“STORY is key.”
It’s a well-known (and maybe a bit overused) phrase in the animation industry. But it’s the truth. When it comes to creating a movie, illustrating a book, designing an animated music video, story really is key. Every decision must be made in the light of the story you’re trying to tell.
This provides such great clarity during the illustration process, because, as long as you’re following the story, you’re going in the right direction. However, it also means that you have to be a bit brutal in cutting out the ideas that DON’T follow the story (no matter how much we might love them…)
This is one of the topics we cover in the chapter on BRAINSTORMING in my Developing an Illustration Course! The brainstorming phase is one of my favorite parts of the process, but it’s also where so many make-it-or-break-it moments happen. If sticking to the story (or coming up with one in the first place) is challenging for you, you can pick up the course here. Or if you don’t have time for a class and want a quick bite on story-telling in illustration, this video’s for you! 💛