Graphic Experimentation for Illustrated Stories

Alejandra tells you about the unusual start to her career as an illustrator, going through some of her work and some of the artists that inspire and help her find the ideal style for each of her projects.

Discover her perspective on how to illustrate for stories and start to build your own illustrious atmosphere by collecting inspiration for your mood board. Research examples of other illustrated books, develop a lexical field to describe your ideas, and build your color palette, discovering the infinite possibilities that color brings to your work.

Once you have collected references and inspiration for your project, discover how to analyze the story you’re about to illustrate. Consider the audience this book is for, the tone of the story, and the topics it gives rise to.

Next, identify the personality traits of your characters to incorporate their most important features. Learn about composition, weight, and format, as well as the importance of leaving enough space for text. Understand how to give rhythm to your illustrations through the composition, in accordance with the story itself.

Experiment with a variety of materials and techniques for your three illustrations, learning how to use each one, and applying the ones that best fit your narrative. See how to analyze your illustrations and ensure the color palette is in accordance with the mood of your illustrations, to maintain a common thread between your three illustrations.

Alejandra will provide you with many techniques and perspectives on Illustrated stories that will be useful not only for book illustrations, but also to enhance your portfolio work, as well as other illustrated projects.