Requirements to final
Getting over the finish line, when the start is hard
THE PROBLEM
So you get an assignment, a commission, a new request from your agent and FREEZE. What next?
As a newb in illustration, one of biggest challenges for me has been to settle into a groove, a process, a set of tried and tested methodologies which will take me from blank paper to completed article.
THE METHOD
My mind is often split between taking a visual approach, with diagrams and workflows and just writing one big long list (sometimes it gets lost).
So here are 2 approaches and I wonder if either of them resonate with you?
Create a plan which is timebound with chunks of work, eg
Monday - Brainstorm assignment words. Create Pinterest (T) board. What can be recycled from current work? What will the end products look like?
Tuesday - Sketch motifs. Black and white observations. Consider typography. Design new products shapes. Possible layouts for final.
Wednesday - Make 10 supporting motifs in colour. Sketch 1 detailed main element.
Thursday - Finish all 3 main elements in colour
Friday - Scanning. Composition. Textures
Saturday - Placement. Final. Upload
Sunday - Lessons learned.
Set up your sketchbook to inspire you.
Section 1. Write out the assignment, Riff, stick in mood board pictures, scribble in colour palettes, decide on a style or medium
Section 2. Make sketches in 2 modes, observation and interpretation, figure out compositions and colour blocking
Section 3. Use the good paper for your final elements. Create the end result and consider you marketing/social media treatments once uploaded
PROBLEM SOLVING
I know a lot of people go for a walk or take a bath when they are stuck, but I tend to head for books and lots of them. A large library full of them and never on the actual topic I am struggling with. In my day job I am a trained creative facilitator and I use many of these techniques to unpick tricky topics. More to come on this in a future substack article.
CONCLUSION
So far I have been going with Option 1, but I have to admit Option 2 really suits the way my brain operates and I plan to design my own sketchbook containing all the papers I need to take a project from inception to completion.
Would you buy this kind of sketchbook?
Do you use either of these approaches?
Option 2 probably! Option 1 just makes me question the whole plan since day one and puts breaks on the process 🙈 I have Option 3 which is 1) stuff yourself silly with reference for two days, 2) sketch what you’ll think you want to draw 3) marinade for a day, question everything 4) draw something polar to what you’ve planned but that works much better for the task )