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Oct
19

Improving as an Illustrator

  • Posted By : Nicole Candeloro/
  • 1 comments /
  • Under : Art, Design, Fashion, Fashion Illustration, Illustration, Inspiration, Motivation

Progress is Possible…

About a year ago, I never knew people would be coming to me to illustrate photos of themselves and their loved ones, wanting me to live-sketch at their wedding or wanting to feature my sketches on their brand packaging. I look back at older illustrations I did and wonder how I even possibly got to where I am now.

2009 vs 2018:

  • Original fashion sketches by Nicole Candeloro, 2009
  • Detailed Fashion Illustration by Nicole Candeloro, NGC Illustrations

In saying that, I believe learning is continuous, and I still truly have a long way to go. Admittedly, it doesn’t quite help that I’ve had to take a break from illustrating to focus on completing my Fashion Design course for this entire year. However, they do say “absence makes the heart grow fonder” and I feel that taking this step back from illustrating has truly brought to light the importance of being persistent in your passion.

Whilst I’ve never been interested in creating hyper-realistic (photo-like) drawings, I did find that when illustrated people continuously, my eye naturally started to become attuned to finer nuances, and I developed a more astute eye-for-detail. It very much became instinctive to identify shapes, lines and colours. I can only imagine how much more this would develop with more conscious creativity over time. Why conscious? It comes back to the saying “practice makes perfect.” This isn’t entirely true. A teacher of mine many years ago claimed that, actually, “perfect practice makes perfect.” Whilst perfection isn’t actually possible, I do feel it is important to try and consciously be aware of what kind of shapes you are replicating, what kind of lines you are following, what colour tones you are using, etc, therefore honing your skills.

Something I find useful in improving shape replication (e.g. head shapes and facial features) is to lightly trace over (with your finger) the part of the reference photo or image you are about to draw. You can do this either over a screen (e.g. computer) or from a printed image, for instance. I find this uses a kind of muscle-memory which helps you better understand the movement and create an accurate silhouette. Please note: although this advice is useful in illustrating from a pre-existing image, I believe that other times, complete freedom in creativity is incredibly enjoyable and much needed!

Meditative Doodles, Nicole Candeloro, 2013

Another important method of improving as an illustrator is to look at other artists’ and illustrators’ work for inspiration. If illustrating is something you are interested in or passionate about, this is something you likely already do without any encouragement! This is something I was doing before I even knew I was capable of turning it into a business, because I merely found it enjoyable. I would scroll through illustration accounts on Instagram, such as @hnicholsillustration, and feel incredibly awe-inspired by her cute and gorgeous fashion illustrations, each having her distinct style.

“Draw This In Your Style Challenge”  (Mine: left) (Holly Nichols: Right)

It’s vital to take mental notes of how your favourite artists do what they do. Spend the time to watch tutorials or even just videos of them in action, again being conscious as to the how. In my experience, upon sleeping on it, some of the techniques tend to subconsciously store themselves into my mind, ready to be exercised and improved at a later date! I want to mention, it’s wonderful to aspire to create like other creators, but to copy the original work of another artist is a huge no-no, and it’s something I’ve always made an effort to avoid, and to inform others about.

What do you think of my progress from the start til now? In which ways do you feel you need to improve as an illustrator? Leave your thoughts or comments below!

Nicole

xx

Insta: @ngcillustrations 

Facebook: NGC Illustrations


Jul
19

Tools of the Trade: Personal Picks

  • Posted By : Nicole Candeloro/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Art, Design, Fashion, Fashion Illustration, Illustration, Image, Inspiration

NGC Illustrations’ Favourite Art Tools…

In the age of digital everything…no one still uses good old fashioned art supplies, right? Wrong! I do. I’m quite aware of the increase in artists using iPads and tablets with cool apps such as Procreate, and I kind of wish I could say I am an expert of both the digital and hand-crafting realms, but alas, not yet!

My favourite tools by far are Copic Markers. They are high quality, alcohol-based, blendable markers which look seamless when used correctly. I use these Japanese markers for almost all my fashion illustrations, occasionally mixing it up with other art mediums such as watercolour or acrylic paints. I also use copic multiliners in various sizes, with a tiny nib of 0.03 and 0.05 being perfect for small details on facial features such as eyelashes. I sometimes use coloured pencils for more textured areas such as hair, or a white pencil or gel pen to create highlights, for instance. I also prefer to use a light lead pacer (clicky) pencil rather than a regular sharpening pencil, as the lines are more consistent in width and boldness.

My Copic collection so far, including: Copic Sketch, Ciao and Original Markers and multi-liners

I absolutely love the X-Press It blending card in conjunction with the Copic products. This card is incredibly high quality and is specifically designed to be able to blend markers effectively. The ‘X-press it’ card is available in a range of sizes and is also acid free and archival, meaning it will last a veeeeery long time – making it the ideal paper for clients to frame and treasure for a lifetime!

  • NGC Illustrations work in progress
  • Self-Portrait Cleopatra by NGC Illustrations, using Copic Markers and mixed media on X-press it blending card

Maybe one day I’ll ease my way into the world of digital drawing, but for now, I find putting a real pen to paper really fulfilling, meditative even. There is something to be said about being able to see the ink escaping the nib of the marker and observing its colour transport onto the paper. I also love the feeling of the textures, and the sense of control when hand-drawing.

Have you tried copic markers before? Which tools do you like to create with? Leave your recommendations in the comments below,

Nicole

xx

Insta: @ngcillustrations 

Facebook: NGC Illustrations


Feb
05

Art Meets The Big Apple

  • Posted By : Nicole Candeloro/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Art, Business, Design, Fashion, Fashion Illustration, Illustration, Inspiration, Photography, Travel

My Trip to New York City with My Illustrated Friend, ‘Miss Liberty’

All photos taken by the author: Nicole Candeloro

Hey Y’all!

So after spending about 3 months in “the Peach state” of Georgia in Southern USA, I’ve finally trekked over to “the Big Apple” – New York City. Otherwise known as “the city that never sleeps”, although I sure proved them wrong (because I slept there, hehe!)

Not so Sleepless in Seattle! (Myself in hotel room in Manhattan).

I stayed in a Pod hotel in Manhattan and saw the places and did the things you’re meant to in NYC. Including: visiting the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art, Upper West Side, eating at Zabar’s, taking subways, eating New York pizzas and sandwiches, seeing Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, seeing the oh so colourful and busy Times Square, walking through Central Park and shopping in Fifth Avenue, the fashion street. My good friend ‘Miss Liberty’ shared all these experiences with me, sporting an apple pinafore which I designed just for her.

This (and more) was all squeezed into a few days, so it’s safe to say my feet hurt after all that! I even travelled on a ferry during the night, to see the Statue of Liberty up close, from the perspective of a true New Yorker just travelling by (without going on a pricey sightseeing tour).

I’ve heard it’s very expensive to live in the “Big Apple”, with people working up to 60 or 80 hours a week. It’s no wonder many of the people would do anything to make a buck, with people dressed in heavy costumes in Times Square, on the hottest of days, to pinch a penny from tourists wanting photo opportunities with them.

In that way, I feel I was blessed to have visited rather than live there. What is the point in working so hard to live in an amazing city that’s always bustling if you never get to join in on the fun because you’re always working? It’s ironic, isn’t it? One thing is for sure, I would definitely visit this exciting, multi-faceted city again.

Myself and ‘Miss Liberty’ outside the Chelsea Markets, NYC

Next on the bucket list: Europe.

Have you been to NYC or anywhere in the USA? Do you live there? Where would you like to see one of my illustrations visit next? Leave your thoughts or ideas in the comments below!

Until next time,

Nicole.

xx

Insta: @ngcillustrations 

Facebook: NGC Illustrations


Jan
25

Illustration Inspiration

  • Posted By : Nicole Candeloro/
  • 0 comments /
  • Under : Art, Design, Fashion, Fashion Illustration, Illustration, Image, Inspiration, Motivation

Thoughts on the where and how of gathering inspiration.

Ahh, the age old question…Where does one find inspiration? Better still, one might ask themselves whether or not to wait around for inspiration to appear or to just, create? As someone who has delved heavily into the realm of personality typology, a small part of me wants to tell you that whether you create art spontaneously or deliberately, will depend on your individual personality. However, I truly believe we are more often than not subconsciously inspired by something at all times. So, often, the best way to create something is to do just that: create. How? Just begin. I find that the ‘flow’ and ideas tends to align and multiply once you become entrenched in what you are doing.

Recently, my mum received a bouquet of flowers for her birthday.

Without being overtly aware of it, I was drawn to the beauty of the flowers and just felt an urge to combine my passion for fashion illustration with my interest in the colours and shapes of the flowers. I imagined how I could transform certain flowers into fashion garments, to be draped on a body, and took to pencil and paper to replicate what I had visualised, as best as possible.

I think it’s important to take note of those words: “as best as possible”, or “to the best of my ability.” The truth is, we are always still learning, and sometimes what we envision may never translate onto paper in an exact way. It’s all too easy to procrastinate doing what we love because we don’t feel we are good enough. This is prohibitive and harmful to the self.”The truth is, we are always still learning”

What kind of things are you inspired to create? Is there anything in particular you draw inspiration from?

Please feel free to share your thoughts with myself and other creatives in the comments below!

Nicole

xx

Insta: @ngcillustrations 

Facebook: NGC Illustrations