Line vs Shape
When planning out my business goals and long term plans for 2024 at the end of last year, I set aside some time during January and February for ‘art play’. This involved taking the pressure off to create products for a particular purpose and to allow myself the space to experiment with different tools, techniques and colour palettes. Although this didn’t sit easily at first and at times it didn’t feel as though I was achieving much, I am now beginning to realise how valuable this chunk of time has been.
As well as exploring new techniques independently, I have also learnt a lot from other artists and illustrators, through taking part in courses and Zoom live sessions. Emma Woodthorpe, Katie Moody, Emma Carlile, Becca Hall, Emma Block and Claire Alexander all offer sessions through either Patreon or via their website. (Instagram: @emmawoodthorpe; @katiemoody; @emmacarlile; @beccahallillustration; @emmablockillustration; @claire_alexander_picture_books). These sessions have really opened my eyes to the importance of loosening up when creating art.
An art barrier for me has often been a concern about representing everything accurately, as well getting stuck on details and the minutiae within reference images. Timed sketches have really helped with this. By being restricted to create work within a set amount of time, it takes away the opportunity to get caught up with details.
Another game changer for me has been focussing on shape, rather than outlines, when creating compositions. Within my sketchbook, I have been experimenting with blocking out initial shapes with a background medium (usually either gouache or brush pen), before adding further layers in other mediums to build up details. This method takes away the opportunity to get worried about drawing a line in the wrong place. Rather than trying to sketch an outline for the composition, you ‘find’ the shapes by blocking out areas with colour. Katie Moody has some really useful tutorials about this on her You Tube channel.
Another useful trick that I wanted to share is looking for negative space within a composition. If a reference image looks overly complex, look for shapes created by the open spaces between elements in the composition.
Finally, the last and probably the most important lesson that I have learnt over the past few months, is that reference images are just that - a reference. Most of the time, we are not required to create a photo-realistic interpretation (unless that is your specific field). We are free to use our artistic license to make adjustments and move elements to create our own compositions.
If at all possible, I would definitely recommend taking a step back from your practice every now and again to play (whether illustrating is a hobby or a career). Sometimes we get to the point where we can’t see the woods for the trees and taking some time to explore and play actually helps to make us more productive.
Katie x
