Before and after: from sketch-to-finished illustration
One of the easiest ways to describe my drawing process is to show you. In this post, I describe how I illustrate each piece of bespoke artwork for my customers. Each one starts with a simple sketch and is completed with a full-colour, hand-drawn, but digital, illustration.
Initial sketch
I begin any drawing by quickly sketching it out from observation. At this stage, I use the photographs and imagery provided to me and work in either pencil on paper, or the digital equivalent in Procreate on my iPad.
Often my sketches are nothing more than a few lines or shapes on a page, but they help me to decide on form and positioning. Other times they are detailed sketches mapped out with light and shade.
Secondary sketch
My initial sketch is often sufficient, but if I have drawn a particularly “scribbly” design, I will refine it with a second sketch. I use the first sketch as my guide and work over it digitally sketching a simple framework for me to base my final drawing on.
Final, coloured illustration
Once I am happy with my guide sketch, I hand-draw everything digitally on my iPad and with a graphics tablet on my iMac. Even though this stage is dictated by my sketch, it never becomes a ‘“paint-by-numbers”. I revise the drawing as I go along, amending sections if and as necessary.
Finishing touches
With this drawing of Daenerys Targaryen, from Game of Thrones, you can see that once I’d finished drawing her, I added the small dragon as well as a background wash of colour. This is one of twelve drawings I created for part of a TV-themed wedding table plan. Each one represented a different table and was also used on individual cards to signpost each table.
I plan to share more of how my drawings evolve from start to finish, showing you more examples of sketch-to-finished artwork. If you’d like to see more of my process, follow my day-to-day on Instagram @hannahweeksillustration.
To get a quote for your own project, please send me a message.
