David Downton is a Fashion Illustrator who’s work to me is flawless. He combines watercolor or gouache and other methods to create beautiful, unique illustrations. His gestural style shows such elegance and beauty though such simple lines and blotches. I have forever been drawn to such implied art and find it very fitting for any type of design from catalogs and magazine covers to wall art and department store signage.
Interview:
How do you arrive at the elimination of detail?
For me this is the hardest and the most interesting thing. In order to leave something out, first you have to put it in, or at least understand how every thing works. I do dozens of drawings on to layout paper taking the best from each one as I go. When the drawing looks right I start to eliminate, to de-construct if you like. I keep working until it looks spontaneous.
What methods do you use to apply colour?
It depends on the result I want to achieve and what is most appropriate to the subject. I use watercolour or gouache for small scale pieces. If I need flat saturated colour I use cut paper collage and then apply line using an acetate overlay.
What for you makes a successful fashion illustration?
Fluidity, mastery of the medium – capturing a sense of the moment, layout and use of space and most important of all, strong drawing. You can’t be too good at drawing.
Which fashion illustrators do you admire?
Gruau for his graphic genius, Vertes for his humour, Bouché for his lightness of touch and Eric for his draughtsmanship.
So, you do a complete drawing in two hours?
No, I complete the work at home in my studio – a safe environment – and I never let the sitter see what I am doing, I don’t have the confidence. I have to have time to evaluate it myself first.
How do you escape from the world of style?
By not living in it. I escape to it from time to time which is great also. I have two children who couldn’t care less about who I am drawing – which probably helps.”
Check out more photos and rest of interview at daviddownton , I spy candy and also obvious
2 Comments
May 7, 2009 at 8:22 pm
This guy has a cool, unique style. Kind of fits some stuff you have done. Like the new header!
May 7, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Haha, ohh you checked it out huh