An Illustrated Fashion Blog by Angie Réhe

Despite the fact that Melbourne has forgotten IT’S SPRING, and I am again in winter woolies, I am still stuck on my colour train.  I’m never going to stop loving black ink, but a little doodle I did the other night as a palette cleanser in-between two jobs, was a lot of fun to transform with colour.  In fact, I’m not even sure which one I prefer…Who is this alien who just invaded my body??

One of the many things I learned from the fabulous wonderful talented charming did-I-say-fabulous Bil Donovan was the importance of drawing from a live model.  That’s great but really who can afford to hire a model every time they want or need to do some drawing?  Not me.  Of course there’s plenty of life drawing set-ups around town but they’re not fashion models, they’re not striking a pose, and there’s one key thing missing…um, clothes!

Don’t sweat it because I’ve solved this problem – enter the brand new Live Fashion Drawing nights beginning in Melbourne on September 26th!  These are untutored sessions where you are free to draw how and what you like.  They will be held roughly fortnightly on Thursday nights from 6.30pm – 9.00pm, and will suit everyone from students to professional illustrators.  You don’t even have to do it from a strictly fashion perspective.  And if there’s particular poses or themes or clothing you want to draw, just tell me and we can incorporate it.  Genius really, I know.

So how do you do it?  1. You book your spot with me prior to the night (so there’s no nasty over-crowding) 2. You turn up and draw.  That’s it.

You can check info and dates on The Drawing Salon website, or up-to-the-minute info and pics on our Facebook page.  See you there.

You’re eating chocolate, you’re listening to tunes, you’re drawing beautiful things you didn’t think you could draw, and you’re learning very cool new skills.  Um, there’s nothing not to love about that sentence!  So get on board the last term for 2013 at The Drawing Salon.

Introduction to Fashion Illustration takes you from zero to fabulous in just 8 weekly sessions.  You can join if your hands have never held a pencil, or if you are (or used to be) not bad at all but feel a bit rusty.  All the most important foundations are covered including the best and most useful media to use.

Intermediate Fashion Illustration is the follow-on course or for those already on a roll.  It expands on skills, techniques, and media.

More on the website, even more if you ask me to send it to you, or show me some Like on our Facebook page and in return I’ll show you regular updates and pics.

Go on do it, you know you want to…

I think it’s Spring – there’s something about this time of year that makes me want to fling open the doors, tear off my clothes (or was that the booze?), and – wait for it – wear colour.  (That’s a Melbourne joke for the out-of-towners.)

This even extends to my artworks so I thought  what better focus to have for the first Super Sunday Session of the season?  Hyper colour!  Get on board.

In true Melbourne style we’ve gone from 13 to 25 degrees – not that I’m complaining!  Nor am I complaining that the beautiful scents in the air are making it harder for me to breathe.  Spring in the air, warm air on my skin, and suddenly I want to wrap myself in colour – as much as possible.  This flows through to my illustration classes – this one: Hyper colour on colour.  Amen.

In a weekend where I’d officially put myself into lock-down to get 2 years of tax prepared for the accountant – keeping in mind that at the best of times I might be able to remember what that 2-week old receipt was for – I did pretty well to escape to Dr Sketchy’s Anti Art School today.  Then again I wasn’t exactly taking the lock-down seriously – I “forgot” to strip the liquor shelves.

Well just as well I did, because this little lady above won!  I won a Darth Vader and Son book from Outre Gallery, AND a Mars Bar.  There’s not a damn word in that sentence I don’t like.

The gods have conspired for some time to keep me away from Dr Sketchy’s, but last weekend against all odds and a generous dose of claustrophobia, I made it.  Lucky me to be rewarded with a rather fabulous contortionist to draw.  Thank you Doctor, I am healed.

Whatever you do, don’t let anyone tell you that I’m not the most indecisive person on the planet.  Really?  You think you’d give me a run for my money?  Have you ever wasted an entire afternoon getting dressed/switching everything off/getting in and starting the car…then switched if off/come back inside/changed/ REPEAT..?  That’s right, I didn’t think so.  I’d be embarrassed except I think the day I drove to work in my slippers was worse.

Well nice to know my indecision extends to and permeates my artworks, which is why I painted two versions of this saucy minx for the recent Ethics of Style exhibition, then drove the framer ’round the bend trying to decide which one to frame.  Lucky for me and perhaps for you too that both versions will be available as fine art prints in my store.  Phew.

Grab one of the last spots!  Relax and draw with me in the beautiful leafy surrounds of the Light Factory Gallery in Eltham.  Find out or better understand what makes a fashion figure just so, and play with inks and brushes to create the free and expressive illustrations we’ve loved throughout fashion illustration’s history.  More info here..