How Do You Actually Start An Illustration? (3 Ways That Work)

Check out my Free Line and Color Quick Start Guide: www.thedrawingcodex.com/quick... You will learn how to develop a simple reliable process in photoshop. You also get all the brushes and PSDs that I use in the guide (the same ones I use for most of my illustrations).
As artists, we often grapple with how to begin an illustration. There are three main strategies I have found which are different but can work well! In this video I discuss these different ideas in detail while sharing some examples in photoshop of my process and what it looks like to use the different methods of starting an image.
This is mostly a difference in the mental approach. All strategies involve developing a thumbnail to begin... but the way they will feel as you are creating them will be drastically different.
Here is an Automagically generated summary to help understand the video and aid search optimisation: (I think it does a pretty good job of summing things up, despite sounding a bit generic)
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Strategy 1: The Explorer Modality
This strategy involves sketching freely, allowing us to explore a range of ideas without the constraints of a specific frame. It's a process of open exploration, where we sift through various concepts and visualizations. The primary advantage is the creative freedom it offers, though it can lead to a lack of focus and underdeveloped ideas. It's ideal for initial brainstorming but may require further refinement for a polished result.
Strategy 2: Architectural/Technical Style
In this method, we start with a defined frame, much like a storyboard artist or cinematographer. This approach provides clarity and structure from the outset, useful for projects that demand a precise vision early on. However, its rigid nature can limit spontaneous creative exploration and may result in formulaic outcomes. This approach is particularly beneficial for concept art or projects requiring a clear, early vision.
Strategy 3: The Visionary Approach
Here, we begin with a large, rough sketch on the final artboard and refine it progressively. This process is efficient and direct, focusing on the overall composition from the start. It requires a strong ability to visualize and execute ideas swiftly, making it more suitable for experienced artists. While it offers quick progress, there's a higher risk of not achieving the optimum result due to the lack of initial exploration.
Each strategy presents its own set of benefits and challenges. As artists, we need to assess which approach aligns best with our personal style and the specific demands of a project. The choice of strategy is influenced by our skill level and the nature of the task. Understanding and utilizing these different methods can greatly enhance our adaptability and effectiveness in various artistic situations.
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Happy Drawing!
Tim Mcburnie
Learn Drawing and Illustration from me: www.thedrawingcodex.com
Portfolio: www.timmcburnie.com
www.artstation.com/tim-mcburnie
timmcburnie
timmcburnie

[@greedmarks7478]

I swear to God, you must have just read my comment somewhere, because THIS is what I was looking for quite some time now. Why ? Because I do have a lot of sketching sessions, where I finish with nothing but deleted files. I sketch and after 15-30 minutes I realise there was absolutely no sense in what I was doing. Some random character, without this "thing" that makes it interesting. Maybe this video will help me to sort things out in my brain.

[@JH-pe3ro]

Something that these different processes remind me of is how you can, when executing a drawing, intentionally set a pace by using a metronome to indicate when you start the next line. When the pace is excruciatingly slow, you get an extra moment of thinking time that changes your strategy. As it goes faster, you lean towards a formulaic design. And if the point of adding pacing for the drawing itself is mostly about not "letting go of the line" and allowing a hasty scribble, then the point of slowing down at the level of thumbnail and sketch would also be to move the process away from conventional methods, and to allow alternatives to take place. And the way of slowing things can take the form of making it inconvenient, like working in the sketchbook and not applying a frame. But equally, using the fast pace by taking a shortcut is also a way to unlock certain approaches that wouldn't come to mind if you had all the time in the world. I've seen some interesting examples where a composition is reused completely - perspective, blocking, values - but the scenario itself is completely different: environment, characters, etc. Likewise there are many examples of illustration built from a live staged scene, where the majority of planning can take place away from the sketchbook.

[@joemps]

I had started to get bored of my own ideas and was just doom scrolling through pinterest but this video just filled me with the flood of inspiration that i desperately needed. Thank you Tim! It's nice to be reminded why i enjoy drawing from time to time :)

[@underwaterspacetraveler17]

I honestly think this video just unlocked a new level for me. This is an incredibly valuable lesson here.. for free! Fantastic, thank you.

[@savagewizard3723]

Thank you sir . Amazing tutorials as always. ❤

[@ZephyerArt]

Your thumbnails are beautiful! You can see the wealth of experience you have from the impact you make with deceptively simple compositions. I appreciate you taking us through your process and seeing so many incredible iterations. Really enjoyed the archway piece as well!

[@artmonkey22]

Hi I just wanted to say thank you so much for making of this video. I was struggling with where to start while doing a larger type project. Not being professional myself and looking at all these awesome concept art books I was always been frustrated thinking I had to do a bunch of these little thumbnail images. Thanks for clearing up what those are actually there for and what the motivation is behind them. From watching your video I think I got a better understanding on how to use which of the three processes in different parts of my workflow. Thank you so much

[@Gonzalo3DChile]

This Video is a Master Piece! Thank You very much!

[@gcastro3d]

wonderful work Tim. Might you know why i enjoy this over the "loomis" videos you've made with a heavy emphasis on structure/form? Your loose workflow is just so great!

[@TanyaM.-jq8kn]

Great! Thanks a lot!

[@russorox654]

Hello, i recently discovered your channel and it is amazing! Would love to see more videos about thumbnails! i usually only have one idea like "i''ll make a fanart of my favorite band" but i can't come up with more than 1 thumbnail sketch, idk but it seems like i'm not creative. all the best for you, your work is incredible!

[@WYD28]

20:16 this is the way ive been taught and im not very good at it. I have a hard time visualizing the whole scene in space and where to place the camera to make the optimal scene. its hard for me to show everything that i want in one image! Especially if theres more than one character and theyre both equally important to the scene. I picked up your drawing scenes course so im really excited to learn this process. Like you said the devil is in the details and thats where i get lost. 35:35 this seems so advanced! My visual library is not big enough to just bring details to life. I cant see the finished picture in my head and so when i plot it down, it all looks empty. I can never get to that refined sketch as it never looks detailed enough. like 39:31 (And a bit unrelated but i see a lot of artists do this sketchy style as their thumbnail and im im love with how it looks but it looks super messy when i try it. Do you have a timelapse of these first sketches so i can see how you create these forms with sketchy lines seen at 45:57) This video is filled with so many nuggets! Thank you!! Onto the next one!

[@SmiileySmiiles]

❤❤❤

[@GetDownKp]

😊

[@missmamawork]

I am someone who has a picture in my head that is the ideal picture. It already has the right lighting, the right composition and the colors that I want. I 'just have to copy what is in my brain'. However, even though I have this very solid picture in my head it happens often enough I cannot reach this ideal picture. Sometimes it is a lack of skill or insight, but sometimes I don't know what is off and this makes me disappointed in my skills and the final result (which anyone else finds pleasing). What kind of ways are there to reach that ideal picture, regardless of skills or are there ways to combine this ideal picture with the final result without feeling disappointed?

[@Icanonlycountto4]

Hey Tim, do you think copying your favorite artists work is important? I’ve got a growing list of favorites and basically stock piling what work I can find to use

[@Dacon]

Dude it's so difficult for me to visualize environments like this.

[@HiddenHandMedia]

Are you a mind reader or psychic or something? I've spent the last month trying to figure out the best way to start a drawing and it freezes my brain

[@zup9819]

🫎

[@artwhat..]

Very good, yessir 🥸