What I Wore -- to Ikea

I'm too shy to show photos of myself, but occasionally I like to share things to do with fashion. These What I Wore drawings are a good chance to do that as well as get in some drawing practice. I wore this outfit quite a long time ago, back in June, and I've been meaning to share it all this time. Oops! It's also been a really long time since I've done a What I Wore drawing, or at least finished one. I found several half-finished sketches in my drawing book, which was a bit sad, but it made me determined to finish this one.

I tried a slightly different technique. Instead of doing a pencil outline and then filling it in with ink, I skipped the pencil part. I also drew in a looser style than normal. I think the proportions came out fairly well considering I didn't have a preliminary sketch. Also, apparently I wasn't willing to have a go at drawing hands that day. Perhaps next time.

What I Wore : Variations on a Theme

So, the story. Yes, it's been about a year since I attempted a What I Wore drawing. I say 'attempted' because the last few I did are still unfinished. Lately though, I've been trying to be a bit more bold and colourful in what I wear, and I thought these two efforts deserved to be recorded. Especially when I think about them together. Obviously, one is neat for work, the other casual for a fun weekend afternoon. Yet they are similar in many ways. I love how the colours are the same, and even the garments themselves mirror each other, but the looks are so different.

I have learned ... makeup is really hard to capture with watercolour! Also, still hopeless at drawing hands, but at least I gave it a try this time. =)

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On an unrelated note, if you've ever wondered why my netname is ApartmentCat, view this animation on YouTube: Le Chat d'Appartement by Sarah Roper. When I first saw this video many years ago, I was absolutely charmed. I chose the name to remind myself to take risks and follow my dreams, just like the cat in the animation did.

What I Wore: to a Birthday Batman BBQ

It's been so long since I did a What I Wore (let alone anything, really!), in fact the last one was in December 2010. However, I wore an outfit that I liked so much on the weekend, that I was inspired to draw it. I've increasingly interested in Japanese fashion styles in the last few years, and I've been experimenting with adding an accessory here and there. Last weekend though, I finally got up the courage to try a whole ensemble.

My favourite style is Mori Kei ("Forest Look"), and this is what my outfit is based on. In a nutshell, it's what a girl wears when she's wandering around in the forest, taking pictures with a Holga camera and communing with nature. Or, if she lives in the city, she can be seen in a coffee shop writing in her journal, staring dreamily at the clouds from a street corner, or just watching the world go by.

There are many interpretations of the style, from "I'm a prairie girl about to build a barn", to "I'm an ethereal deer spirit who decided to wear every lace item I own today". Unlike many Japanese fashion styles (I'm mainly talking Lolita and Gyaru, here), there are really no rules, and you can pretty much interpret the aesthetic however you like. And guess what! Handmade items feature very heavily in the style, which sings to my need to crochet and sew little treasures to my heart's content.

Here's a description of Mori Girl attributes (both fashion and lifestyle), and the Mori tag on the rabbit hole that is Pinterest for visual reference.

I call this outfit 'Semi-Mori' because it would really need more layers and accessories for me to be entirely happy with it. In the end I had to rush out the door, so I didn't put as much effort into the finishing touches as I would have liked. But I think it isn't too bad for a first go!

I'm pretty happy with my drawing - considering I haven't drawn at all in over a year! I even had a go at drawing proper hands. I found quite a few half-finished sketches in my art journal (mainly other What I Wore pictures), which made me a little sad. But I felt so good after I finished my drawing, that I'm determined to take it up again regularly. Since I started my new job in January, I've been too tired to put any energy into creative pursuits, but it's time for that to change!

I'm excited to announce that I've almost finished Top Secret Project #2! It just needs the finishing touches and then I'm handing it in to its owner tomorrow. Tomorrow I'm going to go through all my projects, evaluate them and hopefully finish a few off. I want to clear the board in readyness for ... baby season! No, no NO ... I'm not the one having a baby, no fear there! But, to paraphrase the song, "All my friends are having babies".

Stay tuned for more crafty things!

What I Wore - quite some time ago

Here is a drawing I did about two weeks ago, which I only got around to scanning today.

I used the new watercolour set that Boy bought me, with 36 lovely colours. The drawing is only half the size of the ones I've done previously, so there's less detail. I think I'll go back to using a whole page. Also, I had a bit of a problem with bleeding around the face. And I cheated and gave myself Barbie-doll-hands. I haven't drawn for a while, it's true. I'm trying to accept the wonky bits. Just like in real life, really!

I did look pretty cute that day, though!

What I Wore Drawings

Here are two drawings that I did last week. I posted them to the What I Wore Today group on Flickr.

Done in my Blue (Dry) Journal.
Materials Used: Kuretake Zig waterproof pen, watercolour, watercolour pencils, metallic rub.
Boy drew the arms in. I normally leave them off because I'm not very good at them yet!

Done in my Blue (Dry) Journal.
Materials Used: Kuretake Zig waterproof pen, watercolour, watercolour pencils, metallic acrylic paint on rubber stamp.
This time I used a guide to proportions that Boy showed me. I think it looks much better!

Art Journal Stimulus Project - Week 2

I'm 4 weeks behind, but I wanted to finish it anyway.
I decided to work over a page that I'd started about a month ago, but I wasn't happy with:

So then I turned it into this:

The task was to start with someone or something negative in your life that's holding you back. Then cover it right up with things in your life that are positive, encouraging, fun and/or playful. For an explanation of what materials and techniques I used, I've gone into the boring details in my Flickr, here. (There is a reason why there's a large drawing of my own head in it, I'm not just vain. But then again, it's a pretty big head on the page there...)

Here's a detail of it:

Here's something else I've been working on, in my new drawing journal. It's called A Week of Experimentation. I tried wearing different looks every day for a week. Some are quite daring - for me! The first day was more like returning to an old look, to ease myself into it:

I felt really cute! I will post the rest as photo opportunities allow. Or I might see if scanning them works.
Have a great week!
Be the craft!