Tuesday, April 11, 2017

An Illustrator’s Life — Sara’s tips

The frame of a drawing is a useful tool for visual storytelling.

Recently, I had several students tell me that they broke the frame of their drawing to create a sense of liberation. This can be useful thing to do, but should be used appropriately, not because your initial planning was off.

In the book illustration I’m doing right now…the character is backed into a corner, both literally and metaphorically. I’m carefully debating how much of his body to show. At the scale I’m working fractions of an inch count.

In this case, it’s all about the tip of the elbow. Believe it or not…that can make all the difference in the world.

As I study the drawing throughout the day, I make minute changes to capture just the right amount of restriction.

I’m almost there now. I’ll certainly have it right by tomorrow.