Since I practice two separate but related disciplines, I am very aware of the commonalities and differences in the process of each. For me, graphic design tends to be more evolutionary in that I start with concept sketches and develop from there. My illustration process is a bit different, because I almost always have the image complete in my imagination before I begin to sketch it on paper. Things may change a bit as I go, but generally speaking I iterate an image onto paper rather than explore and develop options. This is true whether it’s created for a client’s project or for myself.

My illustration of the Lion of Judah, an icon of both Judaism and Christianity, was no exception. I saw this painting fully-formed in my mind and then brought it into being on paper. I made a couple of sketches first, then enlarged and transferred the drawing to watercolor paper.

The concept sketch:

The finished work created in watercolor, gouache and colored pencil on paper:

Some background on the work: Judah means praise. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob and it was out of his line that Jesus Christ came. Judah was referred to as a lion in Genesis, and it is the Lion of Judah, referring to Jesus Christ, who is worthy to open the scroll in Revelation.

This is the concept rough from my sketchbook, which is not finished enough to be considered a comp, and the finished artwork. The illustration was created in watercolor, gouache and colored pencil, on Arches 140#.

Most depictions of David, the hero king of Israel in the Old Testament, show him fighting Goliath of Gath. A few show him in his later years, and several tell the story of his affair and murderous cover up. In reading about David’s life, he comes across as an all around flawed hero: determined, passionate, sometimes fearful, as capable of screwing up as each of us is, but always trusting in God. I decided to portray David as an intense, visionary and epic young man who was aware of his destiny but sometimes unsure he would achieve it.

The illustration was done for a packaging project – a wrap-around cover for a CD album. The “five smooth stones” are on the back of the package where the audio titles will be placed.

My concept sketch for David illustration and CD album cover

Finished Illustration in watercolor, gouache and colored pencil

By straddling two “worlds” in my design practice, I often think about one of them while engaging in the other. For instance, while working on a design project, I’ll be musing over the illustration in progress over there on my drafting table. And when I’m in my illustration mode, I’ll be considering the next step in my design process for a web site or a book design.

In my musings and considerations I’ve noticed that the creative process is somewhat different for each pursuit. Although the same considerations are involved in each, the point at which they come in the development process is different.

I begin a design project with pencil and paper (even if it’s a web site). I work out a bunch of ideas, dealing with color, proportion, shape relationships, balance, etc. even in this sketch stage. I refine my ideas and then move to the computer to produce them. Most of the problem-solving is done before I begin developing the final artwork. By the time it’s in digital form most of the kinks have been worked out, most of the aesthetic and functional decisions have been made, and I have a clear path to follow in creating the finished work.

Not so with illustration. Given a concept or story to tell, I make some rough sketches and refined comps, select the best to tell the story and then scaled up transferred to my board  (usually Strathmore 4-ply or Arches 300# watercolor paper). Once the drawing is committed to the paper, I’m ready to apply the paint. That’s when the decision making process really begins. I seem to make more judgements at this stage – in which I am developing the finished artwork. Color scheme and temperature, value relationships, textural contrasts, maintaining the integrity of the drawing, balance, etc. are all ongoing considerations until I can call the work finished.

In a design project, I generally determine color in the beginning stages. Making a painting may require a firm color decision early on, but not always. These decisions are made and can change as I progress further into the work.

It’s an interesting contrast for me – where the weight of decision falls in each of these creative processes. In one it’s toward the beginning, and in the other it’s toward the end.