Alligator Aviator Illustration (with process screenshots!!)
Development, Illustration, Illustration Friday, Sketches & Doodles, Tips & Tutorials
I’ve been hard at work on a new promotional mailer postcard. Voila! Here it is! If you would like one let me know. I thought this would be a good time to share with you a little of the development of this illustration. How fun! This isn’t meant to be a tutorial, but rather an insight on how I work, and the time involved in putting together an illustration like this. So, let us begin.
Update 10/9/09: I have decided to include this illustration in this week’s “Illustration Friday”. Topic: “Flying”.
Some initial sketches
Final sketch
For the character lines I used the new Blob Brush in Illustrator CS4. Very handy! In prior versions of Illustrator I would use a brush and expand the shapes. It took forever!! 
Using Live Paint
Once I'm satisfied I expand my live paint groups.
Wrap-Up
So there you have it. This general process took me about a couple weeks. If I think of it I’ll post screenshots of the postcards when I get them back from the printer. I hope you enjoyed this post. Feel free to leave your comments below. I feel like watching Tale Spin now.
September 9th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
I like it
It’s very fun!
September 11th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Fun! I like seeing the process…so basically all you do all day is draw?!? FUN!!
October 1st, 2009 at 12:29 pm
[...] My promotional postcards have arrived from the printer today. I’m pretty happy with these. Let me know if you would like one. You can see the process of creating this postcard here. [...]
October 9th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Fun piece – love seeing the WIP pics
October 9th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Such refined work. Delightful image and perfect for the IF prompt!
October 10th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Wow… great post!
Your postcard looks fantastic!
November 15th, 2009 at 1:57 am
They look so cool. I’d love one…how do I go about getting one??
March 10th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Let me begin by saying I have been a longtime fan, but this is my first comment. I thought I should probably say thanks for posting this piece (and all your others), and I’ll be back!