PROCESS VIDEO // volcano thumbnails

Here’s another real-time process video, this time for the thumbnails of my recent volcano piece! Again, you can speed it up if you feel it is too slow. Just click the gear button and adjust the speed to your liking!

Some things to keep in mind while watching the video: 

USING REFERENCE AS THE ‘CREATIVE SPARK’

I think this is an interesting video to share because it shows how I use reference quite loosely as a starting point for these thumbnails. You can see that I draw inspiration from a specific photo for each one, but then modify and change elements of it as I go. By the time I have finalized the piece, it has changed completely from the reference. For me personally, it really helps to balance reference and imagination by not leaning too heavily on one or the other. Using reference helps me to find the interesting details that will elevate the drawing beyond what I can come up with myself, and using my imagination helps me to focus on the mood and emotion of the piece rather than feeling ‘trapped’ by having to get all of the details right.

This is a newer workflow that I have started using in recent years. Before that, I used to draw purely from the imagination and avoid reference entirely. But I’ve been doing a lot of client work where reference plays a huge role in creating a sense of believability and interesting detail, and it really inspired me to integrate this mindset more into my personal work!

DRAWING WITH SHAPES

For environment thumbnails like these, it really helps me to think in shapes rather than in lines. It’s just a lot easier to get a sense of mood and work out a composition when you see the big shapes in place. This is why I’m using mostly the lasso tool to block in big shapes and layering on detail from there. But for thumbnails, the most important thing is to get a general overview, which is why there’s not a lot of detail in them! 

More about how I use the lasso tool here:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/step-by-step-36570445

TRY IT THREE TIMES

I intentionally make three thumbnails. This is also a technique that I use a lot in my character design work! I’ve found that when I challenge myself to make three versions of the same idea, I push my mind to try different creative solutions. I usually feel like I’ve nailed it on the first, but am surprised to find that my second or third option was the most appealing. For someone like me who likes to stay in the comfort zone, it really helps to push myself beyond it and challenge myself. It almost always yields more interesting results!

I will also be posting a video of the process for finalizing the volcano piece, just gotta edit and prep it! For now I hope you enjoy this one.