• Creating concepts Ideas can’t be forced, but you do have to learn to pin them down, shape then, tame them...
When you’re doing character work, pose and gesture is one of the first things that might come as you work out your concept © Brett Bean
Sometimes as an artist you feel you haven’t got an original thought in your head, and other times you can barely reach for the paper fast enough. But perhaps what separates the good artist from the great artist is their ability to shape that raw idea into a workable concept and then a final polished piece. Too often, fresh ideas get lost in translation and execution, so you have to learn to trust your own instincts.
01
Capture the essence:
“It all starts at the idea phase. The initial spark comes to mind and I will start to pursue it using gesture, then as the picture is evolving I will try to capture it more and more.” Bjorn Hurri
02
Trace layers: “I use the powers of
When you’re working on personal projects, you need to develop an inner voice that you can trust to know when an image direction is right © Brett Bean
the layers by roughly sketching on a layer where I focus purely on character and pose, and then I lower the opacity of that layer and create a new layer on top so I can trace my own sketch for a much cleaner look.” Bjorn Hurri
03
Keep avenues open: “I try to
create at least three options. I sketch them out on separate layers first, but at some point I extend the canvas so all the sketches sit next to each other and continue to evolve the ideas by making sure they are sitting together stylistically but separated by ideas.” Bjorn Hurri
04
Keep your ideas pure:
“An idea is abstract; it exists somewhere in your head and you have to make it real. So don’t work with references at the beginning, simply working with an objective is enough.” Xavier Etchepare
05
Avoid composition chaos:
“I always draw a rough base, and then with a Lasso selection, I fill it with color and different brushstrokes. This makes the process quicker and is more likely to create those ‘happy
accidents’. It’s important to test out a variety of different compositions first, so it’s better to have an efficient process to play with and find a good one quickly.” Xavier Etchepare
Background and foreground; all aspects of your concept need to work in harmony © Raphael Lacoste
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