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Jessica Durrant Illustration

  • Live Event Illustration
  • My Domêstika Course
  • Shop Policies
  • NEW SHOP
  • Artwork
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

Harry Styles is Life Illustrated Book Project coming October 8th 2024!

I am thrilled to share with you my latest illustrated book project full of 30 illustrations of Harry Styles for the book titled, Harry Styles is Life by Kathleen Perricone with Quarto Publishing. This book is now up for pre-order on Amazon, to be published on October 8th, 2024, see link below:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760393192?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

This project happened quite quickly-we had about 6 weeks to create 30 illustrated looks of one of the world’s most famous singers. And at first I was a bit apprehensive about it because I haven’t really delved much into men’s fashion illustration. Let alone depicting a real life person! But once I got started…I began to feel quite certain that this project was perfect for me.

Illustrating Harry came naturally to me once I wrapped my head around the fact that I had all the tools & experience I needed to succeed. And of course, I focused on having a positive mindset during this process. Illustrating a book with a high volume of illustrations is always a challenge. For most illustrator’s it is much like completing a marathon. And lucky for me the art director at the publishing house was so trusting and gave me a lot of freedom to be myself. This is something I grow more and more grateful for over time, as I can see how much that type of atmosphere when I create can allow me to make my best work. Enjoy these sneak preview images, found alongside the pre-order Amazon link. And make sure to reserve your copy. I am so proud of the art I created. It is so energizing, happy and joyful…just like Harry Styles himself ;)


Thursday 05.16.24
Posted by Jessica Durrant
 

FAQ about Live Fashion Illustration

I have been live illustrating for fashion brands, and corporate events for a decade now. I have been fortunate to work with brands like Dior, Gucci, Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Saks, Van Cleef & Arpels, Target and Spanx.

Live fashion illustrations in Chicago for Brunello Cucinelli. I got to meet and illustrate one of the Cucinelli’s!

I still remember my first one back in 2013 or 14. It was for the brand Intermix and they used to have a boutique down the street from my apartment in Atlanta. Little did I know, that live illustration would become a huge part of my career and would allow me to get out of my home office & studio and out into the world meeting thousands of people over the last ten plus years.

Fashion illustrating live, is a huge challenge, and there are always so many questions about how they work and what I actually do. So I’m answering some Frequesntly Asked Questions about live illustration for you below.

  1. What is live illustration?

    It can be a number of things based on what the client has hired me for. In a nutshell I am hired to come and create artwork in real time. An illustrator often can bring a new exciting, energy to a space or event. Live illustration is usually what event planners call an “activation” or “experience” that adds to the buzz and overall success of an event. I often am asked to live sketch guests in a few minutes time. 5-10 mins is usually the time allotted for most events. It takes a lot of practice to create portrait gestures in a manner of minutes, but it is a thrilling way to create that always keeps me on my toes. Most people end up framing their artwork, which makes us artist’s feel respected for our skillset. Other requests can be to custom paint shopping bags, branded cards, paint the object the client has bought (think heels or a fab handbag) added hand painted Monograms or paint a scene based on event itself.

  2. Do you travel for events?

    Yes, I am happy to travel for live events and have many booked out of state. I am based in Atlanta, Georiga. Because Atlanta is the world’s busiest airport, I can usually get on a flight very easily to just about anywhere in the US. I mainly work in the Southeastern region and do make trips up to NY occasionally. I have worked live fashion illustration events in Las Vegas, Houston & San Antonio Texas, Charleston, South Carolina, New York, and Florida to name a few.

  3. How much do you charge?

    The easiest way to get a quote for my services is to fill out the contact form on my contact page here on my website. We will ask you a few questions about your event and usually can get you a quote within 24 hours.

  4. I am an artist who wants to break into the live illustration market. What should I do?

    I offer artist coaching services for creatives and can answer all your questions and give you insight into this line of work. Email me at jessillustration@gmail.com to find out more about my Artist Coaching Program or visit my shop to book a slot or package. I would love to help you.

  5. How many people can you illustrate in an hour?

    The most I can do-and this goes for my fellow artists who are experienced in this arena-the quickest we can do without comprising the artistry is 5 minutes per guest. So about 12 max per hour. The amount of guests per event varies greatly, but when there are bigger events I would encourage you to hire more than one illustrator. I work with another fashion illustrator in Atlanta that I am friends with-when this happens. And having more than one illustrator creates SUCH a buzz!! When I have to illustrate with a limited amount of time, I try to capture the essence of the client’s look and pull out any special unique part of their look and bring it to the page. What I love about live illustrating is I get to make each person I sit with, feel seen. And I have to be PRESENT when I create.

If you have any other questions about live events, just make sure to fill out the contact form on my contact page or email me at jessillustration@gmail.com

See below some photos from recent events I have live illustrated at ;)

Thank you!

Monday 04.22.24
Posted by Jessica Durrant
 

My Domêstika Course is going live on Tuesday, May 7th!

The wait is almost over…

For many of you, you already know that I filmed my first Domêstika watercolor fashion illustration course in Madrid, Spain last May. I have been chomping at the bit to share the exciting news with you that my course is officially launching Tuesday, May 7th!

I put my heart and soul into this course. I am sharing never before tips and tricks with you. In this course you will learn all about my theories, inspirations, backstory, and personal journey to how I became the artist I am today. As well as a step-by-step guide to creating your very own expressive fashion illustrations. I was given complete artistic liberty to create this course for my fans and I, and I chose to really make this course all about our shared passion for fashion!

I personally cannot wait for you to see the production quality of this course. It truly feels like a full circle moment for me, to offer this in-depth, high-def course with my fans.

So stay tuned for the trailer, and my special price on my course on May 7th!

You can check out some more sneak peek photos below, and here is the link to check out all the other amazing courses you can take with Domestika. I have taken a few, and can attest that are AMAZING!

https://www.domestika.org/en

I send my thanks to you in advance for your support of this course.

xo

Jess

Sunday 04.21.24
Posted by Jessica Durrant
 

Antarctica Cruise with Royal Caribbean

2024 has been off to a refreshingly surprising start! For those who don’t follow me on Instagram, I had the opportunity to teach watercolor classes on board Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise for a couple weeks in January. And wow…what a treat it was. We boarded on January 4th in Buenos Aires, Argentina and left on the 5th. That meant we had a couple of days in Summer weather in a beautiful city before heading to the South Pole and with it, the major shifts in temperatures. I will do a full post on BA and the other excursions…but I want to focus on Antarctica for this post, she deserves our full attention.

I am lucky enough to have been able to work with Royal Caribbean, and I was asked to be apart of this cruise segment back in September 2023. I was thrilled to say yes, but I also knew that the trip to Antarctica was going to be long and comes with its own set of challenges…namely, the Drake Passage. (You can google and watch video clips if you dare!)

This cruise also went viral on Tiktok & many news media outlets before I got on board. It went viral for the fact that it is The Ultimate World Cruise and around 600 passengers on board will stay on the Serenade of the Seas ship until September, making their voyage to all 7 continents 9 months in total. When we boarded it had already been about a month departed from their starting point of Miami. It was so cool to talk to guests about why they chose to do a 9 month cruise. Can you imagine??

If you’ve never been on a cruise, you have “sea days” meaning not every day brings you to a port. Sea Days are full of activities! So a day at sea can be whatever you want to make it. As I tell people about cruising, “You can do everything or nothing.” You can super social or anti-social and stay in your cozy room and read all day.

My job on board is to teach painting classes on those sea days. And on longer cruises like this one, I can maximize the amount of classes I can teach, and therefore have a greater reach. What I love about teaching classes on cruises is that I get to teach people and meet people I probably would have never crossed paths with. I get to teach people while we are visiting some of the most beautiful and inspiring spots around the world. I get to enjoy the ports and excursions, just like the passengers which gives me a hybrid experience. I get to see the ship from both the customers perspective, and an employees. And I also get to adapt to the constant changes at sea. I have always felt that one of my greatest strengths in life is I am highly adaptable. It’s a Sagittarius thing haha. Or perhaps since it’s because I have spent the first 3 decades of my life moving across the country and always feeling a wave of constant change. But my art has always brought to me new friends and experiences, and has always given me a sense of security.

All that to say….the entire experience was an A+! It is very very hard to put into words what Antarctica is like. After crossing the Drake Passage (and yes…we got the Drake Shake with over 20ft waves!!!!) and the adventure that that was, we arrived to the South Pole! Now close your eyes and pretend you’ve gone to another universe…filled with icebergs, hump back whales, penguins and lands that no human inhabits…and you’ll start to feel it. I will be forever grateful that Brandon and I were able to see this part of the world. The moment when we saw a humpback whale jump out of the water, I teared up. One of the best moments was when we sailed to Paradise Bay Antarctica and sat there watching families of whales make their cute noises, wave their tales while we were surrounded by 360 views of majestic mountains. It is all so surreal.

Some of the students after Day 1 of painting classes!

When I taught classes the next day, I showed them how to use watercolors to paint icebergs and penguins. I loved that we had this shared experience. I told them, “We will all live the rest of our lives with the gift of what we saw yesterday….and how lucky are we.” To share that joy and paint with everyone was the cherry on top.

I hope you will enjoy some photos from the trip. And sending you best wishes as we start 2024! xo

Jess



Eating hot miso soup at the Sushi spot on the ship….with this view outside our window!

South Pole Chills! It was in the 30’s but it’s typical to have a lot of wind in this region…so it feels a little cooler than that. We also got snow the first morning which was so magical!

Our ship had 2 Ice Captains from Chile, to keep us safe and monitor all the ice bergs we navigate through. They along with our Captain said they had never seen an iceberg like this before-and we all marveled over it. He spun the ship around it a few times, and it was the first start to our day in Antarctica after a wild ride thru Drake Passage.

Julie was super talented, and is on the ship for 9 months-and brought her own supplies for the trip.

Painting at the pub!

Carolyn was another 9 month cruiser with her Mom-and she also is a budding artist and a joy to have in class!

The bluer the iceberg, the older it is. The water is more purer when it’s blue, and also makes it a more dangerous iceberg because it would be like colliding with steel. Luckily the ship has radars to know the location and depth of each piece of ice.

Our final port…the Southern most town in the world, Ushuaia!!! What I love about cruising….you wake up and you’re in a new location. I love getting a cup of coffee, going up to the top deck and taking in the amazing vantage, one that you would not get from land. When you travel by sea…it is an entirely different feeling.

So many wonderful students, making their own post card watercolor momentos!

Did you know Antarctica is home to 90% of all the worlds ice??

Drake Passage…I’m lucky I don’t get sea sick!

Brandee & Shannon are from ATL! how cool, right? And were wonderful students. Cheers to another adventure in the books!





Tuesday 02.06.24
Posted by Jessica Durrant
 

Artwork for The Gates Foundation

I am so pleased to share that I was commissioned by The Gates Foundation recently to create numerous artworks to go alongside their childcare dividend in partnership with The Economist. These stories are fascinating and deeply emotive. I was able to be 100% true to my artistic self and work with an amazing art director, Mari Danzi on this project. These are the types of projects illustrators dream about. Below is the artwork and here is the link to the blog posts and initiative:

https://impact.economist.com/new-globalisation/childcare-dividend

Source: https://impact.economist.com/new-globalisa...
Monday 04.10.23
Posted by Jessica Durrant
 

Sail to the Canary Islands & paint with me on Royal Caribbean this June!

I’m taking my studio to the sea, and I would love for you to join me!

I am partnering with Royal Caribbean and setting sail on June 4th for a 12 night cruise to the Canary Islands, Vigo, Spain, as well as Madeira & Lisbon Portugal!

As many of you know I have taught in-person workshops here in Atlanta where I live for the last few years and I love them so much. Yet, I have so many who support my work who do not live close. I am taking this opportunity to combine my love of travel, with teaching watercolor to new heights. I will be teaching 3 watercolor courses on board inspired by the ports we visit. As well as a fashion illustration class. All my courses will be complimentary if you join us for the cruise. And you don’t even need to pack your art supplies, we will have them covered for you! So just pack your swim suits, and sunscreen :) We take off from Southhampton, England on June 4th, and here is the link to the cruise & itinerary details.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruises/itinerary/12-night-discover-the-canaries-from-southampton-on-anthem/AN12STH-4076907368#step=0

This will be a once in a lifetime trip and I hope you can join me! It will be AMAZING!!

If you book, please email me at jessillustration@gmail.com so I can be sure to bring you a little extra art surprise. Thank you so much for all the love and support!

xo

Jess

Monday 02.06.23
Posted by Jessica Durrant
 

Group & One-on-One Mentorships Coming Winter/Spring 2022!

Happy New Year! I hope you & your loved ones are well.

I’m so excited to be offering creative mentorships in one-on-one slots as well as virtual group mentorships soon. I am hoping for late February to kick things off. Fingers crossed! I hope it inspires you and gives you a sense of empowerment for the New Year.

Back in 2009 my life turned upside down. I was 27, working a retail job for minimum wage. And I wasn’t utilizing my degree in illustration. I hadn’t created any artwork for years. That year I found out my marriage was not what I thought it was. I felt devastated, lonely and hopeless. It was a wake up call for me. I took feelings of betrayal, pain and suffering and began creating again. I had no lofty goals at the time, but to just keep getting out of bed every morning and paint. I needed to find a way out of the situation I was in. I wanted to follow my real dreams of being an artist, and I knew if I didn’t do it then I would likely never do it.

Fast-forward a few years later and I began making enough money selling my art to see I could get out of that relationship and take care of myself financially. Not just take care of myself, but flourish doing the thing I was born to do. Create art. It was the single most empowering moment in my life. I was liberated. I was working on illustration projects for some of the biggest brands in the world like: Target, Sephora, Starbucks, Spanx, Saks Fifth Avenue, Jimmy Choo and more. My illustrations were in books, magazines and hit television shows. And on top of all that, I was meeting amazing people and manifesting wonderful relationships. All because I changed how I thought about myself and what I believe I deserved. I was living my dream life when only a few years earlier I was living in a nightmare. 

It is wild to to think it all started from a very humble place. My story was not over nor is. And your story is not over. You can start over at anytime, and be whoever and whatever you want to be. I have received thousands of messages over the years of people telling me they can relate to my story and message. And it brings me so much joy to help others.

I will never forget the feelings I carried from the past. The low self-esteem, and thoughts of unworthiness. It takes a lot to re-wire those thoughts that are apart of our mental hard drive. I would love to help you on your path. I want to empower you and show you the possibilities of what you can do and be. It is not easy, and takes constant practice. But once you put certain positive habits into place you will see miracles happen in your life. 

My mentoring philosophy is if you change your thoughts, you will change your life. Your mindset is your greatest asset. I would be honored to help you on your journey. Wherever you may be at in it. My mentoring will focus on the mental barriers we put on ourselves, and using exercises and prompts to push past them.

I will be offering One-on-One customized mentoring packages. I also will offer Group Mentoring Sessions. Which will be a super positive forum that I’m so excited about! These group sessions will be perfect to pick and choose from and attend based on your own needs. Some topics we will cover: Selling your art online, Social Media marketing tips, How I book work with global brands, Pricing your art, Licensing your art, and many more. These will be an affordable option, as well as a great support system with other creatives. 

We will record all Group Mentoring Sessions, that will be available to download if you cannot make them.

I will have a scholarship for 1 mentee, and will send more information on that soon. 

I would love to know what other specific topics you are interested in learning more about. So please send us a message back with any suggestions. 

Stay tuned for the launch of my Mentoring Programs 2022! 

Best Wishes & have a wonderful Holiday season & Happy New Year!

Jessica Durrant

Monday 01.10.22
Posted by Jessica Durrant
 

The Art of Getting Over Rejection for Creatives

Sharing a recent post on Instagram :) For more Motivational Messages see my @jessillustrator Instagram

Thursday 12.02.21
Posted by Jessica Durrant
 

Shape Magazine Artwork

I’m so happy to share some artwork I recently created for Shape Magazine. I could not have asked for a better client and end result. The article is so fitting for what I preach on my channel on Instagram. Self Compassion is something we all need to be reminded to be better at.

It feels so fitting. And I’m so grateful to do projects that feel so align with me as a person. Thank you to the Shape Team and Alan, their amazing art director for this opportunity I had to create for their October 2021 issue.

I create my best, when I am not too literal in my approach. I love using symbolism and layers in my work to evoke feelings.

I create my best, when I am not too literal in my approach. I love using symbolism and layers in my work to evoke feelings.

I love how I can bring out more emotions in an illustration, by posing the subject looking off in a thoughtful way.  It’s one of my favorite poses.

I love how I can bring out more emotions in an illustration, by posing the subject looking off in a thoughtful way. It’s one of my favorite poses.

Monday 09.13.21
Posted by Jessica Durrant
 

My SPANX Illuminate-Her Collection!!!

As many of you know by now, I was honored to win the Spanx Illuminate-Her Art Contest back in 2019.

IMG_6693.PNG

When I found out I won back in December 2019, I was surprised and stunned. I knew how much it would mean to have my art be put onto Spanx products. I have been wearing Spanx since they debuted, and on my wedding day in Italy in 2018!

Sara Blakely, the CEO, founder and inventor behind Spanx is one of my personal idols. (Listen to her on the podcast, How I Built This, with Guy Raz…it’s so good!!) She is constantly reminding her audience where she came from, and encouraging and empowering women every step of the way. Something I aspire to do. And I was THRILLED to have her interview me for IGTV. I cannot even wrap my head around the fact that Sara & I got to talk about the power of positive thinking, manifestation and Dreaming Specific! So go to my Instagram @jessillustrator click on the IGTV and watch the 3 part interview to get inspired and find out more about the Spanx collection.

Because of COVID, the collection got a little delayed but I do think the timing was perfect when we were able to launch the limited edition activewear collection in late January 2021. I was floored by the detail and care that was put into making this collection as special as it could be. You can now shop the entire look at:

https://www.spanx.com/active-collection/now-trending/booty-boost-illuminate-her-active-leggings-jessica-durrant-art

So many beautiful women wearing the Spanx collection, has really made me feel so humbled.

So many beautiful women wearing the Spanx collection, has really made me feel so humbled.

I am still processing how amazing of an opportunity this has been. AND for all female artist’s out there, stay tuned over at Spanx for their next Illuminate Her contest. They focus on bringing light to female artist’s. And it truly is such a wonderful program. They allowed me to pay it forward by gifting women owned small businesses a cash surprise! That was the icing on top.

The inspiration behind this artwork, was in 2019 I suffered a life threatening tumor that had to be removed from my small intestines. When I was in the hospital (and since I have returned home) I tried to use visual meditation to help me from having panic attacks and from thinking very dark thoughts. I would imagine butterflies, flowers and light entering my body and allowing me to heal. So I love that the collection seems to honor that sentiment, that we can find beauty in the darkness. A dark floral has always represented that to me when I paint that way. And I just love that there is a very deep meaning embedded in this. Please let me know what you think of the collection if you snap one up. And as always, I hope this inspires you to KEEP DREAMING BIG & SPECIFIC!! xo Jess

I snapped a few selfies of me in the collection. What I love about it is, it does make me feel strong and feminine at the same time.

I snapped a few selfies of me in the collection. What I love about it is, it does make me feel strong and feminine at the same time.

Visit Spanx.com to shop the limited edition collection. And THANK YOU for your support.

Visit Spanx.com to shop the limited edition collection. And THANK YOU for your support.

They created these Swell water-bottles for PR kits, and I was so excited to get mine.

They created these Swell water-bottles for PR kits, and I was so excited to get mine.

Tuesday 02.16.21
Posted by Jessica Durrant
 
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