How would you describe your creative working process? What stages do you go through?
My working process has evolved over time and can vary depending on the brief but it tends to be as follows:
- Read the brief carefully – I have had incidents when I misread the brief as I was too keen to start and this ended up being costly in terms of time; I now try to pay attention to every detail of the brief and read it a few times during the process.
- Initial research – I look at the research I need to do. For instance, if it is a cover for a book, I will research that book, its audience, the size of the illustration or the subject.
- Generate ideas – I use my sketchbook to look at keywords and create spider diagrams to generate ideas – I try not to stop at the first ideas and keep exploring other possibilities.
- More research – I then do more research depending on the direction I would like to follow – This could be research about a style, experimenting with some techniques or gathering any other information I might need.
- Thumbnails and loose sketches – I create some loose sketches. With some illustrations, this might include defining characters.
- Create illustration(s) – I work on the final illustration(s). The process will depend on the techniques I use.
- Complete my work – I go back to my final illustration and add the last touches.
- Learning log – I write in my learning log although I will have already taken some notes during the process.
The process is not always linear. It is not always easy or possible to know what needs to be researched at first and I might need to go back to that stage a few times. Also, sometimes I go in the wrong direction and go back to the ideas I explored in the first place and look at other options.
There is another aspect of my working process that I tend not to consider but is probably just as important. I try to read the brief days in advance if I can and think of ideas in the course of the day. I find that it can help to look for inspiration without being under pressure while going for a walk for instance. However, it is important not to stick to an idea at that point as I often find that when I sit down and explore other directions on my sketchbook, the first ideas are not the best one or they can be improved on.
How do you undertake research?
I first try to ask as many questions as I can to make sure that I do the necessary research.
I do a lot of research online as there are so many resources nowadays. I also have some books on subjects I am particularly interested in such as colours, patterns, Art Deco and many other areas.
I take photos either on a subject I know I will need or to build some references for the future.
Research might include a visit to a particular place. This could be a museum, a park or any place that would help me with the theme.
I also experiment with techniques to see what works and what does not.
How and when do you critique your work and what questions do you ask yourself?
Although I critique my work to a certain extent during the whole process, I suppose I really stop and critique the outcome at the end when I write my learning log. I try to think of what could have improved the design, but also what I like about it and why it works.
How do you manage your time?
Managing my time has been sometimes challenging. I have had to learn to be realistic and understand when I am more productive and that can vary depending on the type of work I do. For instance, if I know that I am less likely to concentrate, I try to do some mechanical tasks such as preparing files to be uploaded on the learning log.
I always make a plan so that I know when I will be able to study, but with work and the usual unexpected things that happen in life, I often need to reshuffle everything. However, I now try not to dismiss small amounts of time during the day when I can study as this can be very helpful.
Where are the sticking points? What do you think are your strengths and where do you need to develop further?
Procrastination and stalling with some projects: I often hesitate too long to choose a theme or a direction for an illustration for instance in case it might not work. I have noticed that I often procrastinate because I doubt myself and my ability to complete a task, whether it is a drawing or writing on my learning log. I am getting better at just doing the task and accepting that it cannot be perfect. I now try to allocate a certain amount of time for a project and, while being flexible, I still try to complete the exercise within that time.
Taking the first idea: Although I have made some progress in this area, I still need to make sure that I explore all the possibilities fully when I generate ideas.
Being too ambitious with some projects: I have sometimes been too ambitious with some projects and had to change direction after having spent some time on an exercise because my initial plans were unrealistic. Although it is important to challenge myself, I also need to be more aware of my current skills and the time I have allocated to a project when I make a decision.
Being too ambitious with my time: I am learning how I can use my time better and how certain tasks take longer than others.
Being too hesitant in terms of style: I often start with an idea and because I am too hesitant, I change directions regarding the techniques I use and the outcome end up being a bit disappointing. Although it is positive to experiment, I should try new techniques before being at the final stage of the process when it is too late to make changes.
Not critiquing my work often enough: I will try to stop and critique my work more often during the process.
Finding more time to sketch and practice new techniques outside a project: This is something I often struggle with as I am anxious to meet deadlines. However, whenever I find the time to sketch and experiment outside an exercise, I always enjoy it and it ends up being useful later on.
What’s the process of finishing your work?
I tend to struggle with that part of the process for different reasons.
My lines tend to lose some energy and dynamic as I go from the original sketch to the final illustration. Using the iPad Pro for some of my initial sketches has helped as it is very easy to create a new sketch on top of the previous one. As a result, I am not so worried about making mistakes. Sketching regularly also helps a lot as I get more confident.
I can sometimes leave my work somehow unfinished. At times, it is because I am worried of spoiling it with more shadow for instance, at others it is because by the time I finish, I have spent a lot of time on the illustration and have lost the ability to see what is missing. In that case, it might be a good idea to leave the illustration for a few days (even if it involves starting the next project in the meantime) and go back to it with a fresh mind.
Other times, I can do the opposite and keep making changes without knowing what I am trying to achieve. It might be because I am not so happy with the outcome but it could just be too late to change certain aspects of the illustration.
I find that practice together with feedbacks I receive from my tutor contribute to improve my confidence to finish my illustrations and understand what is missing.
Catherine Roux Degree in Illustration 