Art always goes through different stages, starting from just an idea doodle, to something more grand and complete. That's one of the great things about creating...you get to watch a concept grow. Sort of like planting a garden, you get the seeds planted, toil away in the hot sun and eventually (hopefully) enjoy the fruits of your labour. Here is an inside peek at my creative process for a recent illustration in WO Magazine.
1. Idea Doodle
This is where the idea takes place and I experiment with different thoughts and compositions. It can be the worst most crude drawing ever...in fact sometimes I wouldn't even consider it a drawing. More like some basic mapping language.



2. The Drawing
Most of the work happens in the drawing stage. It involves fleshing out the idea into a recognizable form using your thoughts, reference material, and the overall vibe the drawing gives off. Once the composition feels right, I then go in with a darker pencil and finalize most of the details. Once complete I typically ink with a brush pen.



3. The Finished Colour Piece
 In this case, I scanned the artwork and cleaned it up before adding digital colour in Photoshop. I'm often not sure what direction the colour will take at this stage, and just let it build up on its own. Sometimes I'll add in some finishing texture in this stage too, and then it's all wrapped up and ready to go.