Things to Consider Before Getting Started

 Resolution. Although vector artwork is scalable without

compromising quality, you have to decide on the ratio. I prefer 4:3 and 16:9
because these are fairly common standards for most screens. Also, bear in
mind that, despite the perfect scalability of vector graphics, working with
curve anchors and colors in small areas is sometimes onerous.
 Composition. Rules are made for breaking. But we should know
which are supposed to get broken, right? One that I really like is the rule of
thirds. It is easy and it works well. The key idea is that main objects should
be located at the intersections of the grid lines. If you are willing to learn
more about composition, I can’t recommend anything better than the
book Framed Ink.
 Depth. To make an illustration look more natural, create depth. You
can achieve this by placing some objects closer to the viewer and some
farther.
 Framing. Don’t fret that some of your artwork will get trimmed;
account for it while drawing. The rule of thumb is to think of your illustration
as a clipping from a much bigger picture. While drawing, don’t try to
squeeze all objects into the canvas; let them hang out. This is even more
relevant if you are planning to turn your artwork into a wallpaper with
multiple versions.
 Detail. Adding detail is a great way to make your illustration more
attractive. The more thorough the work is, the more one will want to explore
it, and the more truthful it will look. On the other hand, adding detail might
(and most of the times does) take a lot more time than creating a decent
illustration that you are satisfied with.
 Perfection. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. There is always
someone (future you, as well) who is better at composition and coloring.
Your drawing won’t be flawless, and over time you will notice a lot of things
you didn’t pay attention to or just missed. At the same time, the only way to
learn something is to make mistakes. That’s how it works.
It’s All About Storytelling

Since the dawn of the human race, storytelling has been one of the most
exciting forms of communication. It teaches, it captivates, it makes us think.
An illustration might look static, but it doesn’t have to be. Creating a story
within a still image is easier than you might think. All you have to do is to
imagine that your artwork is a middle frame of a movie. Technically, a
movie is a sequence of images played at high speed, so that the eye
doesn’t notice the change of frames.
Think about what happened before the frame you are working on and what
might happen after. Let’s think about what’s happening at the moment as
well. What led to our frame? What are the causes and consequences?
The art of storytelling is not about what you tell the viewer, but rather how
people perceive what you are telling. A good story sources its power from
people’s emotions and memories; it resonates with the viewer.

Generating Ideas

In my opinion, the most important part of the idea-generation process is

doodling. This fun and simple activity creates plenty of ideas fast. Of
course, you have to sift through them later, but quantity is what matters at
this point. All you have to do is start drawing random things. The beauty of
doodling is that you don’t have to think hard — your subconscious does all
the work. Almost all of my illustrations, logo concepts and comic strips have
evolved from doodles.
Try not to tie your artwork to a specific topic if it’s not absolutely necessary.
Strong illustration works on its own. In our case, while the concept is
connected to the nice weather in May and the beginning of a new season, it
could easily be deprived of that context without losing its meaning.
Sketching

A paper sketch will capture your initial idea (materialize it, if you will). A
loose paper sketch will help you to evaluate proportions and composition
as well. I prefer not to trace my sketches later but to draw, peaking at the
sketch from time to time. If you do not stick to the sketch 100%, you will
have more freedom to experiment with details and to see where the
illustration takes you.

Background

The background is extremely important because it sets the mood and

affects the colors you will pick later for the hero and the surroundings.
Open Adobe Illustrator, and create a new document by hitting Cmd/Ctrl +
N. Type 2560px in the “Width” field and 1440px in the “Height” field.
Choose RGB color mode, because we are creating an illustration that will
be used on digital screens only. (Note: Shift + O activates the artboard
editing mode, so you can change the dimensions of the artboard if you
want to alter them or in case you typed them in wrong.)
Hit M to select the Rectangle tool, and click anywhere on the artboard.
Type in the same width and height values as your artboard’s
(2560px and 1440px).
The safest way to align our rectangle is to use the “Align to Artboard” option
from the dropdown menu in the top control bar. Alternatively, you can move
the rectangle around and wait for the live guides to help you align it.

Shadows
To make objects more realistic, let’s add shadows (darker areas), where
the light barely reaches the surface. Obviously, some tree bark and some
leaves on the branch will need to be darker than the rest of the foliage.

Highlights

Highlights (i.e. areas where light reflects off the surface of an object) are
just as important as shadows. Let’s add some bright patches along the
curve of the tree branch.

Details

It’s time to add details such as a backpack, a green light on the robot’s
head and a reflection on his face. We can also fine-tune some shapes and
lines, remove leftovers, and fix inconsistencies. As soon as you like the
look of your illustration, stop.

The Final Touches

Sometimes I’ll put some grain on top of an illustration by making a layer

with monochrome noise in Adobe Photoshop. It adds a little texture to the
illustration and smoothens the gradients. It’s especially useful when
gradients have noticeable step wedges.

Shower Thoughts
STYLE VS. SOLUTION
While most artists, designers and illustrators are eager to develop their own
distinctive style, always think of the purpose, the objective, the “why.” Style
is merely a means of achieving your objective. Style sells, no doubt —
clients will recognize you by your style. At the same time, it will limit the
viewer’s expectations of you as an artist, designer or illustrator.

NEON VS. LIGHT

While picking colors from a real image is sometimes reasonable, it depends
greatly on the style you’re going for. Black and white with acid color spots
here and there? Pale and subdued? Each style demands its own approach
to color. What works for a book cover (catchy and provocative) might not
work for a wallpaper (imagine staring at extremely bright colors every day).

IDEA VS. EXECUTION

I always run into the dilemma of which is more important: the idea or the
execution of the idea. Your illustration might contain an interesting idea, yet
if it’s poorly drawn, it won’t be compelling enough. On the contrary, if your
artwork is superb and rich in detail but lacks an idea, is it doing its job? Is it
moving people?

PERFECTION VS. PROGRESS

Nothing is perfect except pizza, so don’t get stuck in pursuit of perfection.
Let the dust settle, and return to your artwork a day or two after finishing it.
But don’t leave it unseen for too long. Would you prefer to get it done and
move on, or meticulously improve it pixel by pixel?

1. What is your main subject?

2. What was the main character?
3. How was that your Environments (Elements)
4. What was your illustration main period?
5. What was your illustration main scene?
6. Please check yandex for copywrite violence
7. Create your own color palate
8.