Hello hello!
These last few weeks have been one of the busiest of the year for me. Often times in a freelance artist’s career we go through feast or famine in our work flow. I really enjoyed and leaned into the slowness of Summer, knowing that once it was September things would kick into overdrive. And I had no idea, just how busy it would be!
One of the things I have been hard at work on, is launching a master course on Drawing the Face, with a niche take on drawing the fashion face. My course opened for registration last week and closed on Sunday. I am so grateful for the success of it. It’s over 6 hours of lessons I created, based on some of the works throughout my career that brought me where I am today. It was a huge challenge for me to film this course while our house has been under a remodel (due to flood we had on our first floor back in end of June). So many times I would mic up, for sound, and then the jackhammer would blast for hours! I pushed through, having faith that it would all work out. But man, was it tough to have strangers in our home daily, and not knowing how loud and messy each day would be.
My wall is currently full of post-its of each students who have enrolled! We have over 100+ students who have signed up. And I truly hope this course can teach you new things, and allow you to create things that help build your confidence. I share my origin story of how my career started, in the hopes it can help those who need to hear it most.
The course is officially closed, but you can get on the waitlist here:
https://www.jessillustrator.com/wait/list
On top of my course launching, I have been juggling lots of travel for live fashion illustration events. Next week I have to travel to NYC for brand work, and Chicago for another live sketching event!
I was able to capture guests reactions to their pieces, on Friday at the rehearsal dinner at Bar La Blanc in Atlanta, and then at Detroit’s Michigan Central the next day. Yes…I worked Friday night, woke up at 5AM to get on a flight to Detroit to work 5+hours sketching at a beautiful wedding! I wish I had more time to meet up with people I know in Detroit, but I had to take it easy. I did enlist the help of one of my dearest friends who is a talented photographer & videographer, Hannah Rawlings. She flew in from SLC and helped me and my friend Ivy (the other talented illustrator) to help with the line for working from guest photos at the wedding and capture photos and footage.
Here are some fun reels I made on Instagram recapping Friday & Saturday night:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DdwQNCYsCtw/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DdzOiKtMfy3/
Here is the mother of Groom, who planned the rehearsal dinner looking at the 36 guest illustrations I was able to create in 2.5 hours! We had a list of most important guests to sketch, I took photos and then I was able to work uninterrupted for the evening…and I set a new record! She was SO excited and thrilled to see the results. Kristine was a lovely person to work with. And Bar Blanc was so beautiful!
The next night, I got to sketch some beautiful looks at Detroit’s Grand Central Terminal. And wow, was it fun! There were some fire looks!!
Bridesmaids sketches made at the start, during the ceremony we try to start sketching from photos at most events.
For events I have created & adapted a more rapid fire approach to sketching where I simplify and create whimsical, fun sketches using markers-so I don’t have to worry about paint drying time. They take 5 minutes or less per sketch in this style.
Me with Kristine, the gorgeous Mother of the Groom after I completed my job ;)
I am so incredibly thankful that all our flights were on time and smooth, and that I was able to have the energy & stamina to do everything I needed to do. Many years ago I battled huge health scares, and so now that I am healed I always see what a blessing it is for me to work in the way I do. And rest when I need to, that is a huge part of how I can do these! Don’t you worry I scheduled a massage before the trip for my hands ;)
Thank you to Mary & Brandon for allowing Ivy & I to sketch at your amazing wedding. And to Kristine for entrusting in me to sketch your beautiful family.
xo
Jess