Combining Illustrations with Photography in Spring 2024
For my take on illustrations combined with photography I wanted to create a short series titled “I Want to Be Like You”. The idea came to me while watching "The Goofy Movie" haha and thinking about how much sons look up to their fathers as they’re growing up. I sketched these illustrations with classic pencil on paper, writing what I’d need beside. I am not much of a drawer but I decided to challenge myself and learn how to turn some simple sketches into illustrations using both Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
Fathers tend to want their sons to be masculine and enjoy the same activities as them. However, parents shouldn’t always live vicariously through their children. Further in the series & posts the son figures out it’s okay to have his own passion and changes his mindset to “I Want to Be Like Me”.
Process:
•I used Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop to stylize my photographs of real places to be in the perspective of the illustration’s eyes. I decided to start off with the basic shapes and used references for the clothing and accessories adding different filters to create the camo-patterns of the shorts and the shine on the shoes.
•I used Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop to stylize my photographs of real places to be in the perspective of the illustration’s eyes. I decided to start off with the basic shapes and used references for the clothing and accessories adding different filters to create the camo-patterns of the shorts and the shine on the shoes.
At this point in the series, the son shares with his father that he’s found his own interest in music. He’d rather play the guitar than participate in the activities his father wants him to do. His style of clothing starts to change however, the red hat still remains because he’ll always want some part of his father to be with him out of the love & respect he has for him.
Lesson About the Process:
Set designing while creating compositions for these characters is pretty fun and makes me think intentionally about where I’ll place subjects.
Set designing while creating compositions for these characters is pretty fun and makes me think intentionally about where I’ll place subjects.
To close off my series, “I Want to Be Like You”, I illustrated the son demonstrating the creation of his own song. Finally, he stands in front of the mirror and points to himself proudly declaring “I Want to Be Like Me”. All of my projects tend to be emotional as that’s the type of person I am and I hope there’s an audience who can relate to this story of realizing that it’s best to live your life by doing what makes you happy.
Process:
For these specific images, I wanted to create a perspective of looking through the characters eyes and drew a close-up as if he were looking down to his hands holding the paper. I delve into set design once more and created a clean space in my bathroom with two toothbrushes referencing the son & the father’s home. The red text was created in Adobe illustrator to look as if it were marker.
For these specific images, I wanted to create a perspective of looking through the characters eyes and drew a close-up as if he were looking down to his hands holding the paper. I delve into set design once more and created a clean space in my bathroom with two toothbrushes referencing the son & the father’s home. The red text was created in Adobe illustrator to look as if it were marker.
Thanks for viewing!
