Wednesday, December 16, 2015

AN UNUSUAL CHRISTMAS GIFT


Most animation cartoonists who come to Theory Corner probably aren't interested in fashion illustration, I guess because animation is acting intensive and requires an emphasis on simpler color. That's understandable, but I'd argue that a study of that medium, fashion I mean, is still useful for our trade, regardless of whether what we do ends up being on the screen or not. It's simply a good training ground for a certain kind of color and line. Of course I'm a guy so I'd choose more masculine subject matter.


It's a style that encourages doodling in color, as in these Christian Lacroix sketches.


Lacroix was one of the creators of the Cindi Lauper style in the 80s. 



His sketches are reproduced in a few books.  They'd make great Christmas gifts for artists. 


Here's (above) a page from a Lacroix swatch book. I like the color combinations.


Swatch books never turn up in book stores. They're handed down from one artist to another.


I did a search for Lacroix posters but I didn't turn up anything first rate. To judge from pictures on the net, the posters he puts on his own walls are colorful prints from other media. 

That's all I have to say about Lacroix, but I'll add that my hits have diminished in the last couple of weeks, maybe because people are focused on the holiday. That's okay, so am I. I think I'll take this opportunity to post on a reduced schedule for a couple of weeks. I'll be back on a full schedule soon after Christmas. 

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4 comments:

invi said...

I love that second drawing.

I do know that I wasn't interested in materials and printed material designs until I looked for material to make some stuffed toy fish (I think you call them plushes) and then suddenly I was interested in prints and now I notice them everywhere.

invisibules said...

somehow that got posted before I finished filling in my name...

kurtwil said...

First two drawings remind me of Mary Blair: nice stuff, Eddie!

Eddie Fitzgerald said...

invis, kurt: Yeah, that is an interesting sketch technique. It makes me wonder how many other styles there are that I don't know about.