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

and/or in the public domain. This limits what
I can show you to some degree, but there
is a wealth of information available from
free stock image sites. One of my favorites
is pexels.com. I also pay for some images
from istockphoto.com and use a couple of
my own photographs. While researching I
discovered the British Library has a massive
online archive of public domain publications
and images from very old publications—
perfect for this illustration!
THE KEY ITEMS I NEED TO RESEARCH:
• THE HAUNTED HOUSE — I want images
of old and grand interiors with a Victorian
style.
• THE KIDS — How will my kids look? What
do kids around 9 to 13 years old look like?
I vaguely know but I need some help!
I also want to include the look of ’90s
clothing and colors.
• THE GHOST (or monster) — What will
my creepy character look like? If they are
a ghost I think Victorian in style, so I need
to research this too.
• THE STYLE — While I intend to paint in
my own style, I do want to research the
old illustrations I can find in the British
Library archives. Maybe they will inspire
the look!
Keeping all these details in mind, I like to
gather images then place them into one
large image file. I use Photoshop for this
because I like to draw and add notes on top
of my references. Of course, you can use
other software or online image organizers
like Pinterest if you prefer.
My final mood board mainly consists of
older house interiors, some fancy, others
run down and falling apart. I chose images
with interesting lighting and some that
have big sweeping staircases. (I have a
feeling a staircase will be featured in my
final illustration.) I also include the exterior
of houses to provide context, although I
don’t think my scene will show the exterior.
I have various images of kids with a variety
of clothing and features. Alongside these,
I place Victorian era photographs which
might help with the design of my ghost.
Finally, I include old public domain images
from the online British Library archive.
These are mainly Victorian style illustrations
featuring ghosts. They could inspire me
along the way—I love how they portray the
ghostly forms!
Gathering references helps me solidify a
concept and clarify details about how the
illustration might look. This allows me to
visualize characters and their setting more
clearly. Even if I never look at the reference
material again, it has been a useful tool in
the developmental design process. I keep
this mood board on another monitor as an
easy reference while I start to draw.
LESSON 2: MAKE A MOOD BOARD
Your turn to make a mood board! Think
through your idea and figure out any
key problems you need to solve. Is there
anything about your design that could use
visual references?
What about your characters? Are there any
images with a similar style to what you are
aiming for? Collect relevant resources and
compile them into a mood board.
126 21DRAW