21-Draw-Illustrators-Guidebook-vol-2-ebook-(2021)

For this piece, I play around with various
ideas before settling on a haunted house
theme. I want to draw something I haven’t
before (I draw a lot of pirates!), a drawing
that is appealing and fun with lots of
potential for conflict and drama. I can easily
imagine a group of kids exploring an old
haunted manor—this seems like a perfect
idea to build on.
hard round brush. Sometimes I use an oil
brush and spatter brush if needed.
Now let’s get started with the foundation of
any illustration—the idea!
THE IDEA—FINDING YOUR STORY
MOMENT
Illustration is the art of conveying an idea
or a story moment in a single image. We
don’t have the luxury of time or sound, like
an animated film does. Instead, we need
to focus on the limited elements we can
control, such as composition, character
performances, color, and tone to convey our
idea successfully.
Much of my work is client based and in
those cases a client comes to me with an
idea in mind for me to articulate. In my own
personal work, however, I wait for a moment
of inspiration to hit, an image in my mind
of a story unfolding that I am compelled to
draw! My goal is to find an idea that is fun
and appealing to me that has a clear story
moment with enough ingredients to be
exciting visually.
Alongside the story, I need to consider the
purpose behind this illustration. Is it just to
entertain or does it need to serve another
purpose? In this case, I want my drawing
to entertain and be a useful tool for this
tutorial, effectively showing my process for
creating a character driven illustration.
I tend to mull over an idea for a while before
drawing anything. I write down notes or
ideas that come to me about how best to
approach the illustration. By first visualizing
a scene in my mind, I can think through the
different elements and allow any quirky
ideas to surface.
I often bring influences from my childhood
into my work; my designs are heavily
inspired by these memories. I was a fan of
The Three Investigators and The Hardy Boys
books. I love the concept of a group of kids
going on adventures and solving mysteries.
This is also tied to my love of films like The
Goonies and other similar 1980s adventure
films. TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer
and Stranger Things are also on my mind
alongside a general vibe of kids’ Saturday
morning TV shows.
I also like reading mysteries and a bit of
horror. The past few years I’ve been getting
into Stephen King and Ray Bradbury—their
CHARACTER DRIVEN ILLUSTRATIONS
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