest illustration for the Food Pulse series for Hong Kong Tatler Dining. All about where fashion and food intersect, I was commissioned to illustrate the series featuring food trends in the city. This week's it's all about craft breweries in the city and the last one, on the rise of the 'bao' appeared in the January print issue of Hong Kong Tatler magazine.

There's more baos to be had, 3 more to be exact. Head on over to the Tatler website to see the rest of the illustrations. Click here for The Food Pulse: Bao. And here to read The Food Pulse: Craft Beer.

Thank you so much to the editor Charmaine!

Recent Work / Dinner Party Seating Arrangements for Hong Kong Tatler

A simple, bright, clean illustration for an new article from Hong Kong Tatler on whether couples should be split or sat together at dinner parties? The illustration was inked in ballpoint pen (Stabilo Liner 808 F, naturally) and coloured digitally.

I'm for split in case you were wondering, dinner parties are for meeting new people! What do you guys think? Separate or together? Also, invite me to dinner parties you fancy pants!

Read the article here.

As always, thanks to the wonderful editor Charmaine.

Recent Work / Three Beautiful Foodies for Bakker's Bites

Food and fashion makes the perfect pair, except maybe really high fashion types who would never be caught dead doing something so base as eating but that's not the case here in Hong Kong, a city that loves food. Last week I got to collaborate with model, writer and food blogger Li Meng on an illustration for her blog Bakker's Bites' 3rd birthday.

The three illustrated girl is modelled after Li Meng herself, and each represents a different area she covers on her food blog: Western dining, Chinese cuisine and of course the best tipples in town. Click through for a sneak peek of the drafts after the jump.

Recent Work / Into the Mild: Canadian Holiday Fashion Comic for National Post.

One of my resolutions in 2013 was to get one of my illustrations published in print and last week just before the year was over I reached that goal. My holiday fashion comics feature with the National Post's Weekend Style came out on Sunday and I was so nervous!

Head on to the National Post to read the full comic.

I had never been commissioned by a newspaper before but not only that, the feature was huge, 3 pages! It even got a little mention on the front page of the paper! I still haven't seen it in person yet, waiting with bated breath and I think I might just very blissfully pass out soon.

Thanks for the snap Markus!

The comic was to be a fun illustrated holiday special featuring all the biggest trends and pieces from Canadian fashion this past year, Hudson's Bay x Converse crossover sneakers, Jeremy Laing, that Mercy camo sweatshirt dress, Beaufille and Roots mukluks amongst others. The editor had seen my previous fashion comic for Dazed and loved the format. The idea we came up with was a group of Canadian fashion-philes go cabining in Banff for the weekend and get stranded.

Probably my favourite panel is of the girls moose hunting, the girl in the camo dress we just get each other. Head over to the National Post site to view the online version. Huge thanks to the editor and fashion director Nathalie Atkinson!

Click through to see a snippet of my drafts.

Recent Work / Burberry SS14 Predictions for Bagaholic Boy

Just a quick update on my most recent project for the Singapore fashion blog Bagaholic Boy, he's going to London for the Spring-Summer 2014 Womens Burberry Prorsum show and to celebrate he invited three illustrators: Olga the Cat creator Ridhwan Sesapar, HsulynnPang and yours truly to predict what might be shown on the runways this season.

Bagaholic Boy asked us to predict the show using the men's collection so I wanted to create an ideal Burberry girl and have her wardrobe match her boyfriend's SS14 look. And being the ideal Burberry couple they would even own a dog named Prossy (adopted of course, named after Burberry Prossum), a collie just like the one from the ad campaigns.

Thanks so much for the fun project Alvin!

To read more about it and to see the other wonderful illustrations from the projects check out BagaholicBoy's post.

Recent Work / Food Waste Illustration for Hong Kong Tatler

Just a quick little update on my first and newest illustration for HongKongTatler.com! The illo was for an article about food waste in the city and is written by the amazing Janice Leung Hayes AKA e*Ting. I was super excited to work on this because hello Tatler! And also because I love promoting/living life as a composting hippie. Thank you so much to the editor Charmaine for the opportunity! You can read the article here.

Some drafts and process shots. Enjoy! And I also made this little Instagram video on how I did the collaged dishes.

Recent Work / Burberry Duffles for Bagaholic Boy Illustration Process

Happy Friday guys! Just a quick little post on my new illustration I did for BagahohlicBoy.com this week of Burberry's Duffel bags and small pouches from their Men's S/S 2014 runway show. They come in 12 delicious candy colours and were very yummy to illustrate. 

Here's a little peek into the process, the approval sketches on the left and a process shot on the right. I painted these in gouache and outlined with a bit of pencil. I just love using gouache now, the even flat slightly opaque washes of colour you get using it thinned with water.

Who would have guessed I would grow to love gouache so much, we were forced to use it every week back in first year university in our Colour and Design class and we all pined for streak free acrylic then. I didn't use gouache for a really long time mainly out of resentment, but I'm so happy to have rediscovered it this year. And actually, I kind of hate acrylics now, it looks a little plasticy and I think clean up is annoying with it since it dries so quickly on the palette. I don't like having to squeeze it fresh out of the tube every time.

What's your favourite mediums to paint with? I've been wanting to get these Caran d'Ache NeoColor Watersoluble Wax Pastels after I saw this Urban Sketchers Berlin post.

Read the BagaholicBoy post on the Burberry Prorsum Duffel bags here. And thank you so much to Alvin for the commission, always a pleasure working with you!

Recent Work / Anya Hindmarch portrait process for Bagaholicboy

Last week I was really excited when Alvin aka BagaholicBoy, a super popular luxury handbag blog based in Singapore emailed me after seeing my Art | Basel streetstyle sketches on TheWanderlister+ asking to work together. He had done an interview with UK handbag designer extraordinaire Anya Hindmarch and wanted to commission a portrait to give the post an unique edge. I really admire  people like Alvin who puts such attention to detail to what they do, a blog post with a custom illustration, that's dedication, you can see why his site is so well read.

After researching reference images of Anya, I started by doing a round of sketches, I've been doing all my roughs lately with this water brush. It's so handy for quick sketches, since it's always filled with water I don't even have to go into the kitchen to get a water cup, I just grab it from my pen holder and go.

For this particular illustration I used gouache thinned down with water to a watercolour consistency. I find using gouache this way scans better than watercolour but has a similar look, so I've been using it more for works that will be seen digitally only.

Some other variations we tried with Anya, without a background and different styles of colouring in the shirts. I like to call this one 2 Anyas, like you know, Andy Warhol.

For the wording on the final image I used a Conte lever-action dip pen from a set that I picked up on a whim at an art supply store in Mong Kok. I've been obsessed with hand lettering lately, as you might have noticed from the ZigWisdom drawings I've been doing.

Hope you like it! And thank you so much to Alvin for contacting me for this fun job! We'll hopefully be doing a series of these so keep your fingers crossed for us. You can read the interview here on BagaholicBoy.com.

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