shadow shape can be easily found in the reference
photo. When you’re working on a conceptual piece
that’s not based on a particular photograph, you
can still take a picture reference of any object in
front of you and figure out how the shadow is
formed by the light.
These details give depth and a surreal feeling
to the illustration. By combining the realistic
background, shadows and an imaginative story
or situation, you’ll be able to give the artwork the
sense of a vivid dream.FINAL TEXTURES
The final step of my illustrating process is adding
the final brush strokes and the paper texture.
While it’s possible to configure digital brushesso that their strokes feature the texture of a
traditional medium, I prefer to apply the paper
texture to the whole canvas. I use a scanned
photo of the paper, so that you can see the wood
pulp mixed in the surface. This gives an organic
texture to the artwork. I add the layer of the
scanned photo on Photoshop, then change the
layer blending mode to Multiply. By adjusting the
Opacity or Color Balance, I’m able to control how
much texture I want to be shown in the artwork.RECEIVING FEEDBACK
Photographs have been used in various ways in
each step of the illustration process. Photographic
elements such as the composition, background,
colours and other little details all help to provide
the starting point for exploring ideas.
I find it inspiring and endlessly helpful to start
creating illustrations from photographs, and the
process also becomes more interesting when the
work is shared with viewers. Some people may
recognise the locations, or relate to the situations
I’ve captured in my art. The illustration becomes
an excellent tool for communication, which
encourages people to share their stories and feel
connected with each other through the artwork.
It offers a new experience by recreating our
memories – just like photographs do, too.RIGHT
A draft of Sliding
without shadows
or final textures.
BELOW
Adding shadows
and textures makes
a huge difference.
ARTIST INSIGHT
“BY COMBINING
THE BACKGROUND,
SHADOWS AND AN
IMAGINATIVE STORY,
YOU’LL BE ABLE TO
GIVE THE ART THE
SENSE OF A DREAM”