Jessica Durrant

I had the wonderful opportunity of doing my research on fashion and lifestyle illustrator Jessica Durrant. I fell in love with her illustrations from the moment I saw them. Her watercolor paintings are whimsical and a joy to look at. Some are pretty minimal, while others can get

quite detailed. But what they all have in common is that they are all incredibly feminine and super fun.

Why I chose her?

Biography Jessica Durrant is a freelance illustrator and art instructor from the fabulous Las Vegas. Now she resides in the beautiful Atlanta of Georgia. She studied Illustration at Southern Utah University where she received her Bachelors.

Durrant specializes in fashion, travel and lifestyle illustrations.

Jessica's sketches combine art, emotion and style. Her signature style is clean, minimalist drawing with vivid, not-so-clean water

coloring . Her Illustrations are a combination of water colour, India inks, thin pen and pencil strokes, thus creating free flowing watercolor with crisp lines. All of her work is about vibrancy, saturated colors and the pure spontaneity of creation.

Signature Style

Her process is a bit spontaneous. She doesn’t like to be tied down to certain subjects or ideas. Durrant keeps her mind open to whatever may inspire her that day. She looks at images, listens to music,

and tries to pull from her own life in order to create. She is a slave of her art and loves experimenting.

Creative Process

Durrant’s art studio, she keeps herself surrounded with her artworks, inspirations, music and art pieces by her favorite artists

Inspiration Her art is inspired by her passion for fashion

design, Japanese Illustration, graphic arts, indie music, a zillion fashion magazines, books and fellow artisans. She also loves to travel, esp. alone, which is reflected in her lifestyle illustrations. While listening to good music sets her in the mood for art, Jessica draws most of her inspiration from life,

channeling every negative obstacle in her life into something positive.

Durrant here was inspired by an old photograph from Vogue (from the 50s/60s) and a Dior necklace. She came up with this art which she named as ‘Dior necklace drips’

David Downton - He is the best fashion illustrator around. He is incredible with line work.

Stina Persson - Is a contemporary illustrator whose work with watercolor influences and inspires her. Ohgushi - Is an amazing fashion illustrator who has the wet-on-wet watercolor technique

down to a science.

Illustrators who inspire Jessica

Some of her illustrations are based on photographs from fashion shoots and magazines like Vogue, she will

use it as direct inspiration for a piece. Sometimes she draws inspiration from window shopping , internet, vintage assembles and then sometimes they are just made up women. She combines all the different sources of inspiration in one art.

Who are the models in her artwork?

A sketch made by direct inspiration from Chanel Haute couture Fashion Show

She has been drawing since she was 3, and she learned how to paint in oils when she was 14. Jessica always loved creating and enjoyed going to art classes growing

up. It has been around 2 years since she followed her heart and started freelancing as an illustrator.

Artistic Roots

Apart from selling her original illustrations and prints on Etsy, Durrant has collaborated with a

number of clients and her work has been seen at Target, One Kings Lane, QVC.com, Glamour.com, Westfield Malls, Country Living Magazine, Rue Magazine, UK's Living Magazine, Matchbook Magazine, 30 Days of Fashion & Beauty - New Zealand, The Little Green Notebook, ELLE Brazil, The Glamourai, IN

London magazine, SHOP till you drop magazine - Australia, L'Oreal Keratase, Lancome Paris and other publications/brands worldwide.

Freelancing

Durrant’s illustrations on 30 days of Fashion & Beauty Gift Bags – New Zealand

Her Illustrations have been featured in Elle Brazil, Australia etc.

She sells all of her original and prints of her artwork on Etsy.com

Durrant teaches painting courses at The Art Station Big Shanty in Kennesaw, Georgia. Apart from this she takes occasional classes in NYC, Fiji etc. She

loves teaching as she learns a lot from it. Jessica has students of all ages attending her class.

Mentoring

Durrant’s students showcasing their work at community arts center in Kennesaw, Georgia

Durrant working with her students in Fiji

Some examples of her Illustration

Dior Does Ombre Birds of Paradise

Fade to White Mad About McQueen

Different Day Don’t Forget Me

Sexy Back Dior Dame

Submitted By: Tuhina Roy

Faculty: Kavita Mansur

Module: Stylized Illustration The End

Don’t be afraid to colour outside the lines

- Jessica Durrant