Like many artists, I got my start at a very young age using traditional media. Colored pencils, acrylic paint, and ink were my go-to long before digital art was really a thing outside of big animation and game studios. Once digital art became more accessible through tools like Procreate, my workflow shifted mostly to digital, aside from the occasional sketchbook drawing or small commission. But after years of working almost entirely on a screen, I’ve been eager to return to my roots and rediscover the joy of creating art traditionally. I’ve missed the tactile feel of pencil and eraser shavings, the raised texture of paint, the full immersion in a piece rather than a screen (and all the distractions that come with it), and the satisfaction of having a physical original in the end instead of just a digital file.
So, when I saw a call for submissions to a local art exhibition, I thought it was the perfect excuse to go all in on a big, traditional illustration. In my head, this would check three boxes: I’d have something for the exhibition, I’d challenge myself to work at a larger scale, and I’d have a new piece for my portfolio (which I also ended up turning into a #KidLitArtPostcard).
In this blog post, I wanted to share my process for creating this illustration as a way to give other artists insight into my process and, hopefully, encourage them to (re)discover traditional tools and artmaking for themselves. I’ve broken the process down into three parts: base sketch, coloring, and scanning. Keep reading to learn more about each part of my process in depth!
Base sketch
I began by creating the initial sketch in Procreate, since I find it’s easier to undo mistakes and work on a small scale. Once I was happy with the design, I enlarged the image about four times by splitting it into four quadrants and printing each section separately. I then carefully assembled and taped the four printouts together to form the full-size image. Next, I prepared a large sheet of Canson bristol paper with artist tape to match my desired size of 20” by 16” inches for the final piece. Using a light table, I then traced the enlarged sketch onto the bristol paper.
Coloring
Next began the longest but most fun part: coloring! I started by giving each object a light underpainting using acrylic gouache, which dries waterproof and permanent (unlike traditional gouache, which can be reactivated with water even after drying). After that, I painted with Holbein gouache for its matte finish, then layered on colored pencil (a mix of Prismacolor Premier and Faber-Castell Polychromos) and Caran d’Ache pastel for highlights and texture (the white pastel is a lifesaver).
I tackled the ocean and sand first since they took up the most space, then moved on to the two main figures who were front and center. From there, I added all the side characters and little details including the dog, boats, pier, sand toys, and a tiny blue crab.
Scanning
For scanning, I pulled out my trusty old Canon Pixma (which I bought for about $30 a decade ago). Because the illustration was so big, I had to scan it in nine separate sections, then stitch them together in Photoshop using the Photomerge feature (my first time using it!). The difference between the stitched scan and taking a photo with my phone or digital camera was HUGE, and the scan gave me a much cleaner, truer-to-life final image. Once the sections were merged, I did a bit of fine-tuning in Photoshop and Procreate to clean up some small details.
And just like that, the illustration was complete! I’m so happy with how it turned out, and honestly proud of how quickly I finished something of this scale. It took about a week from start to finish to complete the piece, mind you I wasn’t actively working on other illustration projects at the time. In the meantime, I can’t wait to create more pieces traditionally, and maybe one day, even illustrate an entire book traditionally (the dream!)
If you’re not already, go follow my Instagram and LinkedIn accounts where I post more behind-the-scenes content!
Thanks for reading, and until next time!
You can find a version of this blog post on my Substack (if you prefer to read there): https://substack.com/@salmaillustrate