From Beginning to the EndA look at how professional illustratorsuse quick sketches to achieve success

Charles Santore – illustration for the anniversary edition of the “Wizard of Oz.”

Working out a layout for the idea.

Trying out the concept to see if it will work on a finished spread.

Develop a more comprehensive design

Shoot the model shots that will be the basis for the final illustration.

Begin to develop a more detailed sketch utilizing the model shots.

Work out the final details – anatomical and such, in this case.

Pull it all together in this, the final detail sketch, from which the final full color illustration will be done.

Jerry Pinkney– illustrations for an edition of the “Uncle Remus Stories.”

Rough sketches for ideas for different stories

More rough sketches for ideas for different stories

Step by step to a final full color illustration and the cover of the book.

Mr. Pinkney utilized pictures of himself in various poses to help him gather information about how clothing folded, etc.

Below is an example of how the artist Darrell K. Sweet worked up a full color sketch and then used it to create his full color finished painting.

Below is an example of how artist James Gurney worked up a full color sketch and then used it to create his full color finished painting.

Below is an example of how a quick sketch allowed artist Herbert James Draper to solidify the position of the mermaid for his final full color painting.

Below is an example of how a quick sketch allowed the artist develop the idea for a log cabin.

Below is the final drawing that will be used to begin the technical renderings for construction.

I hope that looking at how these two professionals utilized the quick sketch approach to get their initial ideas down from which they could build their final illustrations will give you some ideas of your own.

Your drawings do not have to be as professional as what you have seen. They can be down and dirty. The whole idea is to put something down that will preserve that idea for use now or later.

It is not the professionalism of the quick sketch that matters, it is the recognition that comes from the drawing later on.