Cartoon Illustration Process
Hello, World!
I like to break my process into 4 phases:
1. The concept- This can be finding reference images or creating a mood board for the direction that the project will go in.
2. The sketch - This step involves a rough draft of the concepts execution. This can be as “rough” as I’d like it to be and there’s no pressure to have everything figured out.
3. The outline - This step is subjective and depends all on the design style of the artist. Since I use a lot of line work, outlining the sketch prior to adding detail is what makes the most sense for me! This allows me to have a clear vision of what the illustration will look like before adding color.
4. The detail - Lastly, this step includes adding color, highlights, shadows and even some extra line work! This is the finalization phase of it all.
Breaking your illustration process into distinct phases is a great way to keep yourself organized and to minimize error (especially when working with clients) down the line.