Lucy! I'm home!

Red started off being the least prevalent color in my illustrations. It was deliberate. I knew I wanted a certain look consistently. 

Red had its very important place. Less is more.

But with some things, the color red is the essence of that character. Case in point: Lucille Ball 

I couldn't resist. 

I conceded.

Red rule broken . . . 

. . . zero regrets! :-)

Make it Pop!

Face it. Doodling is associated with a distraction from the mundane and tedious.

While trying to figure out a design for my Etsy banner, I got the idea to focus on what already works and manipulate as few ingredients as possible. Fussy and detailed logos just don't work.

I changed one thing - the background. 

It was white. 


It's now RED!

It's simple. 


It works. 


It POPS!

Mission accomplished. 

Diva Sightings

Asheville is a fashion show.  I guess I'm so used to the abundance of creativity.  I forget sometimes.

I think Asheville has this reputation for being 'the mountains.'  Which it is. But the visual is very hiking, camping, REI.

And there is so much Much MUCH more to Asheville than hiking, camping,  and related.

When I think of Asheville, I think of the downtown scene with its artists, theaters, dance clubs, bars, restaurants, night life, tourists, eye candy and individuality.    And what better way to express it than with your own diva style.

Take these shoes:

This fetching little kitten was serving me up some caffeine in the form of an iced mocha when I happened to look down and see these beauties.

Are they not adorable?!  I know the whole gladiator look in heels is still going strong.  Funny how folks act like it was only popular for the past few years.  

I remember Thierry Mugler  had all the supermodels sashaying down runways and George Michael videos in those fierce little numbers back in the 90s.  I think they were so far ahead of their time that it was more like haute couture for art versus reality.

On this little lady, they're paired down to almost a sandal.  But they're actually part kitten heels, part sandal and part dress shoe. 

Regardless, they're 100% cute.  Very individual.  Very Asheville.  

Very diva!  :-)

Diva Sightings

I met my friends Buffy and her hubster, Brent, for coffee late this afternoon.   Kelli and I have known each other a long Long LONG time.  When it started being cool to shop Goodwill and Salvation Army is around the time we became besties.  Think Molly Ringwold, 80's Madonna, etc.

Her style has evolved since our college days, but not extremely.  Kelli still has the enviable ability to have an entirely cool outfit that cost like $10.  I told her the outfit she was donning today was utterly blog-worthy:

The sun dress is bright aqua with stitched embellishments in rainbow florals. 

So it already popped with the aqua alone.  Add the assorted stitched bright rainbow florals and it SIZZLED!

Buffy has an exceptional eye for detail.  She adds just the right accessories to add interest without cluttering up the look.  The shorter necklace looks like paper thin money tree petals.  

Upon closer inspection, they are actually far less delicate.  But the style and hint of iridescent gives the illusion of lightness. Perfect for Summer.

The added, longer necklace incorporates virtually all the colors found in the sundress already.  I think the way she tossed it in with the shorter petal necklace is why it works so well too.  It matches without being matchy-matchy!

OK.  So the watch is biodegradable.  Buffy brakes for errant squirrels that dart in front of her car and rainbows after thunderstorms.  She insisted I let readers know this watch can go in a compost heap or be buried in Mother Earth without harm.  

And even I have to admit, that's pretty darn cool.

Look!  It's grandma's purse without grandma.  I believe the fabric/pattern is called damask.  I made the mistake of getting a bunch of damask pillows for my living room a few years ago.  BLECH!  What a sad lapse in judgement that was.

Buffy's purse totally works.  Again, the idea is there are so many colors, it can go with anything.  But if the color HUE is off, it can wreck a look.  

Somehow, Buffy's hues work with each other versus competing and  clashing.  I think it's the touch of similar hue in the blues.  

And of course, a little bling can go a long way.  Her wedding ring set off by the silver bracelets adds a nice touch. But they're diamonds.  And they go with everything anyway!

:-)

Hotter Than The Fourth of July!

Doodles Divas are all about holidays and celebrations. They'll use any excuse to break out a new outfit - like they need one.

I wanted the girls to reference the pinups of yesteryear. They have a classic, nostalgic edge that lends itself naturally to that era. 

I imagine this little diva entertaining the troops with a song and dance routine. And a radio announcer in the background blaring:

"You can look but be warned: Don't touch! She's hotter than the Fourth of July!"

(Think "A League of Their Own")

Thank You Mr. Disney!

I'm a big classic Disney animation fan. A lot of my inspiration is derived from the whimsical designs found in Disney cartoons like 'Cinderella' and 'Sleeping Beauty.'

This is based on an idea that randomly popped in my head several weeks ago. I wanted to incorporate some 'magic' and really capture the spirit of whimsy, fairy tales and stardust. 

I wanted it to capture the spirit of my 'Ball Gown' illustration but kick it up a notch. Here's the result:

'Magic Ball Gown' was an uber hit! I live for creations like her. The feeling of joy and inspiration she gives me when I look at her is why I draw.

Mission accomplished! :-)

Diva Sightings

I'm gonna try to have random postings of real life Diva worthy 'things.'  For instance, I was with some friends tonight and just happened to look down and see one of them was wearing a pair of ferociously cool boots!  

I told her these were totally blog worthy.  Diva approved!  :-)

My Logos Have Logos

So I actually have several logos.  The initial one was too fussy and difficult to repeat.  The next one was too vanilla.  The next one was too much.


Don't get me wrong.  Logos can be quite fun. I learned quickly that less is more with logos. 


l went through a few ideas before I settled on this one. Everyone else agrees. 

It's the angle. It adds interest.  Angles, curves and askew perspectives are much more compelling. 


Simplicity, minimalism, and starkness are more memorable than fussy images with too much going on.


It's like the classic 'little black dress'.  To be so little it certainly says so darn much!  ;-) 

B.F.F.

Doodle Divas have a nostalgic yet contemporary vibe. Way back in the day, I remember my yearbook being signed and tagged F.F. (Friend Forever), A.F.F. (A Friend Forever) and maybe once or twice B.F.F. - Best Friends Forever.

Folks are tossing around the phrase these days without a yearbook in sight. It's like OMG or LOL. Very contemporary.

And in the case of my Doodle Divas, very necessary. 

Yes. They love their shoes, their dresses, and their stuff. But remember: 'their hearts are as big as their walk-in closets!'

Doodle Divas will give up their heels before they'll give up their friends!

. . . especially their B.F.F.! :-)

Princess K

 I noticed two recurring themes were happening with Doodle Divas: 

1) Their love of shoes.
2) Their love of weddings.

I'm not sure if it's weddings as much as wedding DRESSES. 

Anyhoo . . . there of course was much hub-bub about the recent royal wedding. I thought how cute to do a play on the illustration I had done much earlier - "No Princess" . This time instead of disappointment to find out she was never actually a princess, do the reverse.

She finds out she actually IS a princess!

It worked. 

"Princess K" was a super duper hit. It was the first time I had strangers from across oceans in other countries take note and 'like' one of my Doodle Divas.

Guess that goes to show the notion of a 'princess' inside every female is very true . . . even globally! :-)

No Princess

Doodle Divas are ironic creatures as well. Sure their gorgeous and powerful. But what fun would it be if they took themselves so seriously, they were caught off guard with reality?

Take this poor girl. All her life, her Mom and Dad have referred to her as 'Princess.' A lot of little girls get the same pet name.

This little girl was shocked to find out it was just an endearing term. She isn't REALLY a princess!??

I'm guessing she was on the verge of graduating high school and assumed a huge dowry or something. Imagine THAT dinner conversation!

Awkward.

Supermodels!

With Doodle Divas, one thing kind of lends itself to another. First there was this girl on a runway. That made me think of Rupaul saying ' . . . Sashay Shante! . . . ". And that of course made me think of the ultimate career girls . . . SUPERMODELS!

How could I make this line of gorgeous funny ladies without acknowledging the moniker given to only a chosen few?

But what makes a model a SUPERmodel? 

The title is earned, not just given away. 

I defaulted to humor and the power of cartoons, (cartoons can do ANYTHING!). And voila! A Supermodel Doodle Diva was born.

She should really use a spotter! ;-)

                                              

Soccer Mom

Soccer Mom. How long has that term been around now? The image is the mom in her mom jeans, driving her mom van, with her mom kids to mom soccer practice . . . 

Whatever!

Moms are glam godesses too, (Posh Spice, Madonna, Angelina Jolie . . . ). I thought it would be funny to turn the obligatory image upside down. 

Sure, a soccer mom all glammed up in a cocktail dress on the sidelines cheering her wee ones on is cute. But that same soccer mom literally playing soccer in the same outfit as she 'bends it like Beckham' . . . that's funny.

That's Doodle Divas.

:-)

Rock-N-Roll

Doodle Divas are full of surprises. At once, they're afraid to do anything that could jeopardize their pretty nails. Yet some will jump at the chance to brandish an electric guitar and rock out with the best of them. 

At first I thought she wouldn't be appealing because she was kinda anti-prissy compared to my Ball Gown Diva. I'm the MTV generation. So it was way important to showcase this diva for the music lovers such as myself. 

She was a colossal hit from day one! Just goes to show. There's room for a little bit of country, and a little bit of ROCK-N-ROLL! 

:-)

Sashay Shante

Doodle Diva favorites never cease to amaze me. Just when I
think I have a handle on what people prefer, I'm wrong.

Like this little gem. I couldn't keep this one around. It really started it all as far as mass appeal. 

There was this contest. I entered this picture. It was featured on Facebook. I won a little prize for my efforts.

The end.

Nope.

The beginning.

The majority of interest was for these girls doing their catwalk strut. And of course when I made enough prints to handle the requests, folks had moved on to the other divas.

Oh well. Any Diva can tell you. Eventually, folks always go back to the classics! ;-)

Red or Red?

This whole Doodle Divas thing is a series of lessons, mistakes, interruptions, and surprises, (good, bad, ugly and indifferent).


Something as simple as a single spot of color can turn things topsy turvy.  In this case, the color red.  


Holy red lipstick Batman!


Ideally I just wanted the Doodle Divas to have a spot of red - their lips.  Then punctuation really seemed to help things pop as well.  I went to get my first print.


Loved it.


Between that printing and the next, I had changed drawing applications.  I go to get my next prints.


Hated it.


Not the printer's fault.  


Here's why:

Notice how the shades of red are completely different?  

I call the red on the left, Dried Blood Red.   The red on the right is, Bright Cherry Red.  The new app I chose used the cherry red.  

I love the Bright Cherry Red.  So I changed shades.  Don't worry if you have the Dried Blood Red before I switched shades.

It'll be worth more than the current shade since it'll be way rare to find an original with that shade.

Anyhoo . . . lesson learned.  

One lesson down. 

MANY, Many, many more lessons to go I'm sure.

And that's OK.  :-)

Cardio

What's great about my Doodle Divas is they can do anything. Seriously. ANYTHING! 

They're cartoons!

I had this idea of a Doodle Diva Code of Conduct or something. It would have sections on everything from wardrobe necessities, ethical treatment of humans at clearance sales, and 'commandments':

Charity work, hobbies, exercise . . . 

Speaking of exercise - this is Cardio Diva. She gets a giggle every time. Imagine you're having your morning coffee outside and see a lady in an evening gown and heels doing her morning JOG! 

Very giggle-worthy. 

Very Doodle Divas!

Wedding Dress

My divas have a very classic, romantic edge as well. Many little girls are awed by beautiful white wedding dresses and what it symbolizes. 


This illustration is based on that notion.  Always prepared, she's like a boy scout, but NOT!

She has actually been a recurring character for a book or script I've considered for several years. How funny is the idea she wears a different wedding dress everyday . . . just in case. 


And also - how romantic!  :-)