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Sleep & Focus
This is a breakdown of my process for creating editorial work based on an article from The Sleep Foundation written by Eric Suni. This is a speculative piece and had no brief, this was a fun exercise to build on the processes I've built upon for the past few years.
Initial Brainstorming and Research
I usually start with some lists of tropes and create links that I like the sound of. Sometimes funny, sometimes serious, it all depends on the context. I won't know how successful any of these pairings will be until I start throwing them together in the next stage.
Sketching ideas
I've taken to doing most of my visual thinking in a squared sketchbook over the past year or so.
It makes it much easier to think about composition, placement, balance etc. This is where I have the most fun with the ideas, and discover which ideas, while the best as words, are the worst as images!
Final ideas in more detail ready for Procreate
I'll choose two or three of the ones that work the best and work with them with more focus on the composition. I'll use an armature pattern for this to try and get the best balance.
Textured Version with Colour Tests
I found a combination of colours that harmonise nicely (I do love teal) and layer them using risograph textures. I'll play with layer blending modes, knocking some layers out of place to mimic registration errors. This part is a bit trial and error and takes the most time. Still a lot of fun.
Import into Illustrator for tidying and text
This bit was fun too, picturing how the piece could interact with the text and thinking like a designer: I don't often get to do typesetting and such, but it's great to see how this would look in an actual magazine! Overall, very happy with the outcome.
If you've enjoyed looking at this process and you're an art director, I'd absolutely love to help you create striking illustration for your next campaign or article.
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Send me an email and let's work together.
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