Since the creative component of much of my day-to-day work is tempered by client needs and production factors, for the sake of my sanity and development as an artist I like to keep at least one entirely free, open project on the go at all times. Usually, this is in the form of a T-shirt design or, as in this instance, a freeform illustration that's ideal for an art print.
When I'm totally unencumbered, my artworks tend to be complex, flowing arrangements of dark, real-world elements interwoven with intricate doodles and a recurring cast of twisted, cartoonish characters. In this tutorial I'll explain how I expand a core idea and take it from a rough sketch in Illustrator through to the finished image in Photoshop, while maintaining files that are easy to edit and adjust.
