The Creative Process – How they’re made.
I’m often asked how I make my pictures, so here’s a brief outline of the process. Being old school, I prefer to make pencil sketches of the scenes I want create. A few photographs are hand for reference, but photographs hold too much superfluous information which can distract from the main subject.
Typically I make several sketches and then put together a composition from elements I like from a few sketches. Quite often I use a little bit of artistic licence and move things around a bit to help guide the viewers eye around the picture to a focal point. When planning compositions with pencil on paper, it is easier to add elements or leave things out.
Once I’m fairly happy with the final sketch, I then start to digitise the picture on computer in an illustration program. Each piece is drawn as wire outline, similar to CAD – a slow process but one that ensures the best detail and quality no matter how big the print.
The next stage is to add the colour and multiple variations are tried until I get the combination that balances the scene and helps to create the desired atmosphere.
The final image…
