Featured | Miss Charlotte

Hi all, remember the illustration I was creating for Illustration Rally’s Christmas Rally? Well I finally finished it last night, and sent it off. WDYT?  I’ve no idea when it’ll be up – but once it is I’ll be a happy girl. (this will be my first “feature” on a website other than my own) Until then, I’ll share it with you here.  Don’t you just adore sequins?  Merry Christmas everyone – hope your holidays are just as lovely as you!! xxo

Featured | Willow Arrah

My favourite illustration – Willow Arrah, a Victorian Hippie. My lovely friend ~LaurenDunning wanted me to mix together the Hippie and Victorian era and create designs for two men and two women.  (more coming soon!)

_{Wearing: lavender cotton poncho, peace sign cameo necklace, purple headband, full knitted victorian-hippie dress. (petticoat underneath for fullness) & brown suede shoes with buttons.}

Above is the moodboard I also created for inspiration – enjoy!

Her Influences

A user on DeviantART created this meme as a way to share what inspire and influences you as an artist, so I thought I’ll share my inspirations. I’d love to see yours! Below I’ve explained my choices – enjoy!

//Top left to right

PAPERFASHION is an amazing website full of inspiring illustrations by the lovely Katie Rodgers. Go check her out!

Jennifer Lilya’s illustrations also inspire me to become a better illustrator, maybe someday I will be as good as Katie and Jennifer. (:

Dasa Durianova is included not only because of her inspiring talent, but also because she got me back into painting. Her use of colour in her paintings are amazing!

Audrey Hepburn plays a huge role in my inspiration simply because she was an inspiring, beautiful woman – inside and out.  Her style was so timeless and simple.  I hope to create a painting of her sometime.

Bows, Bows, Bows!!! I love my bows. If I were an inanimate object, I would probably be a bow, I’m really girly.

Beautiful, vintage colours and scenes tend to inspire me.  Lately I’ve been loving houses like these, I’m hoping to get a picture of myself in front of one sometime. (pssh…owning one is more like it!)

BUTTONS! I love my buttons, I have two big jars of them for my crafts.  They’re mostly used on my cards, but I love figuring out a way to use them in everything I create. So cute!

Stacy London This woman is the best!! She’s so stylish, hilarious, and amazing! I love her show and her style.  Once I get into the fashion world, I’d love to meet her.

Peacocks. Enough said.

Lindsey My Kindred Spirit She inspires me so much on an everyday basis. She’s the best!

Note: Nothing in this belongs to me, the photos aren’t mine, except for the one of myself and my friend.

Creating | Illustration Rally Peek

Jennifer sent me the link to this lovely website – Illustration Rally, telling me to sign up for their Christmas Illustration Rally. I was definitely interested!! Firstly what an amazing blog idea! and secondly if the art industry is still respecting free speech and is openly inviting people to say and write “Merry Christmas” on their illustrations/in life then I’m all for it!! Basically what the blog does is feature Illustrations during their different themed “rally’s”.  So fun! They link to your page and basically promote you with a lovely post featuring the illustration you send in.  And you get to practice and improve your illustration skills!!  So I decided to enter, and wanted to share my progress so far.  Here ya go!

Hope you guys like it, and remember to enter your illustration if you illustrate!! Merry Christmas and a fashionable New Year to all!! xxo

Featured Muse | Kaila Wilson

Here is my illustration of the lovely Kaila Wilson – or also known as “Kai” nicknamed by Dan Grant (One of Canada’s foremost model trackers)  She is honestly the nicest person ever, so down-to-earth and beautiful (inside and out!)  She’s a professional Canadian model who has walked the runway on Project Runway Canada, Toronto Fashion Week, and many others.  She’s been printed in a bunch of magazines; Italian Vogue, Unbound, Flare, Rogue,  and GLOW – just to mention a few.   I just about died when I saw my friend from school strutting her stuff on one of my fave shows – PRC.  The below photos were my inspiration for the illustration.  Hope you like it!  Isn’t she gorgeous??

courtesy of John White

courtesy of Owen Bruce

Featured | Jennifer Got Lost in the Mail!

So you may have noticed the odd title – this was an illustration I sent at the beginning of my internship with Jennifer Lilya for a little surprise … turns out she never got it.  She got lost in the mail. :(  So I decided I would feature her here just in case someone ever comes across it.  If so, it’s not yours!  Gotta love Canadian Postal Services.  Anyways, as you can see it’s Jennifer wearing a sequins-dusted black top with sequin accents at the top, and black skinny jeans, complete with platforms and her tattoos. (and a wee little paintbrush)  Enjoy!

I stand corrected, aparrently Canada isn’t the only place with the worst postal service ever – the NYC P.O isn’t the greatest either according to Jennifer. Why?  Look at this lovely gem below from the studio of JL.  Good thing the magazine wasn’t wrecked! (I so need to get my paws on one of them!)

DIY | Very Lacy Christmas Ornaments

To celebrate my new blog, here is one of my fave DIY’s I’ve done recently. It’s a Christmas one – lace ornaments for your lovely tree!  Some of you may have already decorated your Christmas tree (like me – just after Canadian Thanksgiving!!)  But you can never have enough ornaments – especially if they’re handmade!  Plus, you can use them in so many ways, and not just on your tree.  I’ve brightened (read: “lacified“) up my craft room by hanging a couple on the walls.  So get creative! ;)  Hope you enjoy these as much as I do! PS: 16 days left!  Yikes! You better get making some ornaments – Enjoy!

Supplies Used:

• Glue Gun
• Square pieces of lace
• Scissors
• Matching Ribbon
• Scrap Cardboard
• Scrapbook Paper & button (for back)

Optional:

• Paint (to paint cardboard)
• Other Decorations

Happy Thursday & thanks for reading!

New Beginnings & a New Business Venture!

Hello everyone in the Blog-o-sphere! I’m Natalie Brooke a proud Canadian self-taught artist/designer and aspiring fashion illustrator currently residing in Ontario.  In August 2011 I decided to bring my creative skills one step further by making a facebook page to share my creations, which blossomed into a business; Natalie Brooke Designs.  I decided to create a blog in which I will share my day-to-day creations and I hope you’ll enjoy them!  I’ll feature DIY’s, Christmas Ornaments, Quote Signs, Greeting Cards, Intern Graphic Work, Memory Boxes and other fun crafts – make sure to follow my blog for inspiration (hopefully!)

If you’re interested at anytime in buying one of my creations just send me an email or comment on one of my posts and we’ll work something out.  Below are some examples of my work. (Also – here’s my current porfolio)

Oh! And I also have another blog called Musings of a Brunette – don’t be a stranger! ;) Happy reading & enjoy!!

 

Featured | Mad For Mod Cheryl

This is Cheryl a mod girl wearing an a-line geometric patterned mod dress, with an open back for a modern twist. She was created for an art trade with a friend who gave me the task of creating 4 designs (a mini collection!) inspired from the mod era, but give them a modern twist.  This is my favourite one from the collection. WDYT? Below is the moodboard I created for the collection. Enjoy!

Feature | My DIY Christmas Ornaments

One of my fave DIY’s to make are ornaments!! I find them so cheery and fun – they should definitely be up all year round.  Here are a few of my favourite ones I’ve made to date. (Very Lacy Ornament, Holly Wreath Ornament, Country Love Ornament, and Very Wintry Ornament) Enjoy! What kind of Christmas crafts do you like to make?