Step 1. Sketching
Creating an illustration of a living person can seem daunting, but with a little planning and reference it becomes a lot easier. It's not necessary to get a perfect likeness. Stylization was hallmark of retro Mid-Century design. Pay attention to:
- Face shape
- Iconic details and features
- Scale and proportion
Step 2. simplify
As mentioned above, stylization is an important aspect of retro illustration. The sweet spot is doing enough to not make it just a regular portrait, but not too much were it becomes a caricature.
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Shapes: break down complex shapes into simple geometry. Use economy of line to reduce the number of lines or angles in an image.
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Matching Points: where possible, and keeping with the economy of line principle, see where you can use the same line to indicate different areas of the drawing. For example, Brad uses one line for the edge of the suit and shirt collar.
Step 3. Coloring
Mid-Century design made heavy use of bold, flat blocks of color. Make sure that you are creating a new layer for each unique color you use. This will help when using clipping masks to easily add detail.
Step 4. Line work
Because we have our shapes blocked out, we can use our lines as accents instead of relying on them to define forms. Try using brushes that have some grit to them so they can work double duty of providing texture. Which leads us to our next step.
Step 5. Texture
Adding texture to your work is great for bringing depth, detail, and uniqueness to your illustrations. Keep the principles you've been using in the previous steps and focus on subtlety and unity. Texture can be used to indicate pattern, shadow, and to define forms. Add texture to the edge of your shapes to bring some warmth and authenticity to your work.
Want to see more historically-inspired tutorials from Brad Woodard? Be sure to check out his YouTube channel here. It's packed with drawing tutorials, product reviews, and more.
