BACK AGAIN!

Great news! I'm back with new confidence and ferver! This time, I'm focusing only on blogging about my illustrations. For my portfolio see: www.theloop.com.au/christinepan

changed blog.

for more updates please see http://christinepan.tumblr.com/

Costing Analysis

Wayne by Wayne Cooper

The diffusion line by the designer is stocked exclusively at all 67 Myer store across Australia. See here.
I'm assuming that there are 10 per store (5 sizes: 8,10,12,14,16) therefore estimated production quantity is 670
The main fabric is a polyester, and it is made in China. As it is a larger production run, I estimate wholesale fabric costs at $2/m at 150cm wide, this dress/kaftan will need 2m. 2x2 =$4
About 1m is printed and is of quite good quality, so printing costs I estimate at $9 to print digitally, overseas.
Pattern cost $90/h for this simple garment and it will probably take about 1/2h to patternmake. 90x 0.5 =$45/ 670 =$0.07. Gradiing costs for 5 sizes will be $40/h. I'm assuming this is also done on the computer so could take about 1/2h. $20/670 =$0.3.
Marker costs $160/670 = $0.24
Cutting costs $300/ 670 = $0.45
Not a lot of bindings, most seam finishes are french seamed and edge finishes roll hemmed. This is by no means a complicated garment, therefore making costs I estimate at $3 as it will take less than an hour to make, especially as it is manufactured overseas in China where production costs are lower than in Australia.
This is quite a simple garment, so I'm guessing about $1 per garment in QC costs.
The swing tag is quite nice, in a heavier card. I estimate it at $2 per garment.
Wayne Cooper deals with larger production runs, with more stocklists I estimate business operating costs at 20% of cost price = 47 x .2 =9.4

Leona Edmiston

Assumptions made:
- She stocks in 5 sizes from 8 to 16 See here Therefore I am assuming there are 10 per store x 30 stores = 300 estimated production quantity.
-estimated fabric width 180cm. The dress is about 130cm x 50cm hem width but with gathers. Therefore I estimate 1.5m of  fabric is needed. 1.5 x 300 = 450m.At wholesale prices I estimate it to be $2.5/m so each garment will be $3.75 for fabric
-digital textile printing produced offshore, I estimate to be about $5 per m to print, therefore 5 x 1.5= $7.5
-there's not a lot of binding used, so I estimate fabric costs to be about $0.50
-as it is not a complicated garment, I estimate it will take about an hour to patternmake, at $90/h. Therefore, per garment is 90/300=$0.3
-there are 5 sizes to grade this garment @ $40h for an hour = 40/300 =$0.13
-marker costs $160 /300 = $0.53
-making cost. This product is made in China, due to the lower pay rates and the exchange rates/strong aussie dollar I estimate the garment will cost $5 in makers costs. Also the costs for transport will be slightly higher at $2 per garment as it needs to be delivered overseas.
-cutting cost for this garment will be about $200/300 = $0.66
-swing tag is digitally printed on light glossy card, so I estimate it to be $0.50
Much of the initial design and patternmaking costs as well as export duties are offset by its large production quantity.

Cooper St

Stocklists: all Myer stores nationally (67 stores) + 28 other boutiques = 95 stores
5 sizes x 2 = 10 x 95 = 950 production run (large production run and could qualify for those 1000 supply minimum fabric discounts)
Main fabric is a printed polyester, I estimate about 1.5m is needed. At $2/m = $3 per garment.
I estimate printing to be triple the cost of the fabric. $3 x 3 = $9
Patternmaking costs $90/h for this fairly uncomplicated garment, however it has gathering at the waist, a cut out at shoulders and facings on the hem and sleeve hem. I estimate it will take 1.5h to patternmake. $90 x 1.5 = $135. $135/ 95 = $1.42
Grading cost $40/ 95 = $0.42
This garment is made in Australia. I estimate it will cost about $10 to make, taking into consideration the complexity of the garment and the amount of bindings (neckline, armhole) plus the elastic at waist and facings. I am assuming making costs at 30% of cost price if made in Australia.
There are no export costs as all of his products are made and distributed within Australia.

illustration in video format

http://vimeo.com/35624732

very interesting, distortion of the figure, superimposing images on top.

Perfection: wabi sabi

photographs by Swedish-born photographer Christer Strömholm of Parisian prostitutes ... starting from the early-50s into the late-60s.

http://www.jointhestylehighclub.com/2012/03/14/red-light-district-parisian-prostitutes-1950s1960s/

Architect: Ken Woolley

I'm so happy about this drawing, done by Ken Woolley, a well-respected architect of Sydney. He is the mentor of Malcolm Carver, with whom hopefully I will be taking a watercolour class this April! I love this drawing, because it gives me hope. It just looks like and stylistically is what I like to draw! I saw an exhibition at Art Atrium yesterday showing works from architects such as Murcutt, Woolley, Carver, Tzannes, Holm etc. It was super inspiring! Read more here:

http://www.indesignlive.com/articles/in-review/events/The-Other-Side-of-the-Brain#axzz1rPhlweSA

Architect: Rick Joy

"

Award winning American architect Rick Joy is renowned for this climate responsive and landscape sensitive work, based mostly in the desert region of Arizona. Using a robust palette of materials, including rammed earth, hardwoods and rusted steel, Joy’s work looks as much from the earth, as sitting within it. Joy’s practice predominantly includes residential work, with Tubac House being his most celebrated. Joy’s work has been both published and exhibited widely with a group of architectural experts recently choosing a Rick Joy house as one of five most influential and inspiring homes in recent times, alongside work by Rem Koolhaas and Shigeru Ban." - Australian Architecture Association http://www.architecture.org.au/255-aaa-black-talk-rick-joy

Architect: Durbach Block Jaggers

profile.

Andrej Pejic

 

Artist: Laith McGregor

INTER-LACE: artist Toni Maticevski in the Love Lace exhibition

Love Lace: Stone and Feather. An interview with Neil Durbach & Camilla Block.

Egon Zippel  Sublife 

<http://www.ahmadyarts.com/exhibitions/llgallery>

Artist: Thierry Tiller

http://www.thierrytillier.com/critique.html

References:

<http://www.justintimberlake.com/news/women_in_art>

http://www.thierrytillier.com/

'Henry Clarke was a great great fashion photographer of Haute Couture in the 1950’s and 1960’s. One of his gifts was “always making the women he photographed look beautiful.” His images were the epitome of sophistication, with wisps of veil making eyes mysterious and lens magic creating more swanlike necks than ever existed. With the help of women like Suzy Parker, Ann Sainte Marie and Bettina, the most glamorous models of the day, Clarke captured the elegance of the modern woman: young, lively, carefree and seductive. He also took celebrity portraits: Anna Magnani, Coco Chanel, Sophia Loren and Maria Callas were among his best known subjects.'

all images from: Gabrielle, 2009,'GREAT FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY 1950′S FASHION HENRY CLARKE', Gabrillw Teare.com', accessed 1 April 2012, <http://www.gabrielleteare.com/blog/2009/09/01/great-fashion-photography-1950s-fashion-henry-clarke/>

The end visual.

Here is a motivation image to help me achieve the goal of having an exhibition. 

Mentor Case Studies x2

Mentors: Stina Persson and David Downton research

What for you makes a successful fashion illustration?

Fluidity, mastery of the medium - capturing a sense of the moment, layout and use of space and most important of all, strong drawing. You can't be too good at drawing.

-David Downton interviewed by Tony Glenville

BIO:

David Downton is a well known fashion illustrator who draws from couture shows and the portraits of female celebrities such as Erin O’Connor, Linda Evangelista, Carmen Dell'Orefice, and Dita Von Teese <http://www.daviddownton.com/biography.html>.  He has illustrated for many commercial projects like  Tiffany & Co, Bloomingdales, Chanel, Dior,  Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and the V&A Museum; and in 1998 Downton launched the first ever  journal of Fashion Illustration, Pourquoi Pas? <<http://www.pqpmagazine.com/> David Downton has a BA hons illustration/graphics and is a visiting Professor at London College of Fashion. In April 2009 received an honory doctorate from the Academy of Art University, SanFrancisco.<http://www.daviddownton.com/biography.html> Celebrated model and portrait sitter, Carmen Dell’Orefice comments “David is foremost a gentleman. He is a disciplined romantic with a unique ability to capture the essence of his subjects.” (Downton, 2010)

Downton's career as a fashion illustrator came gradually- first from being a commercial illustrator, over a period of 15 years whilst he was illustrating for a variety of books, advertising and packaging, until he was commissioned to draw the Paris Haute Couture shows for a magazine in 1996. 

CREATIVE PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY:

David Downton makes the distinction between good fashion and good fashion illustrations and how one can be translated into another. One of the most important things, he says, is the 'sense of body in the clothes; after that: proportion, colour and detail.'<http://www.daviddownton.com/interview.html>His lavish and feminine illustrations are usually drawn from photographs -or live models if it is portraiture- and he is appreciative of fashion illustrators: 'Gruau for his graphic genius, Vertes for his humour, Bouché for his lightness of touch and Eric for his draughtsmanship'.<http://www.daviddownton.com/interview.html> 

 WHAT PARTICULAR TECHNIQUES HAVE THEY DEVELOPED THROUGH THEIR WORK? 

Downton's medium of choice is watercolour or gouache when applied over small areas. To obtain more 'flat saturated colour[s]' he uses paper collage with an acetate overlay of lines and shades drawn using black indian ink.  <http://www.daviddownton.com/interview.html> What makes Downton's artworks unique are this realistic yet expressive renderings of the subject, simplicity and effortlessness, his use of fluid line, and sometimes the scratchy dry brush detail. His drawings are spontaneous, free and expressive. Downton's signature illustration style feature delicate lines and an elimination of detail. He describes the working process towards achieving this as:

 ‘the hardest and the most interesting thing. In order to leave something out, first you have to put it in, or at least understand how every thing works. I do dozens of drawings on to layout paper taking the best from each one as I go. When the drawing looks right I start to eliminate, to de-construct if you like. I keep working until it looks spontaneous.' <http://www.daviddownton.com/interview.html>

His fashion illustrations also aim to convey a 'controlled spontaneity' (Downton, 2010). In the process of obtaining this spontaneity and the impression of effortlessness, Downton draws dozens of drawings before he arrives at one ideal drawing.

HOW IT INFORMS MY WORK:

I greatly admire David Downton's work for its look of sheer effortlessness, the simplicity of lines, the mark-making of only the most essential lines. In particular, I am drawn to his ability to achieve incredible likeness to his subjects, which no doubt will encourage me to study more portrait drawing. Another aspect that will inform my work is the way he uses watercolour by contrasting the smooth brushstrokes against rough, dry ones. His colour palette is soft, light and tinted, which contributes to the overall dreamy and feminine feel of his drawings. The women in the pictures are always luxurious and graceful, through posture perhaps, but always drawn with particular attention to the expression of the eyes.

References:

Downton, David, 2011, Pourquoi Pas?, <http://www.pqpmagazine.com/>

 David Downton Biography<http://www.daviddownton.com/biography.html>

Glenville, Tony, David Downton, <http://www.daviddownton.com/interview.html>

Downton, David., 2010, 'David Downton Interviewed by Tony Genville' , Masters of Fashion Illustration, Lawrence King Publishing, London.

When starting on a piece I use picture reference to get structure and pose. But they take on a life of their own almost as soon as the ink touches the paper.

-Stina Persson in an interview on Poppytalk.blogspot.com

STINA PERSSON

BIO:

Stina Persson is an illustrator based in Stockholm. Born in 1972, she studied Fine Art in Sweden and Fashion in Florence before moving to New York to major in Illustration at the Pratt Institute. <http://www.culturesinbetween.net/stina-persson/> Since then, she has done illustrations for a variety of corporate clients such as Coca Cola, Absolute Vodka and Bloomingdales; as well as editorials in Vogue Nippon, Harper's Bazaar, Flaunt, and Squint. <http://www.stinapersson.com/info/about/>. Persson has also held any gallery shows such as Immacolata and her Friends, in New York at the Gallery Hanahou, 2007. 

CREATIVE PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY:

Persson’s creative processes include studying cultures, people, old movies and magazines. Immacolata and her Friends was inspired by her trip to Italy and ‘portray[s] a series of Sicilian women...created for the german magazine, Squint and inspired by the names of the Italian South’ <http://poppytalk.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/interview-with-stina-persson.html> This inspiration has led her to experiment with brilliant colours, ornamentations and expressions in her work. <http://poppytalk.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/interview-with-stina-persson.html> Her work has a humanistic aspect to them, in an interview with poppytalk.blogspot.com she tells of giving names to the women in her portraits: ‘Women wearing names like Immacolata, Crocefissa, Annunziata -- all southern names, all sweet to the point of sickliness -- simply needed to have their portraits painted. ‘ <http://poppytalk.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/interview-with-stina-persson.html> The process of creating her pictures usually begin with picture references, whereby she is able to illustrate the structure and pose. Using this as a starting point, the illustrations ‘take on a life of their own almost as soon as the ink touches the paper.’ <http://poppytalk.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/interview-with-stina-persson.html>

Vintage paraphernalia from the 50s, 60s and 70s found in thirft shops, flea markets and through her travels form much of her inspiration.  She is also inspired by old magazines, movies and photographers Steven Meisel, Ellen von Unwerth and Paolo Rovers. Stina Persson credits moving into an art studio with her illustrator friends Sara Singh, Tina Berning and Cecilia Carlstedt as a good decision, and she is continually inspired by them. <http://poppytalk.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/interview-with-stina-persson.html> Persson is also influenced by other artists or teachers Meri Bourgard Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Alberto Giacometti, Rene Gruau and Jenny Seville. 

 WHAT PARTICULAR TECHNIQUES HAVE THEY DEVELOPED THROUGH THEIR WORK? 

Watercolour, ink and mixed media are Persson’s usual repertoire of materials. In one instance, she began experimenting with glossy tissue paper as collage on paper alongside ink after finding a 1970s discontinued line of tissue paper in a local store. Since then, she has used unconventional materials such as parchment cake rounds as Sicilian lace head pieces and ‘everything from golden foil to mexican "papel picado" to give these dark girls some color and to add another dimension.’  <http://poppytalk.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/interview-with-stina-persson.html>

HOW IT INFORMS MY WORK:

One aspect of Stina Persson’s work that inspires me is the dynamic feel she produces in her illustrations through the way she uses watercolours. She pays particular emphasis on choosing the right colours which are vibrant, exciting and feminine. She also plays cleverly with negative and positive spaces, adding interesting objects into her pictures which form part of the background as well as textiles on the garments of her figures. Stina Persson’s drawings render faces realistically and in emotive poses which altogether produces a striking, bold and expressive image. 

Reference:

Cultures in Between<http://www.culturesinbetween.net/stina-persson/> accessed 2 April 2012

Stina Persson, <http://www.stinapersson.com/info/about/> accessed 2 April 2012

Jan, 2007, Interview with Stina Persson, <http://poppytalk.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/interview-with-stina-persson.html>accessed 2 April 2012

Illustrator: Cecilia Carlstedt

antonio lopez decoy magazine

illustration

Illustrator: artaksiniya

All images from artaksiniya's portfolio http://artaksiniya.com/Illustrations/index3.html

I saw this illustrator through Decoy Magazine. I've included a few of my favourites (and there are a lot because the work is so polished and dynamic). The signature feature would be the tiny vertical hatching lines which make up the shadowing of the figure as well as the strong composition in the works. Some of them have strong references, in my opinion, to the fashion illustrations of the 1920s and 30s and it really shows how referencing illustrations of the past can still work in a contemporary way. Another key technique is the patterns placed side by side, for the garments and background as well as line and direction to create interest.

this one's my favourite. I've never seen a contemporary artist reference historical fashion illustration in this way. 

I also like this one because of the dynamic composition and used of colour. 

A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE...

Isn't this amazing? It's a great example of how colour and proportion can give so much information. This is playful, suggestive. You can understand it straight away without explanation...

3. Muse