Assignment #1

Last week we met for the first time and began discussing what promotional illustrations are. We broke the class into groups (or "creative teams") to begin the process of brainstorming for our first assignment.

The goal of Assignment #1 is for each student to create an illustration that could be used by industry for the promotion of a product or service.  This week one of a three week assignment.

The first stage of brainstorming was to establish an "umbrella industry" under which all team members would be able to comfortably choose a more specific subject for their personal component of the assignment. Once each team had come to an agreement about what broad, general industry they would represent, I asked everyone to return to brainstorming and document each team member's more specific choice within their broader industry.

For example, one team chose the food industry as their "umbrella" and that will allow each member to focus on a specific product or service within the food industry that they feel will interest them as the subject of their personal assignment.

Next, I asked all the teams to take a few minutes to come up with as many variations, illustrative or not, of promotional marketing. Once everyone had written down their ideas, each team's reporter shared them with the class and I wrote them on the board. We established a very comprehensive list that included:

Websites, magazines and newspapers, coupons, pamphlets and flyers, tv and Internet (video) ads, radio ads, P.O.P. (Point of Purchase) materials like tent cards, shelf-talkers, signage, easel stands, bottle-neckers, price cards, hang-tags, pop-ups and more, promotional t-shirts, posters, direct mail, guerilla (event) marketing, social media (Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc.), and many others.

From this comprehensive list we narrowed our focus to the types of promotions most conducive to incorporating illustration as an effective component of the promotion.  Students began to brainstorm concepts for their personal take on Assignment #1.

With a little time left in the class, I encouraged everyone to begin thumbnailing their concepts.  The goal at the conclusion of week one is that each student have at least three thumbnails ready for presentation at the beginning of our next class (week two).


* I posted examples of some of my own promotional illustrations to help give you some ideas for your assignment.  Those interested in seeing the examples should visit my blog, leifdrawing101.

B/W drawing and colour comp:


During week 2 we presented our thumbnails, first in our groups, then to the class.  The next step in the process of doing the illustration for Assignment #1 is to do a clean, full-size pencil drawing of the illustration - including any type elements pencilled in at the right size and in the correct position for the layout.  This could be done on a piece of marker paper or 11 x 17 copy paper.  The final art will be done on either 10" x 15" illustration board (or, if you chose to do a marker concept drawing, on a page from your sketch pad).

Once you've done a the b&w pencil drawing, take a clean sheet of your sketch pad and lay it on top.  You can tape both sheets to a window to create a free "light table".  Trace the drawing out onto the clean sheet with pencil and do a 'colour comp' version.  This should be done quick and loose - you're just experimenting with colours you might use for the final.  Try some different combinations to get a sense of what you feel will work best in the final.

Bring both the b&w full size drawing and the colour comp to class this week.  Also bring the materials you intend to use for your final illustration.  You can purchase 10X15 illustration board from the bookstore.  A page from your sketchbook will be fine if you're doing a marker concept drawing.

I'm hoping we can complete this assignment by the end of class this week!