Bill Graham of Graham Studios provides some tips below on how to tackle your next project.
Here it comes: One of those tedious, detail oriented series of illustrations that can have dozens of steps, multiple file names, different sizes, and proportions for different applications, are usually a work in progress and is handed off to you with a crazy timeline. First, take a deep breath. Then get all the info you can:
- Get complete layouts (not just the ones you will be working on).
- Determine if the file names are descriptive or likely to change and discuss possible simplification.
- Find out the end use or uses?
- Determine the largest repro size, and more importantly,the smallest size. You may have to outline in a heavy line weight that looks too fat at the size of your artwork.
- Remind the team to view your illustrations at the repro size, not the art size.
- Use the AD’s layout to plug in copies of your finished work to keep line weights consistent and keep track of your progress.
- Be organized – it will get confusing.
- You as the artist will be staring at these images far longer than anyone else. If you notice errors or inconsistencies alert the team. You might be rewarded with a “nice catch!”
And always be nice!
See more work from Bill Graham through his Medical Illustration Sourcebook and grahamstudios.net.
