Keeping it simple

One of the aspects of design that many artists are challenged by, whether they're students or professionals, is trying to achieve simplicity in their work. Too often an artist gets distracted by adding complexity to their drawing at the expense of a core foundation to the composition.

In this demonstration for students in Visual Development, I tried to get that message across through a minimalist approach to concept design. Click on the image for a better view.

There's nothing more than the shape of hair and lips in each of these sketches, yet the statement that was made is enough to convey attitude and a sense of personality. The drawings were done with a broad tip black marker, a red marker and a white coloring pencil on brown paper.

Striving for simplicity can make your work stronger by helping to build a solid foundation upon which more complex elements can later be included.