Working on the Save Luella camaign I came across this wonderful image (below) and discovered the fashion illustrator Derek Cardigan, who has a blog here: http://derekcardigan.blogspot.com/ He's obviously very talented, creating his images with hand drawing and then colouring them on Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or Flash- ahh I wish I was spiffy with these computer programs! The man himself is very friendly and kindly let me ask him some questions.
"Well I've always been drawing girls in dresses ever since I can remember. As a child, my favourite movie was (still is) Sleeping Beauty. I loved the end where she would be dancing in her pink dress which would magically turn blue. That made such an impact on me that I would draw princess Aurora while my fellow classmates(I went to an all boys private school) would draw cars. I always knew I was kinda special ;)
Fast forward to college. I decided to go to fashion school. I went attended Vancouver Community College in their Fashion Design program. I lasted a year because I could not sew! My favourite part of school was fashion illustration. That class is kinda what get me really into illustration. After I dropped out of fashion school, I went to a year intensive for 2d Animation. I completed that year, got my diploma but could not find a job in animation. That's why I did the blog, to kinda keep my drawing skills.
My plan now is to go back to school for communication design and illustration. I'm hoping to get back to school in Sept. The program I'm interested in is a diploma program but I can finish my degree at the university's sister school in London. I don't know the name of the university in London though but I am really wanting to do that because I have always wanted to live there. I recently visited Europe for the first time in Sept 09. I went to London and Paris. AMAZING! So I definitely want to go back.
What inspires my work??? Well really it's the beautiful collections by designers, girls I see on the street. I don't really have time to get out there anymore so surfing fashion blogs and lookbook, street peeper really helps in inspiring me. I first draw all my work then complete it on Flash. Since I studied 2d animation and completed a short film on flash, I'm just really comfortable with it. I can't draw on illustrator or photoshop at all! I just know the BARE basics. I hope to learn soon though because I'm starting to get bored with the way I color my drawings. A favourite image? Hmm... not really. Once I'm done with a drawing, I am so over it. Kinda the same with designers... they work on a collection for 6 months and after they're just wanting to move on."
Thank you Derek! And to everyone else I really think you should go look at his site, there are some really lovely images. :)
