Fashion and beauty illustrator Deanna Kei captures guests through live event art. Rather than just focusing on style, Kei tells a deeper story through her illustrations about who guests are as people by highlighting their individuality. Each piece is more than just an illustration, it’s something that guests can take with them as a lasting piece of memento from their experience.
Deanna has worked with brands from Burberry, Michael Kors, Brunello Cucinelli, Roger Vivier, Diptyque, and Kayali. In addition, Kei hand-painted custom cookware for Gigi Hadid’s 30th birthday, which was commissioned by Maybelline.
From creating live fashion illustrations and brand collaborations to product customization and bespoke wedding work, Deanna adds a personal touch to each piece, making it special. I was able to speak with Deanna regarding her work:
Style Cartel: How did you first discover live fashion illustration as your medium?
Deanna: “My first encounter with live fashion illustration was on Instagram. Back then I had been working as a full time fashion designer, taking fashion illustration work on the weekends. I was actually pretty late to the Instagram party, but the company I worked for at the time wanted to get their brand on social media so, being the youngest person in the office, they asked me to look into it. I eventually made my own account too and started posting my art. I kept seeing glimpses of live fashion art at events. I knew that the illustration industry was growing in that direction but I wasn’t sure of what that meant
for me as an artist. I kept on drawing, and posting, and going to my design day job. It wasn’t until a few years later that a PR company reached out and asked me if I could sketch live at their event. I was totally scared and nervous about drawing live in front of people, but it felt like a once and a lifetime opportunity so of course I said yes and I’m so glad that I did.”
Style Cartel: How would you describe your illustration style to someone seeing your work for the first time?
Deanna: “My work is always fashion centered. Styling and garment construction are often the main focal points. The people in my illustrations are a little bit luxury, a little bit street, and a whole lot authentic—I like to add a touch of attitude in there too. Each scene is meant to be an open invitation to the viewer. I try to subtly express and encourage emotions through my works. I draw inspiration from architecture, textures, shapes, colors, and lines—but also from moods. I like mixing mediums, so while I do a lot of illustrations in markers, or in Procreate, I also like to digitally layer transparent photos I’ve taken, or paintings I’ve done over my sketches. My live event sketches highlight the guests’ personal styles, giving special attention to the details of their carefully chosen outfits. I like to draw everyone with a smile, looking confident and happy.”
Style Cartel: Live sketching happens in real time, often in fast-paced environments. What’s the biggest challenge and reward of creating art on the spot?
Deanna: “I think the initial biggest challenge of sketching live was stage-fright, but it’s been so long now, that it doesn’t bother me anymore. Now I’d say the biggest challenge is drawing in difficult lighting. I do such a variety of events, that occasionally I’ll be set up in a spot where I’m drawing under a flashing strobe light, or the entire room is tinted under a colored light. I have a few workarounds though. I always carry my own portable light source so that I’m ready for everything! The most rewarding part about sketching live is, of course, getting to directly see people’s reactions to my work. I genuinely enjoy working with people, and being able to contribute to the vibe of the event, and even hear about how I made someone’s day with my art is so fulfilling.”
Style Cartel: You have worked live at events for major fashion and beauty houses. How does the energy of a live audience influence your creative process?
Deanna: “Every brand event is unique, and its wonderful to be able to experience the different ways they each come together. Each audience is different as well, so I’m very sensitive to the tone and space and I adjust to fit in with the needs of each event. If guests want to chat and show me what they’ve bought, I love that! Or if they just need a moment to chill, and prefer to watch quietly, that works for me too. Even in luxury spaces, there’s always a variety of guests and energies because its NYC. Adaptability is so important in live events.”
Style Cartel: What excites you the most about working with fashion and beauty brands?
Deanna: “I love art and fashion down to my core, so being around meticulously designed things and packaging is such a constant joy. The events are also fun because I get to sketch people who appreciate style and beauty as much as I do. I’ve also realized that I actually enjoy the business and marketing sides of the industry too, and I love experiencing first hand how each brand addresses them.”
Style Cartel: You were commissioned by Maybelline to create a custom hand-painted cookware gift for Gigi Hadid’s 30th birthday. Can you walk us through that experience?
Deanna: “It was such an unreal experience, and it was so much fun working with Maybelline and LaForce on this! They approached me with their idea of having a custom hand painted design on a Le Creuset dutch oven and I was so intrigued. I had never painted on cookware before. I was challenged to combine multiple themes from their inspiration board into a cohesive design. Since the design was to be applied around the Le Creuset pot it also had to be circular. I was asked to create a design for the lid as well. I filled my sketch book with concepts and then presented a few select ones to the team. We did a few rounds of edits and then they approved the final design—which was my favorite one too! The biggest challenge that was unique to painting on cookware was that the final design had to be oven-safe so that the cookware remained functional. There was a ton of research on heat safe paints and special application involved. I even had to cure the paint in my oven after it was set. It was unlike any project I had ever worked on before, but I learned so much. It came out really cute and the client loved it!”
Style Cartel: You are also known for bespoke wedding illustrations and heirloom pieces. How does creating art for such personal milestones differ from events?
Deanna: “At a live event each sketch needs to come together in minutes, but when I’m creating an heirloom piece I’m able to dedicate hours to perfecting all of the special details. I’ll create a draft sketch first, and then go back and do fresh line-work while carefully reviewing the reference photos. If there’s a wedding dress in the illustration, I’ll usually apply a layer of hand-painting on top of the marker to highlight the fabric textures or any lace or embellishments. Some of the gowns have very intricate lace designs too. I could easily spend over 4 hours on one wedding portrait.”
Style Cartel: Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you are especially eager to share?
Deanna: “I have big plans for this year but I can’t reveal them just yet since everything is still in the works–stay tuned! I’m especially looking forward to expanding the ways I bring my illustrations to live events. Last year was incredible and I still can’t believe I got to sketch Stacy London, and Blake Lively. I also had the opportunity to illustrate for incredible luxury brands, including Michael Kors, Roger Vivier, Burberry, and Diptyque, which really inspired me to push my creative boundaries for the year ahead.”
Style Cartel: How do you hope people feel when they walk away with one of your illustrations?
Deanna: “The goal of my live illustrations is always to make people feel happy, and seen, and to give them an extra confidence boost. The way people style themselves says so much about them, even if they aren’t aware of it, so I aim to acknowledge that in my representation of them. Each sketch is a celebration of the person.”
Style Cartel: If your work had a message, what would you want it to say?
Deanna: “At the core of my fashion illustration is the message that everybody matters. I try to express that sentiment through each piece. My work is also about giving people something relaxing and pleasant to look at, that maybe elevates their mood for a moment with the hopes that they’ll carry that positivity energy with them. Secretly, I also want to encourage people to experiment with their own styles too.”
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