I fell in love with this Balmain jacket as soon as I saw it, so of course I had to illustrate it. I love that it’s paired with a simple skinny black trouser – one of my faves! I thought it’d be fun to have the painting-in-progress & final piece back to back. They were originally posted on Facebook separately, but it’s cool to see how the art gets translated when it’s scanned. Some details get lost, while others get sharper. I think they both look neat, but I’ll always adore the tactile look & fine details of brushstrokes on paper. Yummy! xo

“Metallic-aah!”, Versace S/S 2013

Wow…two blog posts in less than a week…progress! I promised myself I’d make time for personal art & blog updates in between my deadlines- so I chose this shiny number since I’ve been dying to illustrate this collection since last Fall. Plus, it makes the grey days of January just a little bit brighter. I think I’d wear almost everything that Donatella sent down the runway, and that makes me want to illustrate almost everything too!  The looks are all super sexy & sassy…makes me want to shimmy & sketch! xo

Check Mate! Louis Vuitton S/S 2013

Oh my sad, neglected blog! I’ve been meaning to update this for months now, but I always end up taking the easy (aka time-saving) way out & updating my Facebook page instead. Perhaps my New Year’s Resolution should be to pay more attention to this!

To sum up my blog absence, I’ve basically been working around the clock on all sorts of fun things: The Fashion Illustration Exhibition at the BPL, Drawing Classes at the BPL, illustrations for Stila, Denim Blu, Dove Hair Care, ModPair, Mr. Gatsby, Michael’s Consignment, Glaze Body Bling, Medical Fashion Illustrations, Political Art, Givenchy (which I can’t share until they’re unveiled) & tons more blog and website art. They’re all deserving of their own posts, but for now the links will have to do until I play catch-up.

Which brings me to the illustration above…I’ve been dying to get back to my Rock The Runway series, but I haven’t had any extra time in my schedule. Luckily this morning one of my clients decided to extend a deadline, so I had a few free hours to fit this in. Yay! It also caught the attention of Marcus Kan & his new illustration site, Draw A Dot. It’s nice to hear that my Runway Girls have been missed by others as well as myself. It totally inspired me to make time in my schedule for personal work & portfolio updates. So bring it on, Fashion Week!

More soon…recaps, new art, cool projects…I promise! xoxo

Class Act! So along with showing work at the Fashion Illustration Exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library, I was asked to teach a few fashion drawing classes. The first one last week was fantastic fun, and I think the students got a lot out of it- I know I did!

The class was open to the public, so kids of all ages & levels of skill could attend. My teaching style is laid-back & interactive- I love going around the class & helping the young students with their individual drawings & questions.

The theme of this class was 80s New Wave (go figure, right?). I’m obviously a huge fan, but I felt like the silhouettes & attitude of the 80s would be fun for them to learn from. And an upbeat playlist set the tone for the session since I always have to paint in a happy place.

I started the class with demos showing the students basic techniques, like how I do a light action line as a base to every painting & how to really observe the shapes & angles of what you’re looking at. I also talked about movement from head to toe & proportion of the body- the 9-heads rule.

Models Dayna & Monica struck some rad poses throughout the session. I kept the poses to under ten minutes so the students could warm up, loosen up & capture the essence of the models without being too literal. I wanted them to break out of their outline drawings & erasing what they think doesn’t work. I’m not sure they believed me when I told them that I never erase or try to fix my work- If a painting isn’t coming together for me, I literally rip it up & use it for scrap paper!

During each pose I did a quick 2-3 minute gesture painting, then went around the class seeing who had questions or wanted some assistance. I loved when they allowed me to draw directly over or next to their sketches- it’s a great way to point out proportion & angles from each of their views.

So I had a blast, and I hope they did too! I remember being their ages with the same interest in art and fashion, so it was really rewarding being able to give back a little of what I’ve learned over the years. I’m looking forward to the next session on October 4th- would love to see you there! Many thanks to Brandon of Would You Rock This?, Barbara of the BPL, teaching assistant Aliona & models Dayna & Monica. xo

Chatting about illustration techniques at The Fashion Class, August 15th, 2012

I was in the middle of getting a pedicure when I got an email from Kerri at The Fashion Class. She was wondering if I’d be up for guest-teaching her teen students before their summer session was complete. Of course! I had such a great time the first time I taught a class in March, so I was psyched to be asked to return.

While I had a blast the first time around with the younger kids, this class was even more rewarding- I was helping out high school girls who were totally into fashion & working on their portfolios to get into school! I remember way back when I was doing the same thing to get into F.I.T., so I was more than happy to help out.

I covered some Fashion Illustration basics to help the girls with their drawings & designs. Their enthusiasm to learn was awesome- love it! I chatted about proportion, how to create movement in drawings, attitude, sketching faces & clothing and the importance of knowing anatomy to make drawings look believable & come to life.

I’m not so much of a “stand in front of the class & teach” kind of person, so we all sat around the table chatting & drawing, looking at my portfolio pieces for reference & proportion, checking out the girls’ sketchbooks & helping them out when they had questions & wanted advice. The hour & a half went by in two seconds, I swear! I was also psyched that they had all seen my illustrations up at Mood on one of their many field trips around the city.

All in all, a super fun & educational day. I look forward to next time & I wish the girls the best of luck with their fashion dreams!

Check out The Fashion Class & sign up for their programs. Their new space on 39th Street in the heart of the fashion district is bright, airy & energetic! Totally inspiring. xoxo

Marilyn Conquering The World!

I was so psyched to get an email from Marcus at Fusion of Effects asking me to contribute more art to Dolce & Gabbana’s online luxury magazine, Swide. I’ve been featured on Swide a few times before- “Illustration That Rocks The Runway”, “SS 2012 Womenswear Collection”, “Illustrating Love”, and a really fun feature all about Lace!

Anyway! Marcus asked me to do some illustrations of the amazing Marilyn Monroe dressed in Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall 2012 collection. This was seriously one of the most fun projects I’ve ever had the pleasure of working on. I was obsessed with Marilyn back in my high school days- even to the point of lip-syncing “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” in front of my bedroom mirror from time to time. Ha, I can’t believe I just admitted that to the public. Oh well, I was a sixteen year old art & fashion geek into old movies. Back to the point…Marilyn was so full of beauty & wit that she’s been emulated a zillion times by fans across the globe. Timeless, lovely beauty.

It was a hard task narrowing down outfits & iconic Marilyn poses- if I had the time I would have done ten more! (Add that to my personal projects to-do list!) I chose some of my favorite pieces to add to her sexy sweet poses. It was incredible fun dressing Marilyn in today’s looks- the collection is filled with lace & embroidery & ruffles- gorgeous & girly! I like to think that Marilyn would be delighted to wear these beautiful garments.

The illustration above is one of my faves. It’s inspired by one of Marilyn’s most iconic poses from the very first issue of Playboy Magazine in December 1953. I chose an intricate corset to illustrate, along with those shoes…those gorgeous shoes! I wanted a pose that would really show those beauties off, and this was it. I inked in some classic Marilyn quotes & that one just sums it up perfectly- Conquer the world she certainly did!

Please check out the rest of the art & interview here!

“Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.”- MM

xoxo!

Live-sketching Kenzo customers at Bloomingdale’s, NYC

‘Flower Tag’ Invitation

A few weeks ago I was contacted by MANHATTAN Magazine’s Brandon Grant. He inquired if I would be interested in sketching customers & guests for KENZO’s Flower Tag Fragrance Launch party. Yes, yes and yes! We started with the Flower Tag Illustration, a pretty, poppy & peppy gal used on the party invitation & in-store displays.

I arrived at Bloomingdale’s last night & was immediately greeted by a gorgeous garden of poppies, as well as Brandon & the sweet staff of MANHATTAN Magazine. I started sketching right away, which is always a blast! I get to meet the most awesome people at events like this & they get to take home a personalized sketch by me. Yay!

Here’s what MANHATTAN had to say about the event:

Kenzo and MANHATTAN magazine hosted a social gathering to celebrate the launch of the new Flower Tag fragrance. Fashion Illustrator Jennifer Lilya was on hand, creating beautiful portraits for guests who purchased a fragrance. The event supported Dress For Success’ Young Executives of Success organization.

Thanks to everyone for a ridiculously fun night of sketching while surrounded by great people & the delicious scent of Flower Tag! Looking forward to more live-sketching & parties!

Please check out MANHATTAN Magazine & KENZO for luxurious info & luxurious scents! xoxo

‘Makeup by Desiree’ Logo Illustration

‘Memos by Desiree’ Blog Header

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of working with Desiree Delia, a super sweet makeup artist here in NYC and Connecticut. She was looking for a fun illustration for her blog, Memos by Desiree. In it she wanted to convey her strength as a creative makeup artist (brushes in hand!), as well as her strength in business (Forbes Magazine in the other!) Along with the city skyline background, a little black dress & red pumps, Desiree is the total package! Check out her blog for pretty photos & tutorials!

I also worked on a logo for her website, Makeup By Desiree. I love doing little spot illustrations of makeup & accessories, so this was a fun one! I also love the personal touch that hand-lettering evokes. Fonts are fine, but ink is incredible!

So please check out her sites & if you ever need to get dolled up for an event, give Desiree a call!

Pretty, Pretty. xoxo

“Window Popping”…Elise of Dressopotamia!

This is Elise. She’s one of the smartest, stylish & sassiest women you’ll ever get the pleasure of meeting. She also has one of the most entertaining blogs I’ve seen in a long time- Dressopotamia. Buckle up for a wild ride through her closet of vintage, poppy, mod dresses that any gal would be jealous of! Not to mention her insightful and amusing analysis of print & pattern & fit. And just like I do with my paintings, Elise has a witty name for each one of her dresses- how can you not love that? She’s a total fashion riot, so of course I had to paint her in one of her amazing frocks! So go check her out. Now. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, you’ll probably spend the rest of your day reading about her awesome technicolor dream of a closet! xoxo

She's The Queen Of The "Cool Turq"!

I had a free night of painting on Saturday, which is a rarity these days. Summer is filled with client work and lots & lots of playtime camping & hanging out at the beach-so I took advantage of my night off to loosen up & get back into the groove of painting after being away in Aruba. While I LOVE my vacations and fun time, I couldn’t wait to get back & start creating again! I put on some of my favorite dance music (The Go-Gos!) and went to town on my quickies- gestural expressions that take only a minute or two to complete. They get to the heart of the look with just a few lines & a whole lot of attitude- definitely one of my favorite things to do! xoxo