When I was invited to sketch live at the opening night of the ACOTAR x Knix pop-up in NYC, I had no idea what to expect! The inquiry came with a very unique request for the sketches, and I was excited to try something new.

Stepping into the ACOTAR x Knix pop-up felt like walking into a dream. I haven't read the series myself, but I immediately got a glimpse into its world. From the lighting and wall décor to the displays and even the carpeting, every detail helped transport guests through the different courts while highlighting the beautiful pieces from the new collection. There was even a harpist, Noir Harthor Sounds, playing live!

This was easily one of the coolest pop-ups I've had the chance to sketch at to date.

A Little Fae Magic in Every Sketch

And the unique sketch request? Every guest I sketched was given pointed fae ears! Our art stations were even labeled “Feyre’s Art Studio”, after the heroine of the series.

Everyone was so excited about this little detail, and the sketches turned out so cute! It was such a fun way to bring a touch of fantasy into the live illustration experience and give each guest a personalized keepsake from the event.

The turnout was amazing, so there were three illustrators sketching throughout the evening. The other two artists were people I absolutely love working with, and we each brought a slightly different flavor to our sketches while keeping to the same black-and-white line-work direction.

I always love seeing how different artists interpret the same brief. Even with a shared style direction, each illustration still has its own personality.

An Evening Full of ACOTAR Excitement

Content creator, @GlamazonDiaries with her fae portrait

One of my favorite parts of live sketching is getting to chat with the people who sit for a portrait. Throughout the evening, guests shared their excitement about the series and gushed about the beautiful collection.

I'd done a little research beforehand, so I even had fun asking guests about their thoughts on different plot points! It was such a fun way to connect with fans and get a little peek into the world and stories they're so passionate about.

Noir Harthor Sounds performed live at the event.

The energy throughout the pop-up was incredible. Between the immersive setting, the live harp music, the gorgeous collection, and all the excitement surrounding the ACOTAR universe, there was so much to take in.

I'm so happy I got to be part of such a unique event and bring a little fae magic to the evening through my art.

If you're planning a brand activation, product launch, or special event in NYC and are looking for live illustration, I'd love to hear about it! Reach out to me at DeannaKei@gmail.com and lets bring your vision to life!

Deanna Kei is a fashion and beauty illustrator who collaborates with brands to create custom illustrations, and illustrated trend reports and content. She also sketches guests live at special events, brand activations, weddings, and private parties. To discuss a collaboration or book live fashion art for your next event contact: DeannaKei@gmail.com or see here for more details!

In celebration of Gigi Hadid’s 30th birthday this past April, Maybelline commissioned me to custom design and paint a Le Creuset Dutch oven as a one-of-a-kind gift from the brand to Gigi.

Custom-painted Dutch oven by Deanna Kei for Gigi Hadid’s birthday, featuring illustrations of her favorite things. — The finished design for Gigi

Gigi has been an important Maybelline brand partner for many years, and they wanted to give her something extra special for her 30th birthday this year. So… what does one gift to Gigi Hadid?! Her love of cooking is well known — she’s even shared photos of her Le Creuset collection in the past. Maybelline and the PR agency LaForce reached out to me with the perfect way to combine her interests into an extremely personalized gift with a luxury level of customization.

Included Maybelline lipstick in the design of course!

They provided inspiration images along with insight into Gigi’s favorite colors and personal interests, and I presented several concepts for review.

Their original inspiration board presented quite a challenge: how could I incorporate such a wide range of interests — pasta, horses, the color yellow, lipstick, photography, New York City — into a cohesive design? Suddenly, my sketchbook was full of unusual ideas: flowers with pasta petals, the NYC skyline with lipstick and pasta replacing some of the buildings... [trust me, you don’t want to know].

Gigi loves photography so LaForce asked to include it in the design!

At first, I was envisioning fully painted scenes that would cover the entire pot — but it just wasn’t feeling like me. I realized I had been approaching the piece like a painter — and my strength is in illustration. Once I shifted to thinking in illustrated vignettes, the creative direction really came into focus.

Using Procreate on my iPad, I mocked up six of my favorite designs onto a photo of the Dutch oven so the client could visualize how each would look on the actual pot.

After they selected their favorite concept, we collaborated closely through the approval process. We exchanged a few rounds of emails and revisions before locking it in. Working digitally in Procreate gave me the flexibility to make quick edits and reposition elements as needed.

Finding oven-safe and dishwasher-safe ceramic paints that didn’t require kiln firing was another challenge. After a ton of research, I discovered a French brand that was perfect and fully heat-safe: Pebeo Porcelaine 150 paints and paint markers, and I learned that synthetic brushes were recommended for type of paint. I bought a fresh set of brushes to avoid contamination — it was important that no non-bake-safe material mixed in.

The paints needed to be cured in the oven to fully seal them. I had never “baked” my art before, so I picked up a mini Dutch oven locally to perfect the process before working on Gigi’s piece.

During the test run, I learned a few helpful lessons:

Once the Pebeo paints are dry, but prior to curing, you can’t paint over them — they’ll chip off.
In the seconds before they being to dry, you can wipe them off cleanly with water.
Some colors are more opaque than others.
You can layer and re-cure paint as many times as needed to correct or adjust areas.

Outlining the illustration with a Pebeo paint pen

Then came the really complicated part: replicating my approved illustration onto the full-sized Dutch oven! I re-sketched each component of my design separately on paper, cut them out, and positioned them on the pot while measuring spacing. I re-worked them a few times until the sizing and spacing were correct.

Since everything needed to be oven-safe, I couldn’t use chalk or pencil guidelines — so I freehanded the entire design, removing one paper at a time and drawing in it’s place. Thankfully, the paint’s water solubility gave me a few seconds to correct any missteps.

I used the paint pens to draw clean black outlines for each motif. Once that dried I then filled in the colors with liquid paint using my new brushes.

Filling in the outline with Pebeo ceramic paint

The Pebeo Porcelaine paints had very specific instructions: 72 hours of air-drying, then oven curing at the recommended temperature and time. Once cured, the paint became permanent and fully functional.

The finished Dutch oven features a vibrant, personalized design that features many of Gigi’s favorite things: pasta, photography, New York City, horses, sunflower yellow, and of course: Maybelline lipstick. The gift was shipped directly to her as a birthday surprise from her longtime brand partner.

The final design wraps around the entire dutch oven!

It was such a fun, unique project to work on — and a great learning experience for working with heat-safe materials. I’m so grateful Maybelline chose to partner with me on this. I hope Gigi Hadid loves it!

Deanna Kei is a fashion and beauty illustrator who collaborates with brands to create custom illustrations, and artwork. She also sketches guests live at special events, brand activations, weddings, and private parties. To discuss a collaboration or book live fashion art for your next event contact: DeannaKei@gmail.com or see here for more details!