How to Create a Vector Illustration Sketch

Learn how to easily create a vector illustration sketch using a reference image

Creating a sketch is essential because it is the first study you make when creating an illustration, but you may not know exactly where and how to start. Although it is a technique free of rules, and each person develops their own style over time based on personal preferences, here are some useful tips that offer a solid starting point that will help improve your entire illustration process.

Here, graphic designer and illustrator Mauro Martins (@mauromartins) gives tips on how to create an illustration sketch in Adobe Illustrator. Watch it now:

Search for references

Search for reference images online. Want to draw a banana on a skateboard? Start by choosing a photo of a moving skater and a banana, for example. The idea is not to copy the images but to use them as a basis for defining a specific type of movement or a characteristic that you will transform into part of your illustration.

Paper or Illustrator?

The sketch can be done with pencil and paper, or directly in Illustrator. You will define this step of the process according to your preferences and illustration techniques.

Less is more

In the sketch, don't worry about making the lines seamless and perfect. Draw slowly, without haste, to better understand where you want to go. Remember that the sketch is just a base that you will use as a guide when you later create your actual illustration.

Did you enjoy this tip? If you'd like to learn more about how to create a vector illustration, from how to brainstorm, sketch, and complete your digital drawing, check out Mauro Martin's online course Doodle-Style Vector Illustration.

You may also be interested in:

- Introduction to Adobe Illustrator, a course by By Aarón Martínez
- The Art of Sketching: Transform Your Doodles into Art, a course by Mattias Adolfsson
- From Beginner to Superillustrator, a course by Puño