sketching – Rae Nudson

fashion illustration of claire on outlander

Much of Outlander’s attention right now is because of its super hot sex scenes with the main couple, Claire and Jamie. But there is just as much to talk about when the characters have their clothes on.

Terry Dresbach, the shows costume designer, talks here about eight of her favorite looks on the show. Not surprisingly, Claire is on that list four times. I drew her in one of my favorite looks of hers, a gorgeous deep teal bodice and plaid skirt.

Claire has so many different looks on the show, but they are only made up of a few different items mixed and matched. The idea is that Claire has limited clothing given to her, and she wears those items over and over in different combinations.

I could learn a lesson or two from Claire on how to mix it up with a smaller wardrobe, and on how to wear a bodice like a boss.

Here’s a video on some of my coloring process.

sketching 2015: january

This year I have resolved to do more sketching, so once a month I’ll share some of my sketches to keep me honest. It also will be cool to see a bigger picture of my style and skill evolving–if it evolves! that’s the hope–and to show some of my not-quite-finished or not-quite-there yet sketches. My sketches everyday (or hopefully everyday) are sometimes quick and sometimes to try new things, and none of them are perfectly done exactly the way I’d like them to be. But that’s what sketchbooks are for: practicing and experimenting. There’s no rhyme or reason to these, I just picked a few straight out of my sketchbook and posted these pictures straight from my phone. You can always follow me on instagram at raenudson and look at more of my sketches under #raesdrawings.Continue reading “sketching 2015: january”

ralph lauren fashion illustration

I love fashion week, even from afar. (It’s not like I went to shows when I was in New York anyway, so the separation’s pretty easy.) Looking at pretty things for inspiration and for fun will never get old for me.

This fashion week coincided with roughly the same time I got sick of everything in my closet. My new style inspiration Keri Russell has inspired me to pare things down to simple, cool basics. (I mean, she looks good, right?)

While runways tend to be known for going over the top, there’s still great inspiration to pull from if you keep your eyes open.

This look from Ralph Lauren is a wonderful example of simple and cool. A ribbed sweater and pants in the same color family are perfectly coordinated basics, and the bright yellow trench is a fun and surprising update to a classic wardrobe staple.

So this is what I’m aiming for these days: classy, simple, cool.

My illustration is pen and marker. I tried something a little different this time and used a sepia pen since my colors were light and bright. I like it! My video slideshow shows some of the coloring process.

I’m liking these videos, but practice will make perfect I suspect. What do you guys think?

what i wore sketch

An illustration of what I wore to work last week. Pen and marker. Shoes and necklace from Target. I can’t remember the source for the dress, but I think it was either Kohl’s or Macy’s.

Happy Friday! I thought we’d never get here.

living room sketch, two ways

You guys know my living room, right? I just moved and decorated this year and I’m still quite happy with it. But it never hurts to imagine something new and play around with what if. So I drew a few sketches: one based on my living room now, and one with similar pieces that can change the whole look.

I’m really happy with my current furniture, but I could see myself hanging out with some pink shades and a navy couch. Plus nice wood and gold accents? I’ll need to figure out a way to use this somewhere…

fashion illustration class update

It’s getting near the end of my drawing class, but here’s a few of my favorites so far. These drawings are from inspiration I’ve found in magazines or on Pinterest, or from our model in class.

My main goal from this class is to better be able to communicate my ideas visually–for fashion and home design and anything else I want to dream up. I am definitely improving, and it’s been a lot of fun. I learned a whole new medium in markers and I really, really like exploring that. Our final project is coming up next week–I hope I come up with something good. You can always follow along on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #raesdrawings.

fashion illustration class

I am taking a drawing class. A fashion illustration class, if you want to be specific. I’m really enjoying it!

I feel like drawing is a great way to communicate, especially when I’m thinking of clothes people could wear or rooms they could live in. I’m really excited to get some classes in and practice, practice, practice. We are focusing on figure drawing and we’ll get to use all different kinds of mediums. Right now I’m mostly practicing just the body, and we’ll have lessons on drawing different materials for clothes and learning how to do hands, faces, and accessories.

My goal is just to get better at drawing and communicating what I see in my head onto a page. Hopefully I’ll get to share some cool drawings over the next few weeks!

titiana’s outfit from the haunted bookshop

Like everyone else who shopped at the haunted bookshop, Titiana charmed me. I wasn’t sure about her in the beginning. The 18-year-old arrives to her bookshop apprenticeship in a fur stole, after all, so can you really blame me–or her father–for making the mistake of thinking her frivolous?

But you learn in The Haunted Bookshop (by Christopher Morley) (Kindle here) not to judge a book by its cover. Things are not as they seem and the bookshop may be haunted by more than the spirits of great literature.

Mr. and Mrs. Mifflin run the store, called Parnassus at Home, and live above the second-hand shop. Roger Mifflin is as passionate about books as Titiana is beautiful, and he is delighted to take her on as an apprentice at the behest of Titiana’s father. Her father wants to get some of the finishing school nonsense out of Titiana’s head and fill it with books and hard work instead. An admirable goal, and Roger and Titiana are both excited to teach and be taught.

But even before Titiana arrives, things are strange in the little, crowded shop. An advertising man, Aubrey, stops in to meet Roger and ask for a chance at his business, and the two quickly become friendly. But after a particular book disappears and reappears from Roger’s shelves, Aubrey begins to suspect foul play in this queer place.

Although most of Brooklyn is basking in the peace after World War I ends, Aubrey, Titiana, and the Mifflins become caught up in mystery after mystery. Every character is delightful to spend time with, even Bock, the Mifflins’ terrier. Roger’s passion for books is contagious, and at less than 200 pages it was the perfect easy read as things settle down for me in Chicago.

I drew Titiana as she arrives for the first time to meet the Mifflins. She is much wealthier than her bookstore benefactors, and her expertly tailored clothes show off her figure and complement her coloring. She is wearing brown tweed, a fur stole, and tan spats–like a boss.

(I picked out this book on my own and wasn’t paid to write about it. The links are affiliate, though, so if you buy through my links I’ll receive a little bit of money.)

outfits of boy from boy, snow, bird

Using The Fashion Sketchpad to help me draw and watercolors to help me paint, I imagined what Boy, one of the main characters in Boy, Snow, Bird (Kindle here) by Helen Oyeyemi, would be wearing.

Boy is an icy blond who once took a magazine quiz called “Are you frigid?” and got the highest (coldest?) score. Boy’s stepdaughter Snow said that Boy’s wedding dress made her look like a statue. So after she was married, when her life got more complicated and she kept her emotions even further under the surface, I pictured her in creams and whites.

It’s often mentioned her skirts hit the floor, which I think makes her seem more regal, like an evil queen stepmother. Her skirts aren’t very swishy, and she wouldn’t have a lot of bows or frills. She is statuesque and hard to read, and she knows what flatters her figure. Boy’s clothing is her amour, and she doesn’t let many people in. Even after she’s been “interfering” with Arturo, she stays tied up tight in his white shirt and tie, always with her snake bracelet around her arm.

I pictured her in her red date dress, which she got when one of her father’s girlfriends left it behind. It was a kind of silk, and probably didn’t fit her exactly right, but I bet she was still a knockout. The next outfit is after she was married, as Bird describes her on a regular day. On her wedding day, her dress was simple and sleek, and I imagined a few red roses to match Arturo’s red bow tie. And her navy coat is the one she wore when she was saw her mirrored self, right before she kissed Arturo.

You can see my post on Boy, Snow, Bird here.

outfits of jen from S.

I had a lot of fun reading S., the puzzle book by Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams. There are many stories within S. besides the main text the Ship of Theseus. I was most interested in the story of Jen and Eric, two students (kind of) who picked up the Ship of Theseus and wrote notes to each other in the margins.

I love researching, and I am not embarrassed that I also love gossip. Reading their notes in the margins was a fun, guilt free way to do both. By seeing what Jen and Eric wrote to each other, I began to put together their lives and relationship.

I don’t know much about Jen when the story starts other than she’s a voracious reader, has just been dumped, and just needs to pass a few more classes before she can graduate with her bachelor’s degree.

Jen seems smart–she can break codes and use clues to solve some of the Ship of Theseus’ mysteries. She also seems like she’s slowly coming undone as she gets further and further into Eric, the Ship of Theseus, and author V.M. Straka’s other books.

I used The Fashion Sketchpad again (I love it!) to imagine what Jen would be wearing through some of her journey. Then I filed in some color with my watercolors.

Jen’s a college student who seems more into her studies than fashion (not that you can’t do both), and she doesn’t have much money to spend on clothes. When Jen is sneaking around the tunnels to investigate they mysteries of S., I bet she’d wear something dark and sporty. If she’s researching in the library, it would be skinny jeans and a big sweater.

I think as she’s going through her breakup, Jen would turn to comfortable–but more importantly, comforting–clothes, like a giant old sweater she’s had for years. I imagined her in some brighter colors before her relationship ended, and then grays and blacks after as she tries to recover and begins investigating S.

The purple stripes and green sweater are what I thought Jen might wear before she met Eric. She would wear some brighter colors, but still a simple look, as she goes to work or meets her old boyfriend for a date. She wears the necklace that he bought her as a gift and has her hair down and done. After he dumps her though, she stays in most nights, in leggings and his old sweatshirt, as she works her way through reading all of Straka’s books.

You can see my other post about S. here.

(I picked out this book on my own and am not being paid to write about it. But if you buy through my links I will receive a little bit of money for it.)

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