Inktober Day 22 (Belt) and Day 23 (Poncho)

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

I combined Day 22 and Day 23 of the Inktober Fall Fashion Illustration challenge because what's a poncho without a good belt to give it some shape!?

I've been using Tombow Markers by blending the color on a palette and then using water and a paintbrush to paint them onto my picture. There's a little tutorial here if you're interested. 

Check out all of my other inktober entries here. 

Inktober Day 21: Sneakers

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

In my books, brighter is always better — and if your sneakers aren't burning your retinas then they probably aren't bright enough. ;)

I wish the fluorescent pink Liquetex Marker came up as bright in my photo as it is in real life. It really, really pops! For all of the other colors I blended Tombow brush marker ink on a palette and then painted it on. (Click here for a tutorial on marker blending).

How about you, do you go for bright or more muted colors when you buy shoes?

You can see all of my inktober fashion illustrations here. 

Inktober Day 20: Jumpsuit

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

The prompt for Day 20 of the Inktober Fall Fashion Illustration Challenge was 'jumpsuit'. So I used Tombow markers, blended and painted onto the paper (tutorial here), to create this military-inspired version. 

You probably don't know this about me, but I've always been drawn to all things mechanical and have a love for technology, and driving. Combined with my background in Marketing, this led me into a job where I used to sell and demonstrate tanks and armored vehicles. I had to be licensed to drive trucks and other heavy equipment, and know more about the vehicles than any of the Army boys - just to hold my own in that industry. 

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I don't think it shaped my career as an artist in any way, but that job certainly made me thicker-skinned which helps from time to time. And I got to travel all around the world (business class of course) from Switzerland to Singapore and everywhere in between!

Anyway, I always like hearing about how people's varied backgrounds shaped who they are, and I love how contradictory people's interests can be so I thought you might get a kick out of knowing that about me. Sure my favorite color is hot pink and I love to paint fashion illustration, but I've also owned more motorcycles than cars, and I used to drive tanks for a living. ;)

Leave me a comment and tell me two seemingly contradictory things about yourself!

Inktober Day 19: Football Jersey

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

Day 19 of the Inktober Fall Fashion Illustration Challenge was 'Football Jersey'. I'm still trying to work out American Football, the rules etc. and while I find it quite slow compared to Aussie Rules and even Rugby, I'm determined to give it another go this season. I always enjoy games more live, and with the Broncos stadium just down the road, perhaps I just need to go to more actual games rather than watching them on TV. ;)

I've been using Tombow markers to get a watercolor look on my inktober paintings lately, and today's prompt was no exception. 

If you'd like to see how I do it, check out my step-by-step tutorial here or watch the video below and you'll get a pretty good idea. 

Inktober Day 18: Chambray

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

I've never been brave enough to buy a Chambray shirt — having no idea how to style it. But because Day 18 of the Fall Fashion Illustration Challenge for Inktober was Chambray, I went in search of cute outfit ideas. I found this on Pinterest, and loved it paired with the leather fringe clutch. 

Have you ever owned a chambray shirt? And if so, what did you wear it with?

I used Tombow markers as watercolors, mixing them first on a blending palette, watering them down, and using a paintbrush to paint the ink onto my paper. You can check out the technique in more detail here. 

And check out the rest of my InktoberFF entries here. 

Inktober Day 17 Flats

The prompt for Day 17 of #inktoberff was flats. Of course I had to paint these fun rainbow ballet flats I found on Pinterest. 

You may not know, but I did Classical Ballet for 19 years, along with Jazz Ballet, Tap Dancing, Street Funk, Hip-Hop, Bollywood, Ballroom, Swing and Ceroc Dancing. So I'm always drawn to dance shoes of all types! 

Going to the ballet is still one of my all-time favorite things, and I've been lucky enough to see the American Ballet Company, the Russian Ballet, New York Ballet and a whole host of other amazing companies perform. I love to dance, but I've never been all that good at it, so I'm in awe of professional dancers and how effortless they make it look.

Rainbow flats #fashionillustration for #inktoberff — as part of #inktober https://t.co/0FykgHTwpz

— Jessica Mack (@BrownPaperBunny) October 22, 2016

How about you, did you ever do any dancing or take any dance lessons? 

If you'd like to see all of my entries for Inktober so far, click here. 

Inktober Day 15: Sweater

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

Today's Inktober Fall Fashion prompt was 'sweater' so, inspired by Blake Lively, I drew this little number.  

I don't know about you but Fall (or Autumn as we call it in Australia) is my favorite time of year. I'll take sweaters over tank tops any day. And the chance to curl up in front of the fire with a good book while the leaves change outside — yes please! 

Not to mention Fall is ridiculously beautiful here in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The air is fresh, but still warm, the trees turn every shade you can imagine from greens through to purples, and the sky seems to be extra blue. Unlike other parts of the country Fall is super sunny and gorgeous here in Colorado. 

And I didn't even mention the array of delicious hot drinks available at this time of year! ;)

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Inktober Day 16: Long Sleeved Dress

The prompt for Day 16 of the Inktober Fall Fashion Illustration Challenge (and also my birthday) was long-sleeved dress, so I painted this dress from the '40s that I wished I owned. I've always been obsessed with late '30s, '40s, and '50s women's fashion. How about you, do you have a favorite fashion era?

I used Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay India Ink in Teal, mixed with a little black to give it more depth. For the outlines I used Micron pens. 

If you'd like to see all of my Inktober Fall Fashion Illustration entries so far, visit: http://www.brownpaperbunny.com/blog/inktober-fall-fashion

Inktober Day 14: Boots

I had some fun creating these simple, pink, suede boots for Day 14 of #inktoberff

Watch the short video of it coming together:

You can see all of my entries for Inktober so far here. 

Inktober Day 13: Animal Print (+ Free Download)

So, the prompt for Day 13 of the Inktober Fall Fashion Challenge is 'animal print'. There are pink animals right? You know, like the Pink Panther? 

Ok, so maybe it looks more like camouflage than animal print, but I like how it came out all the same.

And because sneakers are so much fun to draw, color and design I thought you might like to have a go! Leave your email below to download and print the outline of my sneakers. Then once you've colored them in tag @BrownPaperBunny and #inktoberff on social media so I can check them out. Have fun!

Here's a little timelapse video of how I painted mine. 

Inktober Day 12: Hat

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

It's already Day 12 of the Inktober Fall Fashion Challenge! Today's prompt was 'hat' so I created this pink felt number. 

Here's a timelapse video of it all coming together - using Tombow Brush Markers as watercolors, and directly on the page, and finished with Micron Pens. Yesterday's post showed how I used the Tombow markers if you're interested in learning more. Sorry the video is a bit blown out!

Inktober Day 11: Blouse (Tombow Marker Tutorial)

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

Today's prompt for the Inktober Fall Fashion Illustration Challenge is 'Blouse'. Naturally I added some bunnies. ;)

Someone told me about a 'watercolor' technique using Tombow Brush Markers. I tested it out, and it was pretty cool, so I wanted to share it with you. I assume it would work just as well with any water-soluble markers!

First, pick out the colors you want to use - you can also blend them together to get just the right shade. 

Then make yourself a palette. I tried a scrap of watercolor paper, which didn't work so well once I started scrubbing at the marker color with water, so in the end I used tracing paper but I've heard a zip-lock sandwich bag works well too. (UPDATE: Tombow sent me a care package with a plastic coated blending palette, which works a treat. I bet a piece of plastic overhead projector sheet or something similar would also work well). 

Scribble some ink down on the palette, this is where you can mix the marker colors. 

Then use a paintbrush to wet the marker ink and then start painting on your page. If you aren't getting enough color you usually just need a little more water on your brush.

Here's my finished product.

This technique allows for subtle color build up and layers that you can't always get by using the markers directly on the paper. I'm definitely going to experiment a little more. 

Watch the timelapse video below of it all coming together. 

Leave me a comment and let me know if you've ever tried this - or if you're going to try it now. :)

And if you'd like to see the rest of my #Inktoberff entries, click here. 

Inktober Day 10: Button-Down

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

The prompt for Day 10 of the Inktober Fall Fashion challenge was 'button-down'.

I have a few Tombow dual brush markers but I haven't used them all that much. I knew they were water soluble so I thought I'd play around with trying to blend them and add water to make some of the colors run together a bit. You can see, in the hair where I added the most water. 

Have you ever played around with water soluble markers? Did you like them, and do you have a favorite brand?

I have a few Winsor and Newton watercolor markers and despite loving everything else W&N make,  I have to say I don't like the markers very much. I find they dry out quickly and don't wet or spread as much as I'd like - the Tombow markers acted more like watercolor than the W&N watercolor ones did. I've ordered some other 'watercolor markers' online to see if they are any better. 

Inktober Day 9: Jeans

Overalls count as jeans right? 

This is my entry for Day 9 of #InktoberFF inspired by Atlantic-Pacific.

You can see the rest of the my entries here. 

Inktober Day 7 + 8: Pattern + Sunglasses

I combined Day 7 (Pattern) and Day 8 (Sunglasses) with today's Inktober Fall Fashion prompt. 

You can check out my other entries here. 

Inktober Update

I had a busy couple of days and got a little behind on my #InktoberFF drawings, so I combined Day 4 (Jacket), Day 5 (Gloves) and Day 6 (Purse) so I could get back on track. 

Here's a timelapse of my drawing:

Even though I got a bit behind, some other talented folk have been posting away for each of the daily prompts. Take a look at their work on the Instagram hashtag.

And it's still not too late to join, visit my original blog post to see all the daily prompts and join in whenever you have time. Happy Inktober! 

Inktober Day 3: Scarf

he prompt for Day 3 of #InktoberFF is 'scarf' so I illustrated one of my favorite Kate Spade scarves — which has a travel / map motif in pale pinks and grays.

I used watered-down Dr Ph. Martin's India Ink in layers to create a softer effect, and then Staedtler Fine Liners in gray to outline.

My lovely online friend Colifichets has been kind enough to give us a 10% off coupon for her gorgeous, hand-bound books (like the one I'm using in the video). She made my and my sister's wedding guest books and now she's making beautiful sketchbooks and watercolor journals too! Go check them out and use code 'BROWNPAPERBUNNY' for your discount! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Colifichets

It's not too late to join the Inktober Fall Fashion challenge, you can dip in whenever you have time. The prompts (and all of my entries so far) can be found here. 

Inktober Day 2: Ankle Boots

The second prompt in the Inktober Fall Fashion challenge is 'Ankle Boots'. My submission is inspired by the Edyn boots at a local boutique, Sole Mates. 

It's not too late to join in the challenge - check out all the details here. 

Inktober Day 1: Flannel

Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!

Inktober is a month-long challenge than happens every year in October. I joined in a couple of years ago, and it's become one of my favorite challenges! This year I came up with my own fashion-related prompts for each day. (I'd love for you to join in by the way - check out my last blog post).

Here is Day 1: Flannel 

I used Dr Ph Martin's Bombay India Ink, Micron Pens, Liquitex Markers (which I suppose are technically paint - but shh, don't tell anyone), and Winsor & Newton Cotman Brushes.

First I sketched out my drawing using pencil, then went over it with grey pens, and erased as much of the pencil lines as I could without scrubbing up the ink lines. Then I used red India Ink to create the 'splashy' side of the flannel, and more neatly color in the right-hand side.

Once that was dry I used a watered down teal India Ink in stripes over the red to create the flannel look. I also used teal to create some background texture in the upper right corner. 

I then painted on some pale yellow ink on some strands of her hair, and used watered down magenta ink on her lips and cheeks. 

Lastly I busted out the Liquitex marker in bright yellow to make some of her hair pop a little more, and to add some detail to the bottom left corner. 

I added a couple of faint triangles in photoshop, because I felt like the big white area of her jeans was a little too plain. And voila - all done!

I'd love to know what you think of this slightly looser and messier style - often my illustrations are very neat. ;)

Inktober Fall Fashion

Inktober happens every October, and it's all about challenging yourself to draw more regularly, and experiment with ink. I don't know about you, but sometimes I get a bit stuck for inspiration when I'm doing monthly challenges, so I've put together this list of Fall fashion prompts. 

Why don't you join me! Do as many or as few as you like, no pressure. Tag your pics on Instagram and Twitter with #InktoberFF (Inktober Fall Fashion) so we can all play together!

If you're looking for some good Inktober drawing materials to try out, here are a few of my favorites.

• Dr. Ph Martin's Bombay India Ink (comes in a range of colors)
• Winsor and Newton Cotman watercolor brushes (to use with the India Ink)
• Fluid Watercolor Paper (works great with the India Ink)
• Liquitex Paint Markers - I know I know, they're paint, but they're in marker form so they count ;)
• Micron Fineliner Pens
• Marker Paper or Xerox Paper (nice and smooth for the Micron Pens)

I'll be posting my entries to @BrownPaperBunny on Instagram, and of course, right here on the blog too. Leave a comment with a link to your Instagram account or blog so we can all check out your work too

Day 31: Halloween

Day 29 / Day 30

Day 26 / Day 27 / Day 28

Day 25: Cardigan

Day 24: Coat

Day 22 / 23: Belt + Poncho

Day 21: Sneakers

Day 20: Jumpsuit

Day 19: Football Jersey

Day 18: Chambray

Day 17: Flats

Day 16: Long Sleeved Dress

Day 15: Sweater

Day 14: Boots

Day 13: Animal Print

Day 12: Hat

Day 11: Blouse

Day 10: Button-Down

Day 9: Jeans

Day 7: Pattern / Day 8: Sunglasses

Day 4: Jacket / Day 5: Gloves / Day 6: Purse

Day 3: Scarf

Day 2: Ankle Boots

Day 1: Flannel

Falling for Fall

It seems that the official first day of Fall was the permission the trees needed to immediately start changing color and for the weather to go from stinkin' hot to sweater and boot weather overnight.  

I've heard a few people lamenting the cooler weather, but not me. Fall in Colorado is such a magical time, and secretly I wait all year to be able to get our fire going, and bust out the cute scarves, boots and cuddly sweaters! Not to mention, people in my neighborhood go all out with wreaths, cute pumpkin decorations, and Halloween parifinalia. Coming from Australia, where no-one really decorates (or celebrates) holidays in a big way I love seeing people embrace the change of seasons here!

I had to mark the occasion with a little hand lettering and some gold watercolors, which you can download and print for yourself below. (For individual, personal use only — not for resale).