Nov 233 min read

The Steps of Creating an Illustration for the Peachtober 2024 Challenge

During October 2024, I participated once again in the Peachtober illustration challenge. The concept is simple: post one illustration each day based on a theme from a predefined list. This year, I chose to draw inspiration once again from the prompt list provided by illustrator Furry Little Peach.

I created one drawing every two days throughout October and also shared "speedpaint" videos showcasing the watercolor painting process for most of the illustrations.

In this article, I detail the steps involved in creating one of the illustrations for this challenge, as an example for those curious to learn more about my creative process.

Finding the Idea

For each theme in the Peachtober challenge, I start by brainstorming ideas related to the word of the day. Today, the word is "owl." Having already drawn an owl last year, I wanted to change things up and create a landscape where a small owl would be subtly hidden. A while back, I took a photo of white birds perched in trees, which inspired me to create a dense forest with white birds standing out among the branches. I decided to use this idea for today's theme, incorporating owls into the scene.

Experimentation

I began by sketching small forest scenes and nocturnal landscapes. Gradually, I decided it would be better to focus solely on the treetops instead of creating an entire landscape. This way, the focus would be on the branches and the birds. I wanted to include various types of trees with diverse textures and details to give the impression of a dense forest. To refine my vision, I consulted a few books from my library to observe how trees are depicted and experimented with these ideas in my sketchbook.

Sketch and Colors

Once I had identified the shapes and textures I liked, I moved on to the sketch. I started with a quick sketch, then refined and detailed it using a lightbox.

When the sketch felt right, I scanned it to quickly test colors in Photoshop. A few mornings earlier, I had taken a photo of trees and the sky in my garden, drawn to the hues created by the light between day and night. I decided to use these colors as inspiration for this illustration.

Painting

With the colors roughly mapped out in Photoshop, I began the watercolor painting. I used Goldline Clairefontaine 300g paper and placed my final sketch underneath it on my lightbox. I taped the edges of the illustration with masking tape to ensure clean borders. Next, I mixed some colors and tested them on a scrap piece of paper. Once satisfied, I started painting, working color by color to gradually complete the trees.

To achieve the desired effect, I added textures and details with colored pencils and white Posca markers.

You can watch the painting process video here:

Painting process video

Scanning and Photos

Once the illustration was finished, I scanned it and took some photos of the final result for social media. I slightly edited the scan in Photoshop, as digital versions tend to look duller; I adjusted the contrast and saturation to better match the original illustration.

It can sometimes be frustrating to have so little time for these illustration challenges. For example, with this piece, I feel that some of the trees are too light. I would have preferred to repaint it using only dark blues and greens to create more contrast with the white owls. But that’s the nature of the challenge, and I’m still very pleased with the result. In fact, I’m inspired to create more illustrations like this, featuring white animals in dense vegetation. Perhaps a triptych or something similar… stay tuned!

I hope this description of the steps I use to create an illustration for this challenge (which sometimes vary depending on the time available or the desired outcome) interests you! Personally, I always find it fascinating to see how different illustrators bring an idea to life on paper or on screen. Feel free to ask questions or share your thoughts if you’d like to discuss further!