Portrait Illustration Design Simplified: Everything You Need To Know

The process of designing a portrait used to be done in a traditional manner but ever since digitalization has taken over media forms, art styles, and every such visual art form, there has been an upsurge in the demand for illustrators. Since portraits are mostly kept as keepsake individuals are looking for people who could render them professionally.

Since illustration design is becoming a lucrative profession and if you believe that you have a knack for it then instead of solely admiring famous portrait illustrators, why not work hard to become one? You do not have to start everything from scratch as genuine tutorials and learning platforms are available on the internet.

Before you commence to practice illustration design creation, take note of the following essential tips:

Knowing your audience

When you create character design, you should know that it is not for you instead it is for your audience. They expect the visual to hold an in-depth meaning to it as several static visuals are out there so why would yours matter to them. From the structure of character to the additional features in the design, you need to be well aware of what your audience would want to see. This notion depends upon audience demographics. Bright and mundane colors with fewer details would work for young children but the preferences of a mature audience would be different.

Importance of research

Every designer or illustrator needs to form a niche for his art style. That is essential for building a visible recognition among your audience. The trends in character designing are ever changing. Some could be seasonal fads but some will not be. You can select a style that you deem fit for your audience and focus on it alone. You also have the option to build your own style from scratch but for that, you have to research extensively and spend most of your time finding a way to make your design concepts distinctive from the already existing styles.

Opt for a dynamic approach

When you begin to draw, you do not know what detail you should spend most of your time. Some illustrators tend to pay attention to details that hold no significance and then it leads to further mishaps. With a focused approach, decide what sort of idea you are trying to portray, what you are communicating to your audience and how expressive the design is. Once you have gained confidence in these three elements, nothing would slow down your designing and drawing abilities.

Defining your character

If you are using a digital tool or software for designing then you should start with adding line art to it. Drawing lines adds significance and a visual description to your character. If it is an animal, supposedly, you are drawing a bear then you should resort to using soft and round lines to describe its appearance. The manner of drawing facial features is different, as you have to add expressive elements to your character’s face. Straight lines and curves are used for different designing purposes so you should practice enough to be able to differentiate between the uses of types of line art.

Keep it simple

Complicating your design is never a good idea. You might think abstract elements bring a flair of uniqueness to your art but that is not the case. You have to keep your character design simple yet interesting if you want your audience to recognize it. Highlight the features you consider to stand out the most and leave out any trivial details. Make sure you have used line art for definition and color for giving the character more visibility.

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