Sketchbooks and Boredom
As much as I want to inspire people to pick up a pencil and sketchbook, showing up with just the final product wasn’t enough. It was equally important for me to show my creative process. I have so many ideas, and ideas about those ideas, and so on. So as you can imagine, it’s easy for me to become overwhelmed. I made sure to add all of the scraps of paper, and various rough sketches from a number of different sketchbooks, to highlight how all those compounded ideas eventually came together to create The Fear Theory.
Below is a look at how my creative process took place over the course of a year and a half, at a time when I just started testing the waters as a true illustrator.
Process Work
I purchased an e-book that focused on illustrating backgrounds. I spent a week drawing nothing but trees and rocks. Was it boring? At times yes, but it helped me create a solid foundation. A few months later, during a 5-hour trip back to Toronto, I began storyboarding.
I transferred the rough storyboards from my sketchbook, refined them, and developed the final versions in a small photo album. As a hands-on learner, interacting with it in this way made a big difference; flipping through the pages like a real book brought the project to life. Those images were later scanned and slightly edited in Photoshop.
I transferred the rough storyboards from my sketchbook, refined them, and developed the final versions in a small photo album. As a hands-on learner, interacting with it in this way made a big difference, flipping through the pages like a real book brought the project to life. Those images were later scanned and edited in Photoshop.
Bringing it all Together
A video game that inspired my creative direction is called “No Man’s Sky.” As a graphic designer, I knew having a firm grasp on the art direction was important. Knowing I would be competing with iPads and other videogames, I wanted everything to be colourful and engaging throughout, as a way to keep it interesting for children.
No Mans Sky reference images.
While I am used to creating perfect lines through my Photoshop work, I wanted to keep the integrity of the initial sketches by allowing them to stay perfectly imperfect. For example, I stayed away from straight or refined lines, embraced eraser marks and smudges, and I coloured outside the lines. I believe the rough/sketchy look added to the overall charm of the illustrations.
I added all the colour in Photoshop, then printed the images, and used a thin black marker for outlining and stippling to create shading.
Bringing It All to Life
In December 2020, after a little over a year of work, the book was officially self-published. While I handled the illustration, graphic design, and writing, with the support of a few people along the way, everything came together to create something truly special.
Hard to believe it all began with a sketchbook, a pencil, and a little boredom.
– Chad
