Ruth Wearing Max Mara

I am a Men's Fashion illustrator. This distinction serves to limit my scope and provide me with some semblance of focus. The hard part is, my wife Ruth is so beautiful that I can't not paint her.

We were walking away from the Spanish Steps in Rome, admiring the store front displays. There was the YSL planet display which was wonderful. Hermes displayed a variety of scenes with felt that showcased the crazy, magical world they explore. And then there was Max Mara, with wonderful folds of fabric that draped in interesting ways. The displays stopped us.

High waisted with bold black lines dissecting the otherwise pure white dress and it captured our imaginations.

Good luck finding this dress online though. I've tried and it's proven to be highly elusive.

The Birds

Ruth loves birds, or rather the idea of birds. They show up time and again in her illustrations. Just take a look at ruthmeharg.com. 

All of the birds in the illustration are related to Ruth in one way or another. Some, as with the Crow are birds she has painted. Others, like the Robin and Wood Thrush are State birds to which she has a connection. The Gouldian Finch is rare and colorful and that describes Ruth more accurately than any other.

Slide through the sketchbook pages above. It's a glimpse into the process for creating the final illustration.

Outfit Details

Dress - Max Mara (actual dress is highly elusive)
Footwear - Chelsea Boot (Sunflowerman design)

Materials

Sketchbook
DB Editions Sketchbook, Blank Pages
Pentel GraphGear 500, Mecahnical Pencil

Watercolor Paint
W&N Watercolor Tube Paints
Daniel Smith Watercolor Tube Paints

Watercolor Brushes
W&N Watercolor Sable Brush, Point, size 6
W&N Watercolor Sable Brush, Point, size 0
Silver Watercolor Black Velvet Brush, Oval, 3/4 inch

Leave a comment below and include your instagram account. I'll shout you out on @sunflowerman.