Illustration: Polka dot sweater and feather dress

I just finished this illustration:

Although by "finished," I actually mean "I stopped myself from adding any more to it before I ruined it." I am by no means a real artist! I am fairly happy with what I've been turning out for this class, but it takes a lot of practice and fixing to get it that way.

This assignment was a fashion drawing using only pencil crayon, illustrating clothing with pattern and/or texture. Check out my process!

My sources of inspiration were this outfit from Wendy's Lookbook, and this gorgeous photo of Coco Rocha:

My first croquis:

The reaction faces I drew in were in response to those horrible, gross, clawlike hands.

First tear sheet:

Not bad, except there is something seriously wrong with her face! I think I managed to fix the hand issue by this point, though.

First attempt at colour and mixing:

OK THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG WITH HER FACE.

The notes are all things I wrote down, which my illustration instructor suggested for fixes.

Second croquis:

This is where I fix any sort of body issues we might be having. Not real person body issues, obviously, because if she were real she would definitely topple over. Must suck to be that top heavy and willowy at the same time.

Second tear-sheet:

Face is definitely better now, phew. She's still facing forward, though, and in the photograph of Coco Rocha, you have no doubt that she's looking up. But I got some more help from my instructor:

The left face is the 30-second sketch she made while explaining things to me. Things like, the chin is less pointy (illustrated again on the lower left), and the mouth and nose curve downward (middle).

The right face is my attempt to fix my figure's facial issues. It's a little more convincingly looking upwards, maybe?

In any case, that's what I went with, and here is the final drawing, sans letterbox:

The lessons I learn in illustration class include drawing, but mostly serve to remind me of the following:

1. there is no such thing as perfection

2. iteration, iteration, iteration!

These are important things to keep in mind when making anything.