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

novels often feature kids confronting an evil
which they must defeat and an odd haunted
house or fairground to boot!
These are examples of the inspiration I want
to bring into this illustration. A group of kids
exploring a haunted house is an old trope
and not the most original, but it is a fun idea.
I will put my own vibe into the execution
and tell a playful story through the scene
and characters.
In a dramatic illustration, it helps to establish
a main conflict to build the story around. For
my piece the main conflict is obvious—I
want to show the moment a group of kids
meets a ghost or monster for the first time!
It will include plenty of action and the crisis
is clear—a bunch of kids scared out of their
wits. What will happen to them? How will
they get out of this situation? The conflict
helps to make things more interesting for
the audience by forming exciting questions
in their minds.
I also need to consider who the actors are
in my piece. I want at least one ghost or
monster in the mix, but it could be worth
exploring the idea of adding more than one.
As for the kids, I want at least three, at most
five, a group of buddies. Maybe they are part
of a gang like the Losers Club in Stephen
King’s IT. Might be fun to make them a
ragtag bunch, a gang of misfits, and perhaps
they came together for the common
purpose of exploring the haunted house.
Another key element will be how the
characters interact with one another or
rather with a ghost they encounter? Will they
run away? Or stand their ground and try to
fight? Maybe they want to be its friend!
I also need to give some thought to where
this event takes place. Yes, a haunted house!
More specifically, is the encounter inside
the house? Are the kids creeping up the
stairway or descending into the basement?
Or are the kids too scared to enter the
house, only peeking inside the front door. I
can tell these decisions will affect the drama
of the illustration. Placing the kids outside
looking in might not have as much tension
as them being trapped inside the house.
Unless one of them is inside, oblivious to the
danger behind them as their friends look on.
Another important aspect of setting is
the time period. Is it set in present day or
the past? I like the idea of giving a nod to
my childhood and using the ’90s, which
provides a nice contrast between the age
of the kids and the house and ghosts. I can
put a lot of color into the kids and use that
to contrast with a dull colored environment.
Could be fun to include ’90s fashion or
tech-like shell suits, hi-top trainers, cassette
players, and retro film cameras.
Finally, I need to consider the tone or mood
I am looking for. Do I want my story moment
to be serious and gritty? I don’t think so! My
style lends itself to exaggerated and lighthearted
illustrations. I decide that “spooky
fun” sums up the mood I want—a bit silly
and over the top but with an old school
spooky vibe.
Taking time before you start to think
through your concept and clarify these
points is always a good idea. This can also
help to generate new views that weren’t
obvious at first. Jumping in and starting an
image without thinking it through is okay,
but slowing down can help, especially when
making design choices. We want all our
design choices to aid in communicating the
story moment. Having clarity about what
exactly your story moment is will make
design choices much, much easier!
124 21DRAW