Teaching a creative process
Record a drawing demonstration with the needed controls visible
Choose what learners need to see before hiding every panel for a clean canvas recording.
Read the guide ↗SANJIESAN CREATOR / JOURNAL
Finish the next small project
Start with a modest project: a character sheet, a short scene or a useful template. These guides help you decide what belongs in the work, organise its sources and leave files that make sense when you reopen them.
122 guides and practical notes · Page 5
Creative portfolio presentation
Pair a portfolio detail with a view of the whole work
Use a crop to explain a real detail while keeping the scale and scope of the work understandable.
Read the guide ↗Motion typography
Leave a complete reading moment in an animated title
Judge entry, readable hold and exit as different parts of a title sequence.
Read the guide ↗Bilingual motion design
Retime a translated title by its phrase units
Compare a translated text reveal without assuming the original character timing will remain readable.
Read the guide ↗Shape animation
Inspect the middle of a shape morph, not only its endpoints
Find an unintended fold or twist before approving a simple path animation.
Read the guide ↗Animation review
Separate a motion problem from a skipping preview
Check the playback conditions before adding compensating frames to an otherwise intentional motion.
Read the guide ↗Vector drawing
Simplify a vector curve without losing its character
Compare a cleaner path with the contour decisions that make the drawing recognisable.
Read the guide ↗Vector path repair
Check the bridge created when two paths are joined
Inspect the endpoints and resulting contour rather than assuming a join preserves the intended drawing.
Read the guide ↗Vector stroke design
Check a vector stroke’s corners at the small size
Compare cap and join choices where a narrow shape develops an unintended spike.
Read the guide ↗Small graphic assets
Judge a small vector icon in pixels as well as paths
Inspect the actual screen-sized output rather than approving a smooth enlarged vector alone.
Read the guide ↗Digital painting
Separate brush flow from the darkness of a whole stroke
Compare a continuous stroke with overlapping dabs before revising a painting preset.
Read the guide ↗Line drawing controls
Keep an intentional corner when smoothing a drawn line
Compare a long curve, a sharp turn and the stroke ending instead of judging smoothing from one line.
Read the guide ↗Brush texture design
Size a brush texture for the illustration’s final view
Judge the scale of painted grain beside the subject instead of only inside the brush editor.
Read the guide ↗Brush response
Separate pressure-driven line width from a colour change
Use one controlled line study to see which pressure-linked behaviour explains the mark.
Read the guide ↗Image compositing
Inspect a cutout on a background that exposes its edge
Compare a masked object against light, dark and destination backgrounds before approving it.
Read the guide ↗Colour variation studies
Recolour an object without erasing its material cues
Inspect highlights, shadows and neighbouring areas rather than judging only the new dominant hue.
Read the guide ↗Local image adjustments
Check what a local image adjustment changes outside the subject
Inspect the adjustment’s reach before adding a second correction to repair its side effects.
Read the guide ↗Creative photography studies
Plan a forced-perspective photo around one contact point
Use a small original prop and a fixed view to make an intentional scale illusion readable.
Read the guide ↗Print artwork preparation
Keep essential illustration details inside the print safe area
Separate background extension from the details that the trimmed artwork must retain.
Read the guide ↗Illustrated book layout
Move the key action away from a bound book’s centre
Plan an illustrated spread around the chosen binding instead of relying on a seamless screen preview.
Read the guide ↗Sticker artwork concepts
Separate a sticker design’s border from its drawn outline
Inspect the proposed outer silhouette without letting a border swallow small original details.
Read the guide ↗Book sequence planning
Check an illustrated book sequence in its real page pairs
Inspect page openings, transitions and the ending before finalising the cover layout.
Read the guide ↗Animation movement studies
Let a loose costume part settle after the main turn
Give a small trailing element a clear relationship to the movement that caused it.
Read the guide ↗Animation path studies
Follow one fingertip through an animated reaching arc
Check the middle of a reach before adding more in-between drawings.
Read the guide ↗FROM THE ARCHIVE
More from this site
Browse the earlier articles, references and reading lists.
Open the article archive ↗Browse resources ↗BEFORE YOU BEGIN
A few useful answers
What should I make first?
Choose one object with a clear finish: a single-page character study or a short sequence. Write down its format and what it needs to communicate before collecting tools.
Are the resource concepts downloadable?
A concept listing is an idea for a future resource. It is not a file pack. Check each page for its status, included files and usage terms when a verified release becomes available.
Can I use a reference image in a finished project?
Keep a source record and check the permission for your intended use. Being useful as a reference does not by itself establish permission to redistribute or sell the image.