Creative Illustration & Beyond: Inspiring tips, techniques, and ideas for transforming doodled designs into whimsical artistic illustrations and mixed-media projects (Creative...and Beyond)

An illustration is a picture that communicates, and an illustrator is a person who tells a story with pictures. There is much debate over whether illustration is an art form unto itself. I say, "yes!"

When an idea strikes it's best to jot it down right away or do a quick study sketch for reference. Just as writers record story topics and keep notes, artists maintain visual journals of images to spark their creativity. Fill yours with quick sketches, gesture drawing, words, phrases, doodles, and any other images that pop into your mind. On days when creative juices are not flowing like they should, these treasure troves of material will save you. Once you add to them over time, visual journals can be a brilliant documentation of your ever-evolving style and technique.

• Step 1: Draw the largest shapes around the inside perimeter of the wings.
• Step 2: Add intricate designs of your choosing.
• Step 3: Continue to add more detail until you are satisfied with your results.
• Step 4: Complete your wings with color!