Exercise: Mixing and matching

I started doing some research about artists who mix different tools and techniques. I soon realised that the possibilities are endless and that, in a sense, most illustrators use different media.

The main possibilities include:

Mixing digital and traditional media: this could mean drawing with a pen and rendering the illustration in Photoshop for instance.

Using several digital softwares: this would include using both Illustrator and Photoshop for an illustration to create different effects. Even with Photoshop, an illustration could be a mix of photography and painting.

Mixing traditional media: again, there are endless possibilities such as mixing different types of paints, using markers with colour pencils, creating some collages,…

Anything could be used in the process of creating an illustration, such as a sponge instead of a brush or a piece of fabric instead of paper.

I remembered exploring the work of Christoph Niemann (Illustration Sketchbooks). The ways he combines photos and drawings (https://www.christophniemann.com/) is very interesting.

I gathered some examples on Pinterest:

I explored some ideas in my sketchbook to decide on the subject of my illustrations for this exercise:

I had been trying to sketch everyday as part of my routine and that included at some stage drawing squirrels. I enjoy watching squirrels in the park and thought it would be a nice subject for a series of illustrations.

I created a board on Pinterest with references and looked at the sketches I had already drawn as part of my regular sketching routine:

Draw scan colour

I revisited a tutorial I used in the past containing some advice about the anatomy of rodents: https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-draw-animals-small-rodents-and-their-anatomy–cms-22539 and used my sketchbook to draw squirrels in various positions.

I then decided to use my favourite sketch, scan it and colour it in Photoshop:

Although I admire illustrators such as Therese Larsson (http://www.sillybeastillustration.com/), I struggle with this technique and the result was disappointing. Among other things, the textures are wrong and the illustration lacks movement and dynamism.

Colour print draw

I wondered how to colour something before sketching contours. In the end, I created a colour palette evoking the colours of squirrels and nature in Photoshop. I did not really know how I was going to use the outcome but initially, I had a vague idea of drawing on top of the coloured paper.

My printer did not work very well, but when I started playing with the paper, I ended up drawing and cutting shapes.

This ended up being an interesting experiment as I simplified my sketches to create the collage and realised that this could be a good way to play with shapes in order to create a pattern for instance.

Finally, I thought about other options and decided to create an illustration with a black fine liner and some coloured pencils and to finish it digitally:

What I learned from this exercise

The possibilities can be overwhelming and I did not know which ones to choose for this exercise. For instance, I enjoy drawing a sketch with a pencil or pen and scan it to create the illustration in Illustrator. However, I did not use this technique in this exercise because I wanted to explore options I am less familiar with.

When I reflected on the illustrations I had just created, I noticed a few things:

I would like to paint better illustrations in Photoshop and tried to understand some of the issues I encountered with this exercise: As I create the illustration, I don’t really know what I am trying to achieve and end up hesitating between different styles: painted, realistic, etc. At the same time, I am also not confident when I apply highlights and shadows and it might be a good idea to carry on exploring more with traditional media such as watercolour paint or pencils first.

Finally, I might not have the right tool. I try to paint with a basic wacom tablet and this lacks flexibility. In the future, I might acquire some better equipment to paint and draw digitally. Meanwhile I intend to improve my skills with more traditional media so that I know what I try to achieve if I decide to use Photoshop.

When I started the experiment “Colour Print Draw”, I was a bit sceptical but it brought some interesting results. I like creating patterns but tend to overthink as soon as I start. Playing with shapes like this without looking for a particular outcome was quite liberating.

When I created the final illustration with traditional tools first before completing the design digitally, I realised how much I like to work like this and it is something I would like to explore further.

Areas to explore further

At that stage, I want to experiment more with a black pen and watercolour pencils/paint in order to become more familiar with certain skills such as creating depth and movement. I also like the outcome when I use these tools such as the hand-made and nearly unfinished aspect of the illustrations.

At the same time, I find that it is important to keep experimenting with different tools and techniques as it brings unexpected outcomes.