Step-by-step: Online Chatter

Delayed! I was planning on a great big announcement about the children's book I illustrated, but now I'm having to go back and do revisions. Oh well. No problem. How about this: here's a step-by-step process of an illustration I did the other day. It's not for any publication, but rather a project I came up with, to keep me on my toes. Normally, I draw with pencil on paper and then scan and paint in Photoshop. Here, I thought I'd start drawing right in Photoshop and then paint as I normally would. That way, I'm not too reliant on one particular way of doing things.

The concept is this: is there too much internet chatter? With all these portals into everyday living and feedback, there seem to be so many conversations going on that it can get a bit overwhelming. Facebook, Twitter, blogs, messageboards & forums, it doesn't let up. How would I convey an illustration that showcases this idea?

Well, a guy sitting down, looking at a computer, of course. But how can I make this interesting to the viewer, while supporting the article? My initial thought was word balloons. The quick & easy symbol of someone (in this case, lots of someones) saying something about something.

Click on each image to view larger:


Rough sketch done straight in Photoshop with stylus & Wacom tablet.


Color layer added as well as more refined line layer. (Rough layer is made slightly transparent so I can use as a guide.)


More color added, along with word balloons. (Rough layer still slightly transparent.) Some tweaks made to character.


After some brushy/chalky details added to the character, I add letters & characters in the word balloons. These were simply roughed out -- my intent would be to go in and do more refined letters later on, but I wasn't digging the concept with words included at this point.


So I took all the words out of the balloons altogether. It makes more of a statement if you leave it up to the viewer to add their own version of what this guy is checking out on the computer. Here, I then added more details to the color layer and touch-up to the main line layer, as well as colored in the guy's computer.

And now, the final result:

With more details added here & there, and all the i's dotted and t's crossed. I'm pretty happy with it.

Semi-related:

With all this twittering, I've been able to check out some amazing stuff. Case in point, Bob Staake takes a Roll With the Children's Book Dice. Fascinating to see other illustrators' creative process. Check it out!