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

Once I have a full page of rough thumbnails,
I choose a few to tighten up and clarify.
I select ideas that sell my story moment best
and create a clear statement. I pick sketches
showing the kids meeting the ghost for the
first time on the stairs. The kids look more
invested in the situation rather than simply
walking in the front door. I also like the
direct confrontation—this makes the event
dramatic and full of energy. I choose two
different angles of the same event, one from
the top of the stairs looking down, the other
from inside the group of kids looking up.
Both have their own merits and are worth
exploring.
I fine-tune these two designs, clarifying
setting and characters while keeping my
sketches loose. I use detail sparingly, since
I need to evaluate if the ideas are working
well or not. At this stage, I develop the
lighting further. Drawing directly on top of
an earlier thumbnail saves time and allows
me to expand on the concept. Soon I have
a set of thumbnails that are clear enough to
convey all the major elements of my scene.
Now I’m in a good position to determine
the next steps. I decide on the angle
looking down the stairs toward the kids
with the ghost filling the top right of the
image frame. This view places the ghost in
a threatening position of power and shows
each kid’s face and unique expression.
LESSON 3: CRAFT YOUR STORY MOMENT
Create a set of thumbnail sketches and
use them to explore and problem-solve
your idea. Try to explore as many solutions
as possible to see what works and what
doesn’t. Keep your thumbnails loose—try
not to invest too much time detailing an
image at this stage. Once you have a page
of thumbnails choose the most effective
two or three and tighten them up further.
130 21DRAW