More on obi-age...

I actually didn't know about this detail of tying the obi-age or not... So, after your mention, I've tried to make a quick research - didn't find anything, thou. So, I browsed trough my kimono pictures (specially from kimono rental stores, that deal with kitsuke worn in formal way) and tried to find a visible pattern for obi-age look.

Here's the result:

For irotomesode and houmongi (both formal, worn by married 

and unmarried ladies), obi-age looks either clearly tied in 

a visible knot (like in the pictures above)... 

...or like we see here: with the middle of the sash "tucked in" 

under the obi, so I find a bit difficult to be 100% sure if 

it's a concealed knot or some kind of fold.

...Same case seen on kurotomesode (for married ladies only).

...Ambiguous look of the "tucked-in-the-middle" style. x_x

 
In the first picture, an iromuji (solid-color kimono for married and unmarried women, mostly worn in tea ceremonies) we can see what looks like a knot peeking from under the obi... But in the second picture, of a houmongi, it kind of looks more like a fold, doesn't it? Maybe it's two different ways of wearing the obi-age, with a knot or fold; or maybe it's two different knots, one that shows and other that doesn't... Anyway, I think it's safe to say that both looks fit a married woman's kimono. =)

...When it comes to furisode, it looks to me that anything goes! XD

I've spotted visible knots (just like the look for married women)... 

 ...big fold in the middle (that looks like a bulkier version of the 

misterious "tucked-in-the-middle" look - and makes it even more 

ambiguous for me if that in the non-furisode examples is a knot or not...

...Plain non-tied wide sash...

...Bulky, slightly folded or "messy" wide sash...

...The furisode-exclusive tucked-into-the-eri look...

...Cool side knot...

 

...and even with a flower! X3

About geisha and maiko... I have less photos for comparation purposes, so I'll expeculate even more... But the information you found sounds correct to me. Maiko follow a "young" look, while geisha wear more mature kimono - this goes for sleeves (and musubi) lenght, amount of patterns and colors of the kimono, kanzashi... So, it seems logical that obi-age will follow the same idea.

A few details from geisha pictures in found... 

there are knots in the obi-age - check! ;)

Here are maiko obi-age, clearly not tied, and with a stiff, neat 

look (different from common furisode obi-age). Also, it shows 

over the obi in much wider way than geisha obi-age...

 ...BUT, since kimono loves to make things complicated, here 

are some tied, discrete maiko obi-age that follow a similar 

look to geisha obi-age! I'm quite confused now! x_x

This may still be linked to the same logic that we see in non-furisode vs furisode obi-age for other women, thou... The non-tied, wide obi-age MAYBE are worn by low-rank (so, younger) maiko, while the tied, discrete ones MAYBE are worn by maiko when closer to become geisha, therefore, "more mature". This would confirm the info you found... But I don't know for sure. Geisha knowledge isn't my strong point... ^^;

 

Please, all readers, notice this is all purely from my plain observation, with NO back research besides my small previous knowledge, and I may be TOTALLY wrong about obi-age, a subject I know almost nothing about! I just didn't have enought time to make a real, deep research on the matter, sorry! Not even need to mention, the obi-age knots probably have proper names, I just don't know them. I'm such a noob when it comes to kimono accessories... -_-;

 ...Also, no photos here shown are mine! I found them in various sources I can't remember properly, and I only mean to use them for illustrative purposes. If you're the owner of these and whant them credited or removed, please, tell me and I'll do it right away.

Anyway, thanks to Witch-Boy for the question and info in obi-age tying! Very interesting! I never tought much about obi-age myself... Kimono surely has rules for all the little details! ^_^

 ...This was mostly just me rambling and coming up with hypothesis about stuff I don't really know, but I hope at least helps a bit in your further research or, at least, for drawing kimono. ^^;

Types of Kimono - Tomesode

The most formal kind of kimono for married women is the tomesode. Different from the flamboyant furisode (for unmarried young ladies), tomesode has shorter sleeves and patterns only below the obi line, usually on the lower part of the garment. Still, rich dyeing and brocade are used, giving the kimono a high level of formality.

Notice details related to a more "mature" look in kimono aesthetics: shorter sleeves with 
less "round-shaped" borders, and obi worn lower in the torso, as the wearer grows older.

This kind of kimono can be divided in two types: kurotomesode and irotomesode. Kurotomesode, meaning "black tomesode", is worn solely by married women, usually mothers and grandmothers of the couple in a marriage. Irotomesode, or "color tomesode", can also be worn by unmarried women, usually close relatives to the marrying couple in a wedding. It can be considered as formal as the kurotomesode, or a little less formal, if it doesn't have kamon (family crests).

From left to right: irotomesode and kurotomesode. 

The kamon (on the second) add formality to the kimono.

 Since it's very formal, tomesode is often worn with equally formal, brocade obi, like maru or fukura obi, and tied in taiko musubi ("drum knot"), very traditional and suitable for married women.

Clockwise from the top left: detail of brocade in a tomesode pattern, taiko musubi, and five kamon in an irotomesode, adding to it the same level of formality than a kurotomesode. The crests are always placed as shown: both sides of the eri (collar) in front, both sleeves and under the eri in the back.

Tomesode shows a "general rule" in kimono aesthetics that is quite opposite to western common concept of formality vs gaudyness: the more formal and elegant is considered a type of kimono, the smaller are it's patterned areas, and, usually, the more subdued it's colors.

There are exceptions, like furisode or uchikake (wedding kimono), because kimono aesthetics associates flashyness with youth; therefore, it's fitting for the outfit of an unmarried young woman to be flamboyant. Overall, thou, there's a visible tendency in casual kimono to be more bright and full of patterns than formal kimono; you'll be able to notice that as these posts move on to more and more casual types of kimono.

From left to right, these irotomesode look increasily more mature due to it's colors.

Next post: Homoungi and Tsukesage kimono! ^_^

Types of Kimono - Furisode

Just like there are many kinds of dresses, there are many kinds of kimono. Also as dresses, kimono can go from "occasion-specific" (like wedding or stage), to full formal, mildly formal, and very casual. But, different from dresses, which notably vary in shape, all kimono share quite similar general characteristics. The main aspects that usually define a kind of kimono are: shape (in few cases), material and color/patterns. Starting from here, we'll see some different types of kimono and start to analyze the general "rules" in kimono complex aesthetics. 

Please notice, all kimono kinds shown will be contemporary. Ancient times kimono had very different shapes and kinds, and will be mentioned further ahead, in a separate topic.

We'll go from the most formal to the most informal types of female kimono, then see a few "special" types, and a little bit about male kimono and accessory garments..

Furisode

Furisode means "swinging sleeves". This kind of kimono is easy to identify because of it's beautiful, long sleeves. It's the most formal kind of kimono for young, unmarried women, and is not worn by married women. 

 Furisode. Notice some details considered "youthfull" in kimono shape: 

round borders on the sleeves and obi worn very high on the torso.

Furisode is usually worn during coming-of-age ceremony (at age 20), and at weddings of close relatives. Since it's very formal, it's usually made of rich materials, like silk or crepe, and displays opulent patterns in wide, graceful areas over the garment.  

Furisode is usually accented with damask-like fabric, noble dying techniques and brocade - yes, not rarely, all at once! This makes this kind of kimono both stunning and very expensive. Many young women actually choose to rent a furisode for her coming-of-age ceremony instead of buying one.

Festive, complex, sometimes unique kinds of musubi (obi knots) are worn with furisode. Tateya and fukura suzume are two examples of furisode-exclusive musubi. Bunko, a popular and versatile kind of musubi, can also be worn with furisode, if made with proper kind of obi and style. The obi itself, matching the formality of the kimono, is very long and brocade. The type more often used is fukuro obi, but the ultra-formal maru obi can also be worn, specially if bridal-level formality is desired.

From left to right, tateya and fukura suzume musubi.

The obi-age, sash that is tied between the top of the obi and the kimono, can also worn in a specific manner with furisode. If the wearer prefers, however, it's ok to wear it in the common way, too.

 Difference between the "regular" way of wearing obi-age (left) and 

a furisode-exclusive style (right), with one side "tucked in" the collar. 

...And that's the basic about furisode! Next post: tomesode!

Any questions or comments, please comment! ^_^

Peafowl Uchikake

...And talking about peafowls!

I stumbled accross this peafowl-themed uchikake somewhere... 

but I couldn't find the original source.

Anyway, color scheme and beautiful pattern? Lovely!

Big feather-y hairdo... not so sure on that (in my humble opinion).

Peacock, for itself, is a theme that has been used in traditional kimono, but the approach here surely has a modern look. In spite of the lack of brocade, which would be a traditional element in wedding kimono, the pattern alone gives this garment a quite rich appearance... Modern style kimono are usually not my favourites, but, overall, I find this a cool and pretty uchikake.

Peafowl Couple

It's done!!!

It took me many hours of works, but I'm happy with the result! <3

 "Oh, take a glimpse... There goes young 

Mrs. Pea and that garish husband of hers...!"

"It's most surprising a fine, seemly girl like her would 

be charmed by such flamboyant gentleman..."

"Gentleman? That I seriously doubt!"

Mrs. Pea always overheard that sort of convesation from the old crow ladies of the town... She didn't mind it, thou. Was her beloved eventually going to break her heart? ...Or, just as she deeply knew, behind those extravagant manners there was a much greater heart that others would imagine?

 

 ...Haha, making up that little "regency-romance" backstory was as fun as drawing this! <3 I blame listening to BBC's "Emma" and "Pride & Prejudice" OSTs nonstop during the whole process of painting this piece... Fun times, for sure. And such a lovely time period, fashion-wise! ;)

 So, the concept appeared after I saw number of peafowl-inspired artwork and tought to myself - those fancy dresses are surely beautiful, but... they're all inspired by peacocks! And beign a dress a lady's outfit... shouldn't it have a peahen's look? Subtle and brown-ish? Peafowl-wise, the jewel-shiny blue/green would be technically just for the boys!

Yes, I know it's a picky idea - but it kinda sounded interesting! 

So, voilá! A "gender-correct" rendition of a peafowl couple! 

From the beginning, I had a little trouble finding an historical period were the male outfits were naturally more gaudy than female... and finally, Regency seemed to fit quite nicely! ^^

Work in Progress...

I'm very excited about the new piece I'm working on - not only I really like the concept (waa, can't wait to start working with the colors!) I also decided I'll use it as an experiment and practice, to push myself a bit more, art-wise.

During my first years using tablet, I realized I had shaky hands - not a problem in sketches, but when it came to the lineart, the result would always look sloppy, irregular and uh... ugly. So, I discovered pen tool, wich helped a lot! From using it for long time, I guess I can say I got the hang of it, at least to the point of creating decent smooth lines.

...But again, looking at my linearts, I now feel I could do better. And by researching from other artist's experiences, I noticed many artists I admire actually do lineart by hand - traditional or digitally. I've tried a bit before, but soon gave up - but not anymore!

So, I decided to do the lineart of this piece by hand. Painful as it might be! And now that I just started... I see the results are looking so much better than I expected! Maybe it's a result of the many sketches I've made trough time... anyway, I'm glad my tablet control really seem to have improved since the last time I "dared" to try doing lineart by hand. <3

This is a good example of how one should never be afraid to try and improve their art skills; you can surprise yourself with good results as time goes! ^_^

Happy New year!

Happy New Year! ^_^

May this year be full of happiness, peace and great times for all!

So, here's a work in progress of my first big piece for 2013... 

...and look! It even has a BACKGROUND!

I've been wanting to draw this concept for quite a wile now... This is my second attempt on it, and I'm currently very pleased with the sketch so far! ^^ 

So, a Regency-ish period couple with a theme that it... guesses, anyone? XD It's actually quite hard to tell without the coloring, BUT there's a little detail on the drawing that may tell it out! ;)

I'll work on it among commissions, my next disney princess (already in progress...) and the third part of my kimono tutorial (posted on my DeviantArt page). Wow, this year already started very artsy! Yay!