Theme
Spring Cleaning

 

Specific Experience
“Spring Cleaning Tips”

 

List A (simple object/noun)

Vacuum Cleaner

Rubber Gloves

Multi-Surface Cleaner

Mop

List B (abstract idea/situation)

Gather all cleaning supplies before starting

Invest in organising solutions

Don’t take on too much in a day

Donate items you no longer need

 

Final Artwork (Set 1)

Final Artwork (Set 2)

This project was done entirely in Procreate on the iPad. These are the colors and brushes used in Final Artwork.

 

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PROCESS

1. Balance: By looking at the refined concept sketches, I could see that my pick for List B’s “gather all cleaning supplies before starting” was decidedly busier than the rest of the set. After trying several style options (shading etc), it became clear that applying a solid color to the paper towel was going to weigh down the illustration. I finally settled on a simple outline for the paper towel, which managed to lighten up the piece. After applying this element to the rest of List B, I went back to List A to do the same for consistency. 
2. “Imagine the opposite of the idea you’re trying to illustrate”: I put this handy tip to good use while researching for List B’s “don’t take on too much in a day”. By asking the question “what happens when you do take on too much”, I was led to the idea of the anxious character hanging onto the light fixture, feeling overwhelmed by the monumental task of cleaning on the ground.
3. Free Sketching: Probably my favourite section. Because the only instruction is to “draw what you see”. But at the same time, this exercise allowed me to commit certain visual cues to memory. During the rough concept stage, I drew only the parts of an object that I could remember from the free-sketching exercise. To my delight, the parts that I could remember were almost always the essential attributes of an object, without requiring further unnecessary detail.
4. Thumbnails: The empty thumbnails became quite the unexpected motivator for me to keep sketching to fill up the space. And because I kept sketching beyond what I thought was going to be my pick, I sometimes came up with something even better.
5. Spot Illustration Checklist: Emboldened by this insightful checklist, I found myself culling concepts left, right and centre lol. This checklist is super instructive and I’ll be keeping it within easy reach to guide me in future projects!
6. Unresolved Inconsistencies: These inconsistencies didn’t seem particularly jarring to me at the time, but now I wonder if I should have fixed them: a) Different Mops in Set 1 and Set 2. b) Both in Set 2, exaggerated scale of the hand in the donation bin illustration vs the normal scale of the hand in the organizing solutions illustrations. c) Crease lines on the gloves in Set 1 vs no crease lines on the characters' clothes in Set 2. 

 

CONCLUSION

This class alone is easily worth the price of my Skillshare subscription for the entire year (if not more)! Really appreciate that all aspects (content, video production and even the class handouts) have been so thoughtfully put together. I love that this class showed me how to look at my project critically, and ultimately learn to be more deliberate about the stylistic choices I make. Thanks, Tom!

 

Any kind of feedback would be most welcome! =)