After a very wild snow storm in the middle of a white NY I just wanted to wish you very happy holidays!

Xxx

In spanish we have a little proverb that says "al que madruga Dios lo ayuda", God helps who wakes up early...

Well, I woke up very early today in order to finish last minute errands and Christmas presents before tomorrow!!! I really really want to finish and needsome divine help to do it on time... so I decided to wake up early and here I am

This a very quick illustration I did the other day, simple but elegant...

How is your present shopping going? did you get every one on your list?

Simple thoughtful things are always a good way to show someone love, even a simple handcraft postcard...!

Xo

yes it's Sasha Pivovarova...
and yes, i guess you already noticed, she is one of my favorite models...

and yes i love the colors!!!

Happy Friday =)

PS   Can't believe we are only one week away for Christmas eve!! 

I always look like a Christmas tree, I so many bags hanging on my shoulders and hands all day =). 

But today I was feeling more like a little witch... haha! I bought a broom (well yes I also do some cleaning here...) and felt so weird carrying it around while running some errands before coming to  the studio

any way, my hands officially felt the winter cold 'cause of course I was caring everything but my gloves, which remind me it was time for an illustration with a winter feeling and thought how lovely watercolor could it get done with the fur of this coat.... inspired in a pic of Tanya Dziahileva =)

4th time is a charm

I guess it was passion and stubbornness (and little pride I guess) that made me not let go and give up,  but to keep trying (4 times to be exact) until the illustration was something I was satisfied with... And at the end, it was worth the extra time and effort  'cause I love it!

I like the way pencil and illustration work together, there is a nostalgic gray feeling that flips with the intensity and life of watercolor.

I hope you like it too!!!

Friday

Early day
Started with spinning class. The teacher explained it was  a "active recovery" class, (mmmm the only word that sounded in my head was recovery!! nice slow class to finish the week) ahhaaa... it was all about sprinting!!!  Exhausting! Then yoga (finally! relaxing time) are you kidding me? It was all about holding  chair and warrior poses!! My thighs were about to collapse.
Go pick up my phone ASAP...forgot it at the restaurant last night :S
Studio... building a new table and putting up some frames and artwork
Break!  The new illustration I have been working on just not right... 3rd try, still don't like it.
Setting up Google Analysis in my count after knowing I made my 4th sale on my etsy store..guess my smile =)!!!!!!!!

And now almost ready to call it a day and go to the movies!!! =)

Any way I hope you like this one,  Daze&Confused mag cover for their October Issue... would love to collaborate with them one day.... soon soon =)

Don't forget to visit the store
www.gingeraftertaste.etsy.com

Enjoy your w.e...

Little late with the Turkey

I know I am a little bit late with my thanks giving post, but a I had technical problems with the scanning and could do it until now!!

After a few days off with great company and excellent food I am glad to be back at the studio again.

When I go away for a couple of days I always like to slip in my suitcase  a piece of paper, my pencils and some inspiration images (my whole set of watercolor is a little more complicated to travel with) to draw during any time I could find to do it...

It never happens!!! hehe I always end up finishing it at the studio when I am back... and this time was not the exception =) 

Hope you also had great Thanksgiving dinner/weekend...!!

Shopping Time

It is finally ready!!

The store is officially open and ready for you all to check it out =)

 

A very special season is coming and all the holidays with it.

I made a special illustration for this holiday season, I thought of having a beautiful print you can take out every year and compliment your Christmas deco!

It will be a LIMITED EDITION of 25 prints numbered and signed by me, and also availble as Christmas Card Pack. 

*There is a special gift for the first 30 customers =)

To purchase simply visit my store here:

www.gingeraftertaste.etsy.com 

Xxx

Black&White

Black and white. 

I love the contrast. 

Even though I only drew face and arms, the contrast works in a way that our brain creates the rest of the shapes... it even may feel like seing the rest of the body...

One of my favorites photographers and great inspiration is Patrik Demarchelier. He is a master of light's subtleties, he enhances his model beauty and naturalness...

In the original photo Nicole Kidman laying down on a black surface with a beautiful lace dress.

I enjoyed very much while doing it and going back to ink and black felt pen...

I will be selling the original illustration in my Etsy store. Yes!!! It is going to be ready for this holidays!! So don't miss it!

Elle UK 25th Anniversary

Rainy day in NYC. Looking through my window, I see soft blurred buildings on the other side of the Hudson River in grayish tones.
Great day to watch a movie, drink lots of tea and make it a family day.
So...lets do it! =)

For their 25th anniversary edition, ELLE UK created five different covers.
I found the first one of the collection on the web and thought I would do an illustration to send it back to ELLE team... do you guess who is in the cover??

I have been practicing on portraits, to make the illustrations tell you who am I talking about... so any clue on this one?
Kate Hudson... =) could you tell?

I'll keep working on it!

And for the weekend

It has been a not so painting week for me. I got a new studio, so have been packing and unpacking from the old to the new and been doing some "decoration" (if I could call it that way)... I will post some pictures when it is ready.

Any way I did this illustration a few weeks ago and just want to quickly post it for you to enjoy over the weekend!

I really like it because it is one of my favorites models, Sasha Pivovarova, wearing a incredible red velvet jacket design by the talented Alexander McQueen.

Hope you like it as much as your weekend =)

Big Master

Last week my good friend Jessica invited me to very special conference.
David Downtown, one of the greatest illustrators of our time, that I love and admire, came to New York in a very quick trip and FIT had him giving a lecture on 20th Century illustrators and his own work & experience.

He was very spontaneous and inspiring for us, new illustrators.

He gave one big piece of advice, that we should not focus on finding our own style. We get so caught up in that, that we forget the very essence of our art and expression.
We need to practice, and practice.... and practice even more....
because our style is going to find US

Isn't his work great!

Special Classsssss

Yesterday was a very special day.

It has been almost 8 months since my favorite and dear yoga teacher JD moved to the East Coast, and yesterday he came to NY for a unique  class... and I just couldn't missed it   =) !

I enjoyed it so much!!!.. and of course, I am so soared from it...!

Any way... I though this illustration for today (that has nothing to do with yoga except for the almost acrobatic body pose), it was inspired by an outfit from Lula's Magazine S/S 2009, you can check their website here! 

Great images and great inspiration for me =)

The big ones!

Isn’t it true that glasses actually shape the way you are perceived?

Sunglasses can actually say a lot about your personality, and yet you can change style and have a complete different look.

Classic oval and rectangle shapes for the “serious business look” , they express more confidence and intellectuality

Aviator  for very relaxed and fashion aware personality

Or Carrera and the classic Ray-ban totally retro

Big geometric shapes with thick, colorful frames and of course OvErSiZed!!!  Love them!

And we could go on…

The cool thing is that you can easily change style!  Having a few, or a lot ;),  and have fun wearing them and update your look without buying a whole new wardrobe

I think they are the best accessory plus you can use them all year around

So next time you find a pair that you love don’t think it twice!!

Any way the inspiration for this illustration is a picture of Samantha Seyfried and I couldn't help but loving it, the innocent eyes hiding behind those glasses….I had to paint it!

...and Voilá!

Back in Track!!

Yes...

I took little time off from blogging. This summer was time to learn, practice and improve the technique.

Very nice illustrations came out of it and actually they are soon going to in my store online!!

I have been working on it and should be ready soon. 

I love each and every one of the characters, and I am sure you will too!

I had a lot of fun doing this one. I really like doing hair in general, and this big afro style wasn't the exception.

I'll keep you posted!

Maite's look

Summer in NY is always very exciting,
and very hot of course.
Last week  my studio building had AC problems, so all the studios
were like ovens, literally, for almost 5 days...!!!

Any way it's fixed now and it feels great! You don't know
what you have until you loose it right?... so happy to have AC back.

This is an illustration of my good friend Maite.

When I saw her picture on fcbk  I totally
fell in love with her daring look
and the attitude altogether!!

Hope you like it!

Nice nice weekend! Stay cool! =)

L...O...V...E

Hey everyone!!

Back from long birthday celebration and 4th of july weekend

And before all this, I worked in a series of illustrations inspired by words that I like to keep in mind... this one is about LOVE.

 I looked for its definition and I was amazed of what I found... 

Being such a universal concept we all have a different idea of what love is and how to love someone... or sometimes even something...?

So I am ony going to share with you the quotes I liked, and let you think about what love is for you and how intensely are you willing to give it...

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in”

 Morrie Schwartz

"Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life"

Leo Buscaglia

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage"

Lao Tzu

"A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave"

Mahatma Gandhi

On a Vespa

So... One of my dearest and beloved friends is about to buy (or already bought) a Vespa!!!

I am very excited for him and all the fun he (and me, cause I am hopping to be riding with him sometime) is going to have with his new toy in the city.

Little motorcycles are not only exciting but also very useful in big cities, you avoid car traffic by squeezing between cars, you don't have to worry as much for parking and specially you will look absolutely cute on it.

So ever since I have been dreaming of this illustration, because maybe... maybe... one day I will be allowed to drive the Vespa too ;)

I really liked the "old grandma picture" look in the illustration.

Hope you are enjoying the weekend as I am!

Rabbits in the scene

Hello!   Hello!

How are you all??!!

Me, I am very excited, in Mexico having fun with family and friends!

This image was made for my BF's niece for her anniversary. She loves rabbits and purple (like me!) so I thought of doing something fun for her and it was very fun for me too!!!

Hope you are having great weekend plans!!

Xoxo

Outside My Box

It's been a while that I wanted to do a drawing for this phrase. 

I got the inspiration  while looking at Patrick Demarchelier photographs.

"Think out side the box"...I know, i know... it's not the first time we hear the phrase.... dare to do things in a way you don't know,  have new experiences outside our comfort zone,  make things differently to have different results....bla bla bla right? But!!... the hard part comes when you are trying to think outside your box and you only come with the same solutions you've always have!

So what's the key? 

Your friends!!!!!   Surround yourself of wise people... they will always have a different point of view... just try it!

Xo

Just for fun

 

My yoga teacher the other day was telling us how we should be less serious about our practice  and have more fun doing it... and the same should happen with life... 

So I drew this just for the fun of it. 

When we finally start to relax, stop wanting perfection and really have fun doing it... magic happens!

Try it.... just for the fun of it!!

First Video

So... 

I have a link for you all...

Do you remember about the project I told you about Photoshop? and practicing with a book that took forever to arrive bla bla bla....

Well the video is finally done and ready!!!

It is for a pawn/hock shop in Mexico, that is creating a new concept for loans to impecunious people in a more fair way than the rest of pawnshops. 

 

I really liked the way they put it together.

It was a pleasure collaborating with you JP.

Just click here to watch it

Hope you are enjoying your week so far...! =)

Already here

So already installed in the studio... I am really loving it, the lighting is perfect, the view, the space the feeling... !!!

I still need to buy the camera for the pics I promised!!! ;)

This is the first illustration I painted here. It's inspired in a picture I found of Sasha Pivovarova, I love the expression, like a naive look and yet a touch of sensuality...

Hope you like it too!

In the office...

This drawing is very special.

I made it for the office of a friend. She is directing a very nice and successful spa in the upper east side, Exhale, and thought she might like some company for her walls... ;) if you want to check their website just click here.

She really liked the movie AVATAR, I have another friend who says that she even runs like one of them, you know like very lightly and super fast!!! So this girl has special "avatar eyes". 

I hope you like it as I do!!!!

And guess what?? I also got a new artist studio!!! Yes yes yes!!! No more  storing things behind the bed or making a mess in the kitchen =)

I am officially decorating it now after a whole fieldtrip to Ikea with the help of my friends.... It would have been so hard with out them!! Thank you!!!

And then I'll post some photos when its ready.

Happy weekend!

And for the final try...

One day I was trying to get a very specific effect done in a illustration.

I painted the same image over and over again.... I was getting so frustrated because it just didn't seem to come out good!!! At all!!!

And finally I relaxed. I said, Ok it doesn't matter I am  going to do it one more time just for fun... and look what I got!!!!

I loved it!!!! I didn't just drew this one that I loved also a huge smile in my face...

"Practice is not something that we do when we are good, practice is the thing that make us good...!"

It feels so long!!

I know, it's been like forever since my last post.

I've been working in a very interesting project. A friend wants me to illustrate an advertisement campaign for TV commercial with my illustrations!!!! It's a little different to what I' used to do because there have to be several illustration to create the animation and movement and they all have to be very accurate....So They have to be done by computer and I have to confess I know very little about it... so I bought a book online, and thought that was the solution to the problem, but.......... it didn't arrived until today!! I was a little desperate and struggling with photoshop. But we all know that the more we practice the better we become.

I'm missing my water colors and real brushes though!!! I did this illustration a couple of weeks ago and really had fun painting it. It is inspired in H&M summer campaign and I loved the image...

Hope you are having a great week so far!

Inspiring hair

I have a very dear friend, he is a a super talented hairstylist. So I drew specially for him  a girl with some inspiring hair as a gift for his new salon. I enjoyed very much while doing it, and so far is the illustration I like the most... And guess what? He put it in his website!!!

I am so flattered!!!  he even mentioned me there and put a link to my website

If you want to check it out click here

Thank you very much Cedric!

And great weekend for the rest of youuuu.

Special b.day

I made a little quick experiment today...  

I did this drawing about two weeks ago in pencil at work, wich by the way got  me in a little trouble with my boss!!! Of course!!! I mean drawing while working!!! I was very sorry. 

Any way I finished it by putting some color digitally. It's the first time I colored and illustration with Photoshop,  I prefere working with real paint and brushes... but I like how it turned out, plus, I didn't have to clean my regular mess when painting!! So check out  before and after...

It is also a very special day to me. 

It is one of the person's I love the most birthday!!!

My mother used to tell me that birthdays were very important to each of us because it is OUR OWN new year. The ending of cycle and the begining of another one and that we should spend and celebrate it the way we wanted to live the rest of the year...=)

Feliz cumpleanos guapo!!!!!

And for Tuesday...

Today I just want to share  an inspiring text...

"You are always a messenger for someone. 

Your talent and inspiration are meant to be delivered and shared. 

Today, revive a project you've left sitting on the shelf. 

You never know whose life you can improve, or save, when you complete it."

So, think of your talents, your proyects and share them!

My girls on the wall!

Yessss, my favorite curly girlfriend asked me to paint her wall with my drawings!!
It was a very nice and fun proyect to do. She was planing on redecorating her room, one of the walls was covered with grass, yes!!! super cool huh?  and for the other one she chose me! I felt very flattered, she even had her cousins going to her house to see me painting!!

The girls are about 5' 7" (1.67 m) and look great!!

Besitos Chinita!

Xo

The Element of Freedom

So, the exhibition was last night. I had a wonderful time, many of my friends and very good friends were there, it was a great experience.

Thank you all for being there!

I also got invited to Alicia Keys concert. 

It was very fun. 

The concept of her songs and the lyrics are very deep...love, true and freedom. In fact the name of the album is  "The Element of Freedom"

It makes me think, have you think about it?....

What makes us be free or not...? 

 What is exactly the element of freedom?

To me....OURSELVES.

The Art Of Fashion

Good Monday everyone!
Hope you are starting the week with a good day...
I've doing some errands for the exhibition I've been invited "The Art of Fashion" at Amnesia this Thursday
Only 4 days and counting down!

Here is the invitation and all the details!

RSVP to herbfox519@aol.com

Hope to see you all there!!

Xo

My first exhibition!

 So sorry for being so absence but I got a great new and be working on a new proyect:
I've been invited to exhibit my illustrations!!!
I'm so excited!! The event, called The Art of Fashion, will be hosted by club Amnesia on March 18th.
I will post more detail info in the next day and in the meanwhile I have this illustration for you all.

Have you have the weird feeling of being in the same place twice and yet beint two different places?
How about beeing in the subway on a monday at arround 8a.m, yes I know. Tons of people...
And how about at 2 a.m.
Two different experiences...Which one you like more?

Nite nite!

Alicia in Wonderland

Today it'ss officially Alicia in Wonderland premiere!!!
I am so eager to watch it!! I really enjoy Tim Burton's creations, he is a great inspiration to me and a genious...and by the way he has an incredible exhibition at MoMa until April.
Please if you have a chance go.  It is awesome.
Back to the drawing, this one  is about Alicia growing so much because of the mushrooms she ate. This time I tried markers and ink and really liked how it turned out!

Enjoy the movieeeeee

Xo

Yoguiiii

I must confess that I have another passion in addition to illustration....
YoGa!!!I started a year and a half ago and  I just looooove it...!

One of my very favorites teachers is leaving for San Francisco in a month. It's kind of sad we are not having him in the practice anymore, but life is about that: changes and our reaction to those changes...

Any way, I thought I could post this for him

JD were are so going to miss you!

After the snow

I know we/me don't do maths and specially not in this blog, but I'm going to give you the formula for this drawing:

2.5 days of snow minus 2 days of school plus extra time off and amazing view from the apartment... all that multiplied by great music  = lots of fun & a great winter drawing!

Hope you enjoyed you weekend as I did!