How to make an illustration

And be a team player.

“Making an illustration is assembly work, first in that your role is being in assembly line with other players who have gone before you, but also with assembling your own prep into interesting configurations”.

I see making an illustration as assembly work.

First in that your role is being in assembly line with other players who have gone before you, providing you the initial elements of brief and text, sometimes even reference, and all sorts of treasures.

Second we need to assemble from all our own preparation, sketches, colours reference, moods and experience into something of value first to the commissioner, and as far as possible to ourselves.

The success of an illustration depends on our ability to be a team player knowing how to work with the people and materials at hand, but also managing yourself and what you bring to the piece.

It’s in knowing what to keep and what to discard.

That can be anything from sketches, colours or even suggestions and feedback that don’t work. It’s think this is why simpler illustration styles work so well because it’s in the simplicity that lots of perspectives points of views and agenda can be incorporated.

This is a prepetory sketch:

Sketch for an illustration

And this is the resulting illustration:

A quick illustration

Thinking of illustration as an assembly project informs my workflows and my collaborations.

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Does thinking of illustrating as an assembly project resonate with you?

Is this how you think about it too or is it foreign, how do you think about making an illustration?

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TenMinuteArtist Prompt:

Make an illustration

Design an icon for a personalised greeting card to a particular person you know.

Here are the steps:

1. Make a list of things you both like in relation to the celebration (write or draw)

2. Try different sketch versions of some of the objects (draw ideas as objects)

3. Assemble the final icon as an illustration

PS: If I get one paid subscription today, I’ll share a Timelapse of the making of this illustration in the weekly recap.

Know someone who might enjoy this post?

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You are reading part Five in a series called Drawing for Illustration.

Ten Minute Artists,is a Page-a-day guide that offers fun prompts, encouragement, and thoughtful perspective for every stage of the creative journey to help new and experienced creators alike advance their quest in 10 minute increments.

Award winning illustrator Adam Ming draws lessons from creative legends, industry experts, and his own experience of rapidly breaking into international publishing from a third world country.

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