Featured Artist#2: "Amena Malik Fashion Illustrator"

Two months ago I started out new blog label called Featured Artist. Here I will be featuring new artist every week. For a while I kind of neglected this label due to the other areas of interest on this blog. I love creating that's a fact but more than that I feel obliged as an artist to promote other talented people too. It's so much fun learning stories and fun bits behind every artist's tale. Today on blog I have a very special artist featured, she makes pretty fashion illustrations. Amena shares some tips in between as the interview goes on:

(Illustration with floral design details)

You can check out Amena's rest of illustrations here: 

Amena Malik Illustrations.

Question#1: Hello Amena, I love your floral details you add on your illustrations. Tell us how did your process of illustrating these amazing fashion figures started? Was it by birth in you or you discovered that with time?.

Amena: I had a good drawing skills from the very beginning. I used to draw little american dolls and then switched to barbie dolls. As a kid playing dress up and fashion designer games was my all time favorite. By the age of 16, I came to know a very talented illustrator named Brooke Hagel. Seeing her drawings motivated me to do something like "fashion illustrating".

Question#2: You've done an amazing job in realistic shadings. How do you create such shadings on your illustrations?Any tips for beginners?.

(Amena's Fashion Face Illustration)

Amena: Illustration isn't realism. I have my own style like every other illustrator has. You need to practice a lot.

Question#3: I know you're self taught but still i'd like to know did you had any schooling in fashion illustrating field?.

Amena: No, I haven't joined any fashion illustration course yet. In the future, yes, i might.

Question#4: As a fashion illustrator, one faces difficulty in showing different fabric mediums on clothes. How do you show denim, silk or velvet textures on your illustrations?.

                             (Amena Malik's shaded skirt ^)

Amena: Well, as I said, every illustrator has his/her own style and expression. Examining the fabric carefully helps a lot otherwise shading skills are necessary.

Question#5: On Average, how much time does it takes to complete one illustration?.

                  (Illustrative Sketch by Amena Malik)

Amena: Approximately an hour or two. Depends on the design basically^.

Question#6: What are the materials you use for illustrating?.

Amena: I use Faber Castell colored pencils, shading pencils, felt tip pens and watercolors sometimes. 

Question#7: Does quality of paper matters for sketching or drawing?Which paper you would recommend for illustrating?.

Amena: Well I think it totally depends on artists skills. Art of early age is even remarkable than modern art yet they had no paper. I use A4 scholar drawing sheet or generic sketchbook paper sometimes.

Question#8: How do you focus on illustrating if you lose your mojo?or get bored?.

Amena: I don't sketch when I'm not feeling like, that way I never get bored while sketching.

Question#9: What are your rates for selling per illustration?.

        (Amena Malik's Beautiful Gown Shading Technique)

Amena: Currently I'm not selling my illustrations. If I will, it would be for designers.

Question#10: For anyone starting their career as fashion illustrator what advice you would like to give?.

Amena: Firstly I would suggest of developing your own style and expression. Expression should be attractive. You can go for abstract or exaggeration. Expression depends upon one's way of perceiving designs and poses. One should be confident about his/her work. Never compare your work with others.

                           (Amena's Runway Illustration)

Thanks Amena for giving us peek into your fashion illustration world. It was pleasure learning about your amazing illustrations. You can check out Amena's more work here. So fellas, Hope you enjoyed today's featurette.

-Seresha

Get your work featured on my blog: diaryofseresha@hotmail.com