Curious about how digital illustrations come to life? Let me take you behind the scenes, sharing some of my favorite techniques and creative steps along the way.

BEING CREATIVE

The first step is finding your inspiration. What do you want to illustrate? Is it a person, an object, or maybe a feeling?

Once I’ve nailed down the “what,” I usually start with a rough sketch using a regular ol’ pencil and paper—unless I’m working from a photograph, which sometimes happens. Sketching out ideas first is key, even if the drawing is super basic. It doesn’t have to be fancy or perfect; it’s just a visual guide to help shape the final illustration.

BLOCK STYLE

There are countless styles of illustration, and I often work in what’s called Block Illustration. For me, everything boils down to shapes. I see things in blocks of color and form.

Block style illustration is about creating visual impact through simplicity and clarity. The focus is on removing unnecessary details and using solid, distinct areas of color to create a strong, graphic look. You won’t find a lot of shading or gradients here—just flat areas of color that define the shapes. Strong contrasts and clean lines help keep the artwork bold and easy to recognize.

Block illustrations are used everywhere—children’s books, posters, editorial design, and digital art. They have the power to tell a story or convey an idea with minimal detail, making them visually striking and memorable.

LET’S DIG IN

For this post, I’ll walk you through an illustration I worked on for a Twitch streamer, Rageicide.

(If you haven’t heard of Twitch, it’s a popular streaming platform where people live stream all kinds of activities—gaming, music, art, cooking, you name it. Viewers can engage through real-time chat, creating a dynamic and interactive experience.)

So, here’s Rageicide, holding her morning mug of caffeine. I chose this image because of its simplicity, but also because that cup of coffee adds some character.

OPEN UP ILLUSTRATOR

Here’s my image. First thing we like to do is block out the basic shapes. For people, I start with the face.

Getting the shape of the face right is important for illustrations, when proportions are off, the image could be so skewed, it doesn’t even look like the person you are trying to illustrate. Do not rush this beginning step. It is the foundation for your whole Illustration.

When I’m happy with the basic face shape, I move on to adding details to the face – not ALL the details, but enough to start bringing the face in to focus.

Usually the face takes up most of my time during illustrative work. The distinctive nuances that make up everyone’s individual faces can be difficult to capture, but with practice, you will start being able to master the ability.

From here I broaden out and start illustrating the item closest to the camera, or the item that is the focal point, outside of the person.

In this image, that item is the coffee mug and Rage’s hand. Once again- start blocking out the areas that make up each of those main shapes. You don’t have to worry about all the little highlights and shadows yet, just concentrate on seeing the “bigger shape” in the image.

Next, I finalize the image by adding her shirt and begin layering in the smaller details—highlights and shadows. While you don’t have to include these, they do add depth and dimension, making the illustration feel more dynamic and less flat.

AND, VOILÀ!

One final tip: keep everything on separate layers! Trust me, this will save you so much frustration down the road. Every part of the illustration should be on its own layer (and labeled) so you can make changes quickly and efficiently as needed.

I hope this walkthrough of my process has sparked some artistic curiosity in you. Whether you’re a seasoned illustrator looking for new techniques or an aspiring artist excited to dive into digital design, I encourage you to keep creating and exploring your own artistic journey!