| An
Illustration Story |
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A lot of you ask me how I work. I'll try to take you briefly through some of the secrets of my trade, with an illustration I called "Le Ménestrel" (The minstrel). |
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| Step
1 : Sketches |
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The
ideas for my drawings come from everywhere. They can come from my everyday
life, from a sight I saw, a photograph I liked on the Net, a friend,
someone I meet, or just some daydreaming I fell like putting on paper.
For
"Le Ménestrel", I aimed to create a tender, both magical
and private universe; some sort of a hijacked medieval tale... I started
out with the idea of a cloister, full of life, with green everywhere, I always take in consideration the context of my pictures, not just the background. I really wanted people to feel the whistling of the wind in the leaves, the soft rustling of the water flowing into the pond. Thus, I didn't hesitate to blend in numerous details, to make the drawing more lively, not forgetting to center the tableau on our two lovebirds and their little courting session. |
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| Step
2: The original drawing |
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last sketch done, I now have a precise version of what I want the end
result to be. That's when I start the creation of the final drawing. I don't use a tablet and I always work with my own hands on Canson 224g/m² A3 paper, with my pencils, eraser and pens. Drawing
and Laying-out require great focus. The gesture has to be precise
yet dynamic, and I willingly confess it is a balance I still have
a hard time to find. |
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| Step
3: Colorization |
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| This
is it, the original drawing is done and inked up, at last I can scan
it and start the numerical colouring, which I do with Adobe Photoshop.
I
already had a clear idea of the colours and the atmosphere I wanted
to give this artwork the moment I started the preparatory sketches.
There can be a playful side in the colouring, the creation of textures
or effects often requires an elaborate strategy as a means to an end.
I apply the colours, lightings, shadows and textures, and sculpt the
shapes step by step while revelling in the sight of the picture emerging
to life under my gaze. |
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| Step
4: Finalization |
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| The
artwork is almost done, I've applied all the colours, textures, shading
and I've worked the shapes, the only thing left is what I call the "Finishing
Touch". This is when I tune the colours to give the illustration
a "mood", a coherent set of colours.
For "le Ménestrel", I wanted yellow tones, maybe even golden nuances, in order to find both the spirits of a summer evening and of an old piece of time-faded parchment. I hope these short explanations brought you some new clues about the way I work. PLease do not hesitate to ask questions if you feel like it, I'd be glad to answer them. Sven |
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