My week in monochrome day 2... "What I would wear today if I could..." featuring Gabriel Moreno!

Day two of my week in monochrome...Despite the colourless theme of my style posts for this week, my mood has actually improved and I'm feeling fairly upbeat. So here is my 2nd post...

Shift dress £24.99(Daisystreet.co.uk), Statement necklace £15.00(Topshop), Chunky boots £42.00(River Island), Glittery tights £12.00(Urban Outfitters), Bag £14.99(H&M).

Abstract crackle prints were all over the SS14 catwalks,featuring in the collections of Issey Miyake, Balenciaga and Marni(see image below). I love this textured crackle effect and found a really affordable interpretation of this trend on Daisystreet. I teemed this easy shift dress with an oversized statement necklace from Topshop which is made up of irregular shaped pieces of plastic which seem to echo the shapes created by the cracked dress print.With this dress I would wear, glittery sheer tights, my standard chunky boots and an oversized black bag.

Issey Miyake, Balenciaga and Marni. All taken from SS14 runway collections.

Artist Review: Gabriel Moreno

Madrid based illustrator/painter Gabriel Moreno is my artist of choice for today- his work fits perfectly into the monochrome theme I have set for this week. 

I came across his work while doing some research into artists to use as inspiration for my own work(see my work here: www.facebook.com/atoblondon). I really love the photo-realistic style of the faces and bodies of the figures in his illustrations and the contract this has with the very linear effect he has used in the hair. By looking over my blog you can tell instantly that I have an obsession with linear sketches, the fine lines in the hair that encircles Moreno's figures amaze me as I always seem to struggle with completely the hair of the characters in my sketches. Even now as I sit here typing I have 3 sketches on my wall of hairless heads where the faces are complete but the hair is non-existent.

Another aspect of Moreno's work that I love, one that seems to be a consistent feature in all of my favourite artists, is a monochromatic feel to the artwork with a small injection of bold colour. Gabriel Moreno injects colour into his work through tattoos, fabric and coffee stained backgrounds. Maybe this is where I am going wrong in my own work?Starting on a blank white page seems to psychologically trick you into being incapable of adding colour to the artwork. Starting on an inky/coffee base, however, breaks up the white areas and makes the page far less daunting!

You really get a sense of the character and personality of this figure. Love how the hair flows our behind her- looks similar to long hair when underwater.

The 2 women and peacocks'(far right) is probably my favourite of Moreno's illustrations. I love the blue and red colour contrast alongside the monochrome illustration.I think this piece really shown his talent as a fine artist as well as an llustrator!Just look at the hand of the woman in the painting- exquisite!