I recently took Lisa Congdon’s Skillshare class on following and executing a creative brief. The class assignment was to create two preliminary sketches of a Three Little Pigs book cover, as well as a final piece. I don’t often find time to take classes, so this class really gave me a new perspective on my illustration process.

Because I really took my time working through this class, I paid a lot of attention to planning for the final piece. As a result, the project ran much more smoothly and was more enjoyable. I also really liked how the final piece turned out. I had an aha moment right there! I don’t spend enough time in this planning phase, even though it instantly made me a better artist.

I have trouble taking my time on my illustrations, because it feels like there’s so many other things I need to do to run my business - invoicing, client projects, website updates, order shipments. Sometimes the list feels endless. I realized how often I rush through my work, just to get it finished. While I think it’s important not to focus too much on quality or the end result, taking time to enjoy the process and plan for a piece is crucial. Ironically, I realized that spending more time in the planning phase doesn’t make the project go any slower. It actually sped things up for me, and made the work feel easier.

Below is a list of how intend to approach all my future work, not just the important projects. If you don’t already spend time on these step, I promise they will instantly make your work better.

• Spend quality time in the inspiration phase. Look up photographs of the subject matter you are going to paint. Familiarize yourself with the shapes and forms. I love using Pinterest for this. I even like googling illustrations other artists have created of the same subject. It helps me determine what I want to include in my illustration. Too often I skip this phase, and just draw from memory. While I get started a lot quicker, the process from start to finish is more frustrating. I think the key to enjoying this step is to have fun with it. Pour some coffee, put some music on, and relax while you gather your inspiration.

• Create detailed preliminary sketches. I like to sketch on my actual illustration paper, and erase the pencil as I fill in the paint. This doesn’t work well with watercolor, but it does with gouache. While I typically do preliminary sketches before a final project, I tend to skip this step if I’m doing a sketchbook piece. I often forget that sketchbook illustrations can become art prints of products, so I should take my time. Another thing I realized, is that I rarely sketch multiple compositions - another practice that is crucial to a good end result. Lately, I’ve found myself sketching pieces while I watch TV. It’s not ideal, but it’s fun to step away from my desk and be entertained while I sketch!

• Plan the color palette. I realized I must always do color swatch studies before tackling a piece, to see what colors look good together. Even if I’m creating something in my sketchbook, a piece turns out better when I do color swatches in the margin. A helpful exercise is to create a grid of all the colors you like to use, and use it as a reference tool when choosing swatches for a final piece. I find most artists have a few colors they always go back to, so this can be a great reminder. Part of this process can also be researching interesting color palettes online. Again, Pinterest is a great resource for this. Once I’ve chosen a color palette, doing little thumbnails of the illustration helps. I even like scanning in my sketches and filling in the colors digitally, if I’m feeling stuck. Planning your color palette can be extremely fun. Again, just try to have fun with it and take your time.

Overall, my main takeaway is not to rush my work. I realized I only get one shot at a piece, and then I’m probably not going to paint that same exact piece ever again. I owe it to the piece to plan it out properly. After that, however it turns out is completely out of my hands. I hope this post struck a chord with you all! I truly believe this is the easiest way to improve your work without any amount of practice or training. The idea that we can just crank something beautiful out without thinking about it is absurd, and puts so much pressure on the process. It’s like trying to go camping without packing any gear. You probably won’t have a very fun time, and you probably won’t want to go again.