The Sketch Stage
Moving on to the third unit, we will address the different steps to take when drafting and composing a sketch.
At this stage, gathering the right references is as important as picking the right sketch to work on.
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Preparing for Our Conceptual Illustration
There are two main sketch stages in preparing for an illustration. We will call these Concept Sketches and Working Sketches.
In the next three lessons I will guide you through the process of creating rough concept sketches from a text, choosing the most effective one, collecting any necessary reference material, and working up a more complete sketch which can then be transferred to your paper to serve as the basis for your finished illustration.
But before we start on this, we need to ask some important questions.
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Who Let the Ideas Out? Concept Sketching
In this lesson, you’re going to get stuck into a real-life illustration brief.
You will learn to read a text with your pencil in hand, to doodle or write every idea that comes to mind, and to jigsaw them together in as many ways as possible, watching for the sparks they knock off each other.
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Collecting and Shooting References
Now let’s take a look at our concept sketches and choose the one that best illuminates the topic in the brief. This will usually be the role of the art director or commissioning editor.
Once we’ve made a choice, it’s time to get to work on the actual illustration. The first step is to decide what reference material you need, and where best to find it.
A good rule of thumb is to shoot as much of your own reference material as you can, but of course, this isn’t always possible, depending on the subject matter.
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Working Sketch
Now that you have your reference material assembled, it’s time to make a working sketch. This is where you refine the composition, and make sure it’s as clear and impactful as possible. You might also choose to rough in some shadows to ensure that your choice of lighting will work.
Tasks
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Reconnaisance!
Collect some magazines that feature illustration, either on the cover or inside. Take a look at how the illustration is used within the design. Does it bleed off the edge? Does it occupy a regular shape on the page or irregular shape with text flowing around it? Does it cross the gutter in the middle of a spread? Is there a headline or text overlaid on the illustration? What information would the illustrator have needed to know before embarking on the illustration, and how did they accommodate the needs of the designer in each case?
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Practise Concept Sketching
Pick a short article from a news magazine. Repeat the exercise we covered in lesson two. Write down and doodle as many associations as you can with the content of the article. Don’t worry whether they seem useful, tangential, or plain nuts.
Re-read the article and see if you can summarise the main theme in no more than three sentences. The purpose of a conceptual illustration is not to include all the detail in the article, but to highlight its main theme in a way that’s simple, bold, and immediate. Play around with your doodles and ideas, and try to combine them in ways that are visually arresting and that capture the essence of the article. Don’t neglect the emotional effect of what you are reading. Is there a danger, warmth, menace, sadness, or optimism in the article? These can inform the concept you choose, as well as your use of color and how you compose your final image.
You can choose to develop these sketches for your finished project, or work from the brief I featured in the lesson, and the concept sketches you produced from that.
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Choose Your Concept Sketch
Look again at the concept sketches you have done for our final project. You should be able to eliminate the weaker ones quickly. You can create new sketches as you work through these if you like. Not all your good ideas will come at once, and there is sometimes time to let a few stragglers into the mix.
You may also find that further combinations or adaptations can be made from your strongest ideas. Sort through them until you can pick an overall winner.
Look for boldness and clarity in the idea - one that will pack a visual and emotional punch.
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Shoot Your Reference
Using the methods and tips from the lesson, take any reference shots you’ll need. If there are elements you need references for that you can’t shoot yourself, look for picture references online.
Additional resources
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PDF
Sample Brief
Here is an extra brief for you to practise your conceptual sketching on. This is an article from The South China Morning Post about a summer camp for aspiring models.
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TIF
Cover Template
Attached you will find a cover template.
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PDF
Your Working Sketch
In Lesson 4 of this unit I showed you how to create your working drawing. You should do this on Layout paper, or a similar lightweight paper.