Accountability: using Lee White’s 6-step process to create a Christmas card

[BichonBistro]

@chrisaakins busted! Ok, today’s the day I start thumbnailing

[BichonBistro]

@peteolczyk @xin-li good point—I can always go back to step 1 if I find I haven’t done enough R&D—I’m just procrastinating because step 2 is intimidating Thanks!

[BichonBistro]

@Coley I am loving his youtube videos—organized systems approaches are so appealing! Let us know how it works for you on your project

[Lee White]

Glad to see the system is helping and you guys are running with it! Let me know if you have any questions along the way. : )

[Coley]

@BichonBistro I might do a wip post..........

[peteolczyk]

@BichonBistro no one needs to see step two though, it’s just for you. You can make as many mistakes as you like.

[Meta]

That's lucky! I just thought of a christmas card right today! I think I'll join in after inktober. Despite a Halloween card should be first ... Well, I guess I've missed the right time for that this year

When I read what you're planning, I first question myself how all that will fit on a single card. I mean, you're not doing a poster, but something that has to work in a small format. If it is stressing you out, why not start with some thumbnails with either of the bichons, not more? A postcard has to eye-catch, and you should be able to get the point rapidly.

[xin li]

@BichonBistro you can start with 1 thumbnail. Once you done one, then tell yourself to do just one more :-). Thinking that you need to do 50 is a bit intimidating. But one is easy, right Have fun.

I recently sent off some rough sketches(step 3) to a client. I am still amazed and suprised by a visual editor can read my rough sketches (they are maybe just a slightly better drawned thumbnails with value applied), and choose one idea among a bunch of scribble lines. I would never have the courage to send stuff like that to clients before Lee's teaching. But this way of working saves so much time, and made communication so clear and fast. Really love this process.

[BichonBistro]

@Coley yes, please do!

[Coley]

@BichonBistro how's your wipping going ?

[BichonBistro]

@Meta you are right, it would be challenging to fit it all on a 5x7 card and maintain a focal point, but I do want to try more than just a vignette, which is my comfort zone and what I usually end up doing. I am thinking of Will Terry’s 50 things assignment. I am hoping the thumbnail stage will clarify what is feasible.

Thumbnails postponed again by commitments out of town ...now aiming for Sunday start on thumbnails!

[Meta]

@BichonBistro Okay, then go for it! I like to see your results!

[BichonBistro]

@xin-li said in Accountability: using Lee White’s 6-step process to create a Christmas card:

@BichonBistro you can start with 1 thumbnail. Once you done one, then tell yourself to do just one more :-). Thinking that you need to do 50 is a bit intimidating. But one is easy, right Have fun.

I recently sent off some rough sketches(step 3) to a client. I am still amazed and suprised by a visual editor can read my rough sketches (they are maybe just a slightly better drawned thumbnails with value applied), and choose one idea among a bunch of scribble lines. I would never have the courage to send stuff like that to clients before Lee's teaching. But this way of working saves so much time, and made communication so clear and fast. Really love this process.

Good point! Get started with 1, then 1 more, then 1 more...

How great that your step 3 sketches were effective in communicating with your client so you can devote more time to final images without misunderstandings.

I have enjoyed your inktober dailies so much—just beautiful!

[BichonBistro]

@Meta me too

[BichonBistro]

@Coley stalled! Committed to one week of inktober, then had to go out of town...starting thumbnails sunday!

[Coley]

@BichonBistro life happens!! I look forward to seeing how things go Have fun!

[BichonBistro]

@chrisaakins said in Accountability: using Lee White’s 6-step process to create a Christmas card:

@BichonBistro I would dive into the thumbnails now to see if any of them spark your interest. Then you can research more for particulars and specific references if you need to. Stop procrastinating! you got this! I love the idea of a Santa bichon workshop. I think some working while others wreak havoc will be easier to draw ans read than one doing both. I can picture one eating treats off the assembly line while the other packs stockings.

I started thumbnails Sunday night & man am I struggling! I start one and realize I don’t have a clear image in my head about the background, then I go back to reference images and tell myself to just get a horizon line and place some characters (stick figure bichons), then I start questioning their size and go back to perspective, watch the backgrounds video, break out in a sweat, start googling “thumbnails”, wonder what is wrong with me to be spending so much time on little thumbnails that are supposed to take 10-15 minutes each and don’t even have ONE finished STEP TWO thumbnail.

I feel like giving up, but am am going public to stay accountable. I should probably categorize this Santa’s Workshop effort under Slowvember, because I’ve got the SLOW part of it mastered I’ve always been slow, but this is ridiculous, so I’m starting to:

[chrisaakins]

@BichonBistro I would create an environment first then and then populate it with different arrangements of doggies from different angles. You might be thinking too hard about it. I would throw together as many crazy ideas down on paper in twenty minutes to loosen yourself up. Then go back in and thrown down horizon lines.

[BichonBistro]

@chrisaakins said in Accountability: using Lee White’s 6-step process to create a Christmas card:

@BichonBistro I would create an environment first then and then populate it with different arrangements of doggies from different angles. You might be thinking too hard about it. I would throw together as many crazy ideas down on paper in twenty minutes to loosen yourself up. Then go back in and thrown down horizon lines.

Thanks Chris—after reading your suggestions, I gulped hard and tried again. Number 7 is the only one I didn’t quit as soon as I heard the voice in my head say “you have no idea how to draw backgrounds”. I spent way too much time on it, but it was the first time I tried a thumbnail without panicking over everything I haven’t figured out (like what is supporting the in/out structure where unseen work is being done and spit out for finishing touches, what’s the point of view, where is the horizon line and vanishing points, how are the work tables constructed, what is going to be on the floor, how did the supervisor get on that platform, etc. etc.). I don’t like it of course, but at least I got ONE thumbnail done without pushing the panic button or quitting.

That was a major hurdle, thanks! Onward....S-L-O-W-vember...

[chrisaakins]

@BichonBistro yay! Sometimes it's the little victories that we need to celebrate! I am glad I was of some encouragement to you.
One other thing. You may be trying to put too much detail into a thumbnail. It's really just about shapes a values so you can see a general composition. After you have some good "blob placement " then you go back in and start roughing in details.