Drawing thumbnails. How many is enough?

[Joanna Hassam]

I am new to the forums and I have been listening to 3 point perspective and working on SVS learn fundamentals. I have heard Lee say at least 50 thumbnails. I've never done this before, so it's an interesting exercise. I am wondering is this for one image every time? I'm working on an idea for the "Lucky" March prompt and I have been doing thumbnails. I've got a few done with an idea, (14 so far) but 50 at this moment seems far off, mainly because I am running out of ideas. Anyone know some good images to look at to get more inspiration for thumbnail views? My thumbnails are below and a few I think look promising.

[Joanna Hassam]

OMG! I did it. 50 thumbnails and I get it. You do come up with much better ideas as you go along. Now to pick three of the best ones and sketch with value...eeek! Am I doing this right guys? I've never done anything this thorough before.

[NicolaSchofield]

@Joanna-Hassam well done! I always stall at about 10. How did you manage to push through and keep coming up with new ideas?

It'll be really interesting to see which you choose to take forward. Like, are they all from the final 10 you drew, or do any from your first batch make it!?

[donnamakesart]

Congrats! Same. I have only ever made it to 10 or less

As long as you keep it within 2-3inches, i think your doing fine

Love how you played with different moments and perspectives. Maybe next time changing the width and height/ orientation of the thumbnail might vary it up. I’ve seen other people doing random blobs then basing their drawings that composition. I’ haven’t tried it yet but it sounds like it could produce interesting results you wouldn’t normally go to.

[Joanna Hassam]

@NicolaSchofield said in Drawing thumbnails. How many is enough?:

@Joanna-Hassam well done! I always stall at about 10. How did you manage to push through and keep coming up with new ideas?

It'll be really interesting to see which you choose to take forward. Like, are they all from the final 10 you drew, or do any from your first batch make it!?

I persisted through. I found that same phenomenon of starting to flag after 10 happening when I posted yesterday but I listened to more three-point perspective and kept going. I looked at things for reference when I got stuck. For example, a chicken yard, or people collecting eggs or farmyard things and that helped. Then I tried looking from the snake viewpoint, the chickens a spider on the ceiling etc. I've selected three which I have very roughly toned VERY. Never done this either but its really quite fun. I blew up my thumbnails and coloured in greys. I will post before I head to bed. Not sure about it being correctly done but it does make things stand out more and I have done not line work or made everything neat and more human-like yet.

[Joanna Hassam]

@donnamakesart said in Drawing thumbnails. How many is enough?:

Congrats! Same. I have only ever made it to 10 or less

As long as you keep it within 2-3inches, i think your doing fine

Love how you played with different moments and perspectives. Maybe next time changing the width and height/ orientation of the thumbnail might vary it up. I’ve seen other people doing random blobs then basing their drawings that composition. I’ haven’t tried it yet but it sounds like it could produce interesting results you wouldn’t normally go to.

Thanks, Donna. The perspectives helped immensely in coming up with other ideas and scenes. I think you are right about changing the orientation of the scenes lol (DOH!) that may have made it a bit easier. This whole process of 50 thumbnails etc that @Lee-White recommended in one of the podcasts actually is very clever IMHO. Will post the tonal scribbles in a moment and then I better think about preparing for bed.

[Joanna Hassam]

Okay, my selected thumbnails and tonals. Never done this before either. I've not bothered with making everyone look correct yet. Do you think they tell the "lucky" story?

Because there is no detail yet, or good line work and color its probably not totally clear what's going on.

1. Collecting the eggs and a snake eating egg slithering out of hole inside of the nesting drum

2. Collecting eggs and snake in the drum, but eating eggs and not in a striking mood.

3. Jumping out the way as a snake strikes.

Being that I grew up on a farm in Western Australia these sorts of things can and do happen at times. My father would sometimes have to destroy egg loving snakes which was a but sad but he had two young inquisitive kids to protect who LOVED collecting eggs.

[Joanna Hassam]

I think I have selected the best storytelling image out of the three above and I have done a better sketch. Any feedback would be appreciated.

[Valerie Light]

@Joanna-Hassam Great job powering through the thumbnail process. I usually get to 30 or so and figure that's good enough. kudos!

Your final three are all compelling compositions with good storytelling. I can see that things are happening as you described (except maybe 3- i didn't get that he was successfully evading the snake. I though the snake was about to bite him.)

Overall I think I'm getting "that kid is in a perilous situation, surrounded by a flock of unlucky hens" more than I'm getting "that kid is lucky."

[lpetiti]

I admire those who can power through thumbnails. When I was in school, we were required to do a minimum of 50 per project. They even admitted that it'd be a challenge and I'm sure there were lessons on how to break through that block, but in my mind it always became something I was self conscious about because I rarely if ever had good ideas by the time I hit 50. My advice as a teacher now is to do as many as you can but then recognize there's no set number that "should" be done.

[Joanna Hassam]

@Valerie-Light said in Drawing thumbnails. How many is enough?:

@Joanna-Hassam Great job powering through the thumbnail process. I usually get to 30 or so and figure that's good enough. kudos!

Your final three are all compelling compositions with good storytelling. I can see that things are happening as you described (except maybe 3- i didn't get that he was successfully evading the snake. I though the snake was about to bite him.)

Overall I think I'm getting "that kid is in a perilous situation, surrounded by a flock of unlucky hens" more than I'm getting "that kid is lucky."

I'm kinda amazed I got through 50 of them but it really does force you to think and draw and redraw. I would say I have been very lazy in my drawing up till starting with SVS.

Thanks very much for your input on the final images Valerie. I really appreciate it and I am glad I am getting the story across. I did a small survey with random people and most of them chose the snake leaving with egg in its mouth picture out of the three so I am going with this one.

I will point out that a snake with an egg in its mouth is in a more difficult situation than the chickens or the child because his major defence is completely out of action but I can see how this could be interpreted in this way. I will have a bit more of a look at the picture. (These sorts of things do actually happen on Australian farms at times). Usually, the snake is dispatched with a stick or a shotgun once the farmer knows what is going on.). So maybe the truely lucky one is the snake.

[Joanna Hassam]

@lpetiti said in Drawing thumbnails. How many is enough?:

I admire those who can power through thumbnails. When I was in school, we were required to do a minimum of 50 per project. They even admitted that it'd be a challenge and I'm sure there were lessons on how to break through that block, but in my mind it always became something I was self conscious about because I rarely if ever had good ideas by the time I hit 50. My advice as a teacher now is to do as many as you can but then recognize there's no set number that "should" be done.

Hi Ipetiti, I wouldn't say I powered through them lol. More like I agonised over them but it did get me through some creative "wall". I know some of the ideas were lousy and I just moved on to the next one when it was failing. I think that's why the number although hard kinda gets you having and not having the pictures. You kinda go through a thing where it's okay that some creations don't work and you just make another.

I think its just a handy tool that forces you to get out of a comfort zone and look real hard. I think it might get easier the more I do it.

I really appreciate hearing back from you. I think everyone has their individual process in the end but I am understanding why one would do a lot of thumbnails.

Does anyone here get a numb thumb tip when drawing for hours?

[Joanna Hassam]

So I have never really done environments, competitions etc or talked to a great bunch of people all trying to improve - usually, things I made are in the void and this is all was out of my comfort zone. I can see I have things I need to learn which is only a good thing, more work on construction, perspective, more on values and environments and I think it's maybe not really getting the lucky story across anymore etc but I like at least having a place to talk about it.
Somewhat reluctant to enter into the end if the month "lucky" prompt competition because I think I need to get a lot better on areas and things and running out of time. But here are two iterations I came up with and would like any feedback.