Some of my favorite live fashion sketches & looks!

I thought I would take a moment to share some of my favorite live fashion sketches and illustrations I have created over the last few years. From Las Vegas to right here in Atlanta, from casual sporty events to holiday soirees and Amazon Fashion events…I’ve had a lot of variety over the years. And it brings me so much joy to see how happy guests are after receiving their hand made drawing.

This lilac look & Dior book bag was so fun to sketch for this beautiful woman at an Amazon Fashion Influencers event in Las Vegas.

I loved illustrating this woman’s hair, and pops of gold in her jewelry & red sweater. It’s so cute to see a denim look translated into a 5 x 7” custom artwork.

For a glam holiday look, I adored this couple’s fits. Her black feathery dress, and his burgundy blazer…the looked SO GOOD! And they loved their sketch. It was a win win!

It’s always fun to sketch fashion trends of the moment. Last year the bubble hem & polka dots were all the rage. So this was just super cute to illustrate. I thought she looked so fab!

This event was a luncheon for Neiman Marcus here in Atlanta. I have sketched this woman before and she is so elegant. I loved pulling those colors for her skirt. I feel so grateful to live in a city like Atlanta, which is full of diversity. It makes for the best inspiration for me as an artist.

This woman ENJOYED the process so much. Some events I sketch with the person seated with me. Other times I work from photos. She was seated and in awe of every line and color I sketched. And her illustration was so fun to do!

When you live in a college football town, be prepared to sketch the college colors from time to time. I loved this sporty UGA fashion sketch! The pop of red really makes for a good fashion sketch.

One of my tricks I do for live sketching, is I have fashion forward poses I work from. I want every sketch to look like a fashion designer sketched you. It elevates every piece I draw. This pose I felt worked really well for this beautiful woman’s afro & white dress. She was SO fun to sketch.

This silver & black Prada look was so elegant. It was the first sketch of this event, and it gave me a lot of confidence for the 30 other pieces I sketched that afternoon for Neiman Marcus.

I thought this look was so fun and that bag! I hope you enjoyed a look at some of the styles I have sketched for events. If you’re interested in booking a live fashion sketching and illustration activation email jessillustration@gmail.com

Thanks!

Jess

Pre-Order Provence Chic, my artwork on the cover New York Times Best Selling Author Ines d la Fressange's newest book coming March 2027!

I am over the moon to share that my fashion illustration artwork was selected for the cover of Ines de la Fressange’s newest book: Provence Chic! Fressange is a New York Times best selling author, including her book Parisian Chic. I actually own the book, and love it. So it is SUCH an honor that my artwork was selected for this new book. There will also be a German translation version that my artwork was selected for and it’s a slighty different take art wise, and so fun! So I will be happy to share that too once it’s live.

Ines de la Fressange is a true Parisian style icon! She became the first model to sign an exclusive contract with a luxury brand, Chanel, and was Karl Lagerfeld's muse. So it is truly a very cool thing that my art was selected for her next book!

Here is a link to pre-order for March 2027 delivery, via Amazon:

https://shorturl.at/9nlcr

It’s also on Target for pre-order too here:

https://www.target.com/p/provence-chic-by-ines-de-la-fressange-sophie-gachet-paperback/-/A-1013107269?TCID=OGS&AFID=google&CPNG=Entertainment&adgroup=247-60

Funny enough, I actually brought the book Parisian Chic to my office, and kept it on my desk earlier this year and kept thinking “I think my art could be apart of a book like this”. And when the publishing house reached out to me for my art to be licensed and used for 2 of her book covers I was amazed! What you think about, and work for….can sometimes come true. We spend so much time worrying about what can go wrong, so try to think about what can go right in your life!

It’s been the story of my career. I always recommend reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron if you need help building confidence and envisioning your dreams. It changed how I felt about myself, and what I am capable of.

I thank Flammarion publishing for making this collaboration possible. These things never get old and show me that after a lifetime of making art related to fashion, travel and style I’m still as passionate as ever. And I’m so grateful for that!

xo

Jess

Live Fashion Sketching for Jon Batiste Meet & Greet at the Waldorf Astoria Atlanta

This weekend I had the extreme pleasure of being able to live fashion sketch for an intimate Meet & Greet Event for Jon Batiste-the Grammy winning musician. The event was held at the beautiful Waldorf Astoria Atlanta. And it was in celebration of his new album releases! This event was for Hilton VIP clients, and I partnered with The Team agency for this event activation.

Jon had a Q & A portion, where he talked about his creative process, and his inspiration for Black Mozart.

Superfans getting to meet Jon in person, also got to get a handmade sketch!

Seeing happy guests with their sketches, always delights me! We had about 30 VIP guests at the event, and we created fashion illustrations with a grand piano in the backdrop.

Jon did his meet and greet photos right next to my desk, which was SO COOL!

I was lucky enough to get a hand signed album from Jon!!

Not every gig do you walk away with a Grammy award winning artist hand signed album!

A huge thanks to Hilton, The Team and Jon Batiste’s team for allowing me to come out and live fashion illustrate at such a special event. It truly is one for the books!

xo

Jess

Live Fashion Sketches for a gorgeous bridal shower in Atlanta

I had the pleasure of live sketching in Atlanta this weekend, for a gorgeous bridal shower. The guests were radiant and I loved all the fabulous dresses & fits!

Give me 5 minutes and you’ll get a full color fashion illustration (with a face) when I live sketch in person!

I mean this is a look!! So so fun to sketch!

This was a crowd that showered me with appreciation and genuine excitement with receiving their fashion sketches. These are the events I walk away from on cloud nine.

This shower had many beautiful activations, which made the event more successful. From hand embroidered napkins, a craft cocktail bar, amazing food, and even a Caviar Cowboy!

Thank you to Maddie & Nicole for having me be apart of such a special and memorable day. I feel so in my element when I sketch live and honor the beautiful women & fashion fits! I was able to sketch around 35 guests in total for this event, which was the perfect flow. If you’re interested in having fashion sketching at your bridal shower, email jessillustration@gmail.com and thanks!

xo

Jess

Brigitte Bardot themed class this month for Paint Club!

Paint Club continues with our Fashion Icon series (we have had Coco, Audrey and Grace Kelly as our first 3) to the French Style Icon Brigitte Bardot! You can join us later this month for our watercolor & mixed media workshop/online creative community on either August 26th at 3PM ET or August 27th at 7PM ET. The playback will be emailed to all students who can’t attend live. Tickets are in my shop right here:

https://jessicadurrant.com/new-shop?category=Paint+Club

As always, any level is welcome to join in. I strive to create lessons that are approachable and fun! I adore teaching Paint Club each month. It is a warm fuzzy feeling kinda place :) Here are some of the works I am creating leading up to class, to get my research & creative juices flowing.

I hope to see you there! I am having so much fun exploring each of these fashion icons and learning more about their fascinating lives.

xo

Jess

Pencil, Pigment and Pixel: Drawing the Fashion Face my new course launching soon!

Have you ever struggled with drawing the face? Then my new course Pencil, Pigment and Pixel: Drawing the Face is just for you! Sign up to get on the waiting list now, and for an early-bird discount. This course will be launching later this year, so just click the link below to stay up to date on the launch:

https://www.waitlistcourse.com/jessillustrator

A little bit about this course I am creating is I am taking a highly requested subject and creating an in depth course that will be over 6 hours of content! You will learn to paint the fashion face with expression, color, and a little beautiful chaos added in ;)

My upcoming course, Pencil, Pigment & Pixel: Drawing the Fashion Face, is for anyone who wants to loosen their line, fall in love with watercolor, and create fashion illustrations that feel alive.

I’ll walk you through my full process, from the first graphite sketch to a finished piece showing how I capture a figure, build color, let paint bloom and drip, and add the details that give an illustration its mood. It will be a recorded course, so you can watch at your own convenience.

This course will teach you the fundamentals of drawing the face, plus I will be sharing how I create my emotive fashion illustrations layering mixed media. For a beautiful final product. So if you’ve been asking for this, I am finally bringing it ;)

If you have any questions just email jessillustration@gmail.com

Thank you for the support!

Jess

Some of my personal favorite Live Event Fashion Sketches and Events this last year!

For over a decade now, I have been doing live fashion illustration sketching in spots like Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas, Chicago, allover Florida and to far off places like the South of France. I’ve even done this on cruise ships!

Working events as a fashion illustrator can be such a thrill, and they always get amazing feedback from clients like Amazon, Ferragamo, Burberry to wedding guests!

Here are some of my personal favorite fashion sketches I have created for beautiful people around the country.

Sometimes I sketch people, that I feel like I have seen somewhere. This woman I knew from something. It wasn’t until a couple of days later I realized she is a national NBC news anchor Morgan Radford! She waiting in line like everyone else, and was so excited for her sketch. This wedding had a theme of all black attire, so it made for a chic guest party favor.

I love when I can see a woman, and know that she is going to really appreciate a sketch! I adored her look and the color she was wearing for this VIP party in Atlanta. Adding her purse at the end was the fun final touch. The hope is the sketch brings them a smile long after the night is over.

Another fun sketch for a fashionable lady. I really get excited when I can find the right colors and tiny details I can add in, from a small line tattoo, to a bandana. She LOVED it. And it’s night like those, that I feel so fulfilled when I walk away from an event.

Every event can vary. When I’m lucky enough to have attentive guests sit with me and watch me create from start to finish a lively, colorful sketch of them and they are SO into it, that makes me so happy. This woman just adored the entire process. And she made me feel so good. I def have encounters with people who are a bit aloof of what I am doing. And that energy I try to pay no mind to. I can’t let it effect the job I have to do, and the work I want to create. So I love these types of moments. Where we both have such a WIN WIN with the experience of live sketching.

I love fashion. I love seeing women put together. And I love to honor their beauty and their fits! This woman’s entire look was so fun, and I had just gotten new colors in my kit that I could use. These sketches take about 5 minutes to create, so they are usually just a fun likeness. But as I said before, it’s about the tiny details I try to squeeze in. Oftentimes it’s the jewelry or shoe ;)

When I can illustrate a group of girlfriends, and make them feel beautiful I ADORE IT. This event was at Neiman Marcus here in Atlanta, and it included a fashion show. So I was a happy girl to be apart of it. Aren’t they all stunning? Fashion sketching is so perfect for luxury events, it adds a perfect special and handcrafted/artisanal touch.

Here is a classy look, of silver and black with a little touch of Prada. Sometimes I get so excited by a sketch, that I cannot wait to see their reaction. As many people aren’t used to seeing this type of thing in person or have ever even heard of it. They don’t realize how special, and fun it truly is until they get theirs! No one forgets this experience.

This reaction photo makes me so happy. We often get SO BUSY as fashion illustrators when we working events, that you can’t process the fact that you are making countless people happy & buzzing for hours. And if you’re lucky enough to get photos back like this, it feels amazing. Their faces say it all.

This woman was so elegant and it was so fun to get her tattoos & Valentino clutch in her sketch. She adored the process and the result. I am so thankful for all the live fashion sketching events I have been able to do. It’s not an easy world for artist’s right now with Ai, but I will look to the bright & human side of this. And I will continue to draw and put as many smiles on people’s faces as possible.

If you’re interested in booking sketching at your next special event email jessillustration@gmail.com

Thank you!!

xo

Jess

July's Paint Club Fashion Icon is Grace Kelly!

Hello hello!

This month we continue with our new Fashion Icon series in Paint Club with the beautiful Grace Kelly. What an icon of beauty and sophistication. I love her looks in particular from Rear Window and To Catch a Thief.

Our classes will be held July 22nd at 3PM ET and July 23rd at 7PM ET. You can get your tickets linked below:

https://jessicadurrant.com/new-shop?category=Paint+Club

Bring your watercolors, pens and paper for class. The class will be recorded and sent to all students after airing.

You can find my favorite supplies here in my Amazon storefront:

https://www.amazon.com/shop/jessillustrator/list/2SXE16EEL4GF4?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_mixed_d&ccs_id=cd79c6e0-f9e2-4856-a779-f5ac174996c

I look forward to creating watercolor fashion illustrations of Grace Kelly later this month!

xo

Jess

My 15th Annual Flash Sale returns Tuesday, August 25th 2026!

I’m so excited to announce my 15th Annual Flash Sale will be Tuesday, August 25th starting at Midnight EST in my shop linked below:

https://jessicadurrant.com/new-shop

My Flash Sale is my most popular sale of the year, and it’s my informal way of celebrating my career’s anniversary. I will be adding new fashion illustration originals, and prints in various sizes. It also includes educational content like past Paint Club classes you can watch, my popular Webinar recordings & PDF downloads, as well as Artist Coaching packages.

I am so grateful to still be doing what I love all these years later. I still vividly remember my first sale. I didn’t know what to expect, or that I even had the thought I would do it more than once. I def had consistent sales at that point in my Etsy but no social media, no email campaigns to promote it. I just put a banner in my shop about the sale, and low and behold I had SO many orders in such a short amount of time! It turned into a frenzy of figuring out how I was going to handle shipping them all. And in a timely manner. Luckily my bestie Ashleigh offered to come help me, and she was a lifesaver :)

At that time in my shop I was mainly selling fashion illustrations and travel related watercolor pieces, many of which had gone viral on Pinterest or made the front page of Etsy. Hence I was very grateful to have that foot traffic in my shop and the support early on! It changed my life.

All these years later it’s still a day I truly look forward to all year. It can vary year to year what I am able to output as far as new artwork vs. educational content and what people want to purchase from me. I have noticed more and more that my audience loves to learn and connect with me off of social media. I have really valued being able to connect and paint with my supporters each month during Paint Club. I have many new works from this last year that I created as I plan lessons each month for Paint Club, so I’m excited to add some of my favorites to my shop. So stay tuned for my shop to get a bit of an overhaul in selection & reorganization.

So mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 25th for Flash Sale 2026 at jessicadurrant.com! Look for more updates on my IG: @jessillustrator too

Thank you in advance for your continued support.

xo

Jess

Live Sketching at Boka Chicago for an intimate wedding reception

Over the weekend I got the chance to live fashion sketch in Chicago, for an intimate wedding reception for a lovely couple: Mark & Debbie! It was held at the beautiful Boka restaurant in Lincoln Park. I was so excited because this restaurant is stunning and a Michelin star ;) So events like this always feel extra special and elevated.

It was 75 and sunny, just the perfect day for a wedding. And I adored the flowers.

We created full color sketches on 5 x 7” for guests to take home. They LOVED them. It was so fun to make their guests something super memorable.

I was able to make a lot of people smile, and that always is a pleasure. Live sketching guests fashion fits is always so rewarding. I understand how much time and effort guests put into what they wear for a wedding…so being able to create a keepsake of their look in a handmade piece of art seems fitting.

A side note: some weddings & events I do not capture every photo of guests with their artwork, and this event I did that. I have over 93K followers on Instagram and when I post on social, I am becoming more aware of protecting guest’s & client’s privacy. It’s something I am currently figuring out. If you are interested in booking and want your event to be private, please let me know so I can create the experience you feel most comfortable with.

My set up was in a cozy chic booth!

My couple emailed the next morning, and it put a huge smile on my face :)

Mark & Debbie were kind enough to let me try out the food & drinks at the event. The Korean fried chicken sliders & pasta were SO GOOD! I felt very taken care of and appreciated. Thank you again to Mark, Debbie and the Boka team!

If you’re interested in booking the live fashion sketching experience at your next event just email: jessillustration@gmail.com

xo

Jess