I went through my work and created a gallery with my favourite pieces. Sometimes I selected an illustration or a sketch because I was interested in one aspect of the drawing even if it was not finished or if the end result was not satisfactory. I then reflected on what these pieces had in common.
This is the gallery I created with some notes.
When I looked at the gallery, I noticed a few things:
– I particularly like the rough sketches because of their energy and dynamism.
– I also enjoy creating colourful illustrations in illustrator.
– I have not selected many pieces I created in Photoshop even though I like colouring illustrations in Photoshop.
I reflected on what these choices said about my work:
– I tend to fluctuate between different styles but it might not be as diverse as I thought it was and they could be classified into two categories: Illustrations created with a computer with different degrees of realism and hand drawn illustrations where, in a way, the imperfections can add dynamism to the drawings.
– In all cases, I enjoy drawing colourful illustrations that tell a story. This includes drawing funny characters, whether they be animals, humans or fantasy characters.
These reflections helped me to understand the skills I would like to develop:
- I find it hard to turn a sketch I like into a successful illustration for a few different reasons:
- When I work towards a final illustration, the original sketch loses its energy and dynamic, whatever the method I use. This is partly because I start thinking that every line is important and lose spontaneity. Practice can help me to improve this.
- I still find it hard to add enough contrast to my illustrations and this can be partly explained by my hesitation when I apply highlights and shadows. Again, practice can help, including practice sketches where I concentrate on that aspect in particular. It is however interesting to see that I find it easier to add highlights and shadows in Illustrator when I have to commit by drawing clear shapes.
- I really like the idea of painting an illustration in Photoshop but I am still struggling with the technique. I am following a course on Udemy at the moment that might help.
- I still struggle to add colours to a sketch as there is so much to take into account and again, this is something I need to keep practicing.
- My colour palettes often lack harmony and/or contrast. I have read a few books and articles on the subject and some exercises in the previous unit “Core Graphic Design” helped me to understand a few points. For instance, I have realised that all the colours in an illustration do not need to be vibrant and that, sometimes, the vibrant colours work better in contrast with more muted colours.
This research has helped me to understand better what I need to do to improve my illustrations and what I try to achieve.
It would be worth doing this exercise again in the future to reassess my skills and my objectives.
Catherine Roux Degree in Illustration 