Rough to Finished Art

I'm uploading this rough-to-finish sequence to show the development of an illustration. This was one in a series of pieces done for a Wildlife article on cockroaches.

In some ways, the sketch has a charm all its own that could serve as a piece of finished art. I think illustrators often like our sketches better than the finished art for their looseness and spontaneity.

Illustrations copyright J. Pittman, 2008

You can see the sketch, of course, is pencil, while the finished art is pen and ink. The color, in both cases, was done digitally in Corel Painter. The finished art's color was made a little more intense and using blue reflected light for more contrast. The background was changed to be more of a vignette. Either drawing would have probably worked, but the whole series was done with pen and ink with crosshatching to complement the color washes.

Creative Inspiration

illustrations copyright J.Pittman, 2008

I got a little more time on the Christmas catalog cover as the publisher needed more time on their end. So, I think it might be nice to record the process from sketch to finish. The client is selling outdoor/wildlife gear. They still have to decide the actual items to feature on the cover so I've simply indicated generic packages and goods in the sketch for now. The concept, of course, recalls the familiar Santa scene from "A Christmas Story" with a wildlife slant, like having Santa in camouflage clothing. The challenge is to give just enough of an impression of the idea that inspired the illustration, but then take it another step to make it an alternate reality. In one of his children's books, Maurice Sendak once drew a chef who was patterned after Oliver Hardy. It's an interesting vehicle to give a surreal air to the story your illustration is conveying.

I enjoy the sketch phase of an illustration the most. It's the place where you can be director, actor, and cinematographer all in one. The close-up sketch shows a little more detail in the characters. That's my puppy, Artoo, as Santa's elf. I like to incorporate personal things like that for my own amusement. In illustrations over the years, I have included pets, friends, and family. I suppose that's a little like Hirschfeld including "Nina" in his drawings.

Speaking of Hirschfeld, I was fortunate enough to meet him before he passed away when I won my first Reuben division award in NYC in the mid-90's. We also presented him with the Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award that year. He was in his 90's at the time, had recently married again, and was just as sharp and bright as a 20-year-old. When we have our National Cartoonists Society meetings, it never ceases to amaze me how I can be talking to some of our members who are in their 80's and 90's, and it's like conversing with a kid fresh out of college. One of the nice things about our profession is the impact that creative work has on keeping your mind alert and youthful. It's a special blessing for which I'm thankful.

Christmas in June

illustration copyright J.Pittman, 2008

I'm working on a Christmas catalog cover in June! I'm accustomed to working well ahead of holidays, but this particular client has a new printer who wants more lead time. So, to get myself psyched in 90-degree weather, I did this little warm-up sketch of Santa. It's absolutely nothing like the style or subject the cover will convey, but serves as a simple artistic calisthenic. I think I may also have to play some Bing Crosby and Mannheim Steamroller to get fully into the festive spirit. My cover is going to be influenced by the movie "A Christmas Story." So I have a few stills from the film I plan to use for inspiration. Now I'm in the mood for French toast. We always have French toast for Christmas breakfast. My puppy Artoo is barking. I think he heard my stomach growling...