Graphic designing is changing and it is changing in a big way. What was once called art is now part of graphic designing and it is slowly and gradually taking over the field. What we once used to see in museums, art galleries, now we can see on our screens. And the frequency is changing too. We are talking about illustrations. There was a time when they were thought of as something not related to promotional graphic designing. But that has changed. Now you can see brands using illustrations left, right, and centre to attract customers.
A lot of artists used to learn illustrations and then practice it as a career. Now, those same artists are competing with graphic designers in the digital realm. Want to get an affordable logo design using the latest trends? Not a problem anymore. Want to create amazing murals for your website or your app? Anytime! Every business is trying hard to capture potential customers and become the centre of their attention. The only problem is that since the trend started, it has generated a lot of competition. Every business wants to jump on the illustration bandwagon and ensure that it has the latest and most alluring images, app backgrounds, website themes, and more.
Whether you are incorporating in-house designers or working with an agency, they should be up to date with the steps to create amazing and captivating illustrations.
Here’s how:
Step 1: Get Inspired
The very first step in creating an amazing illustration is to get an amazing and genuine idea. It doesn’t have to be too detailed. Right now, you are just looking for the basics. The rest will come later. Use your imagination and creativity and come up with something unique and inspiring. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Experimenting with colours and shapes can give you the next big idea. Also, don’t be afraid of taking inspiration from other sources. You could visit Pinterest or Instagram and browse the millions of visuals that they have. Just don’t copy it. Use that inspiration to come up with something that is truly and completely yours.
Step 2: Organize Your Ideas
As a designer or as a business owner who overlooks the designers, you will come up with different ideas. Keep a track of all of them. You don’t need to use all of them at once. Maybe you’ll get an idea now that will come in handy some other time. Keep a journal where you can jot down all your ideas. Sometimes just browsing your journal can give you the concept or idea that you need the most. When drawing your idea, make sure that you attach notes to it that describe it. That will help with the recall.
Step 3: Make Sketches
The drawing or the sketching phase is one of the most important steps in the entire process. Some designers overlook this step and go immediately to the drawing part of it, using some software. This can really hit you back. Having a hand-drawn sketch can mean that if you are in the middle of the idea and you suddenly want to change ways, you can do that. You can start over.
Step 4: Complete The Drawing
Once you have done the preparatory work, comes the time to finally put it into a digital format. A lot of designers go straight to the software of their choice and start drawing. You can do that too. Or, you can finish the sketch on paper to see how it looks before using the digital tools. This way, you can even scan and trace the drawing later on. Always keep in mind who your customer is and what they want from the illustration. This will help you with the colour scheme as well as other aspects of the illustration.
Step 5: Do Additional Touch-ups
No designer can say that they got it right the first time. There’s always something to touch-up or something to redo. So, once your drawing is over, look over it with a fine comb and see if there’s something that you want to change.
Step 6: Make It Unique
Your illustration has to stand out from the crowd if it is to please your customer and their customers. Think of all the ways that you can enhance it. Look at it from your customers’ perspective as well as their customers’ perspectives. Think of the medium where it will be displayed.
Step 7: Details, Depth, and Framing
For an illustration to jump out and make an impact, it needs to have three things: Depth, Detail, and Framing. It should not look out of place. It should be well-balanced. And it should have enough details to invite the viewer, but no too much so that the viewers get scared or confused.
Step 8: Tell A Story
The final part is to check if your illustration tells the story that you wanted it to tell. We cannot emphasize the importance of storytelling enough. If it doesn’t tell an authentic, interesting, and relevant story, your customers will not like it. Share it with a few people to see what they think of it.
Conclusion
These are the basic steps that you need to take to create an illustration that mesmerizes and captivates. Each step is crucial and has a huge part to play in the whole. So, follow these steps and create amazing pieces of art that tell amazing stories.