The illustration process.

Lately I've had a lot of opportunity to draw and illustrate. I've never felt very confident about my drawing, so it has been a step of faith to explore this area of creativity in my work.I thought you might be interested in seeing the process of how I get from the sketch to the final product.

When it comes to drawing people, I usually need a photo or some other model. Here, I found a photo of a woman in a similar pose from a photo shoot we did a few years ago. This helps me to know how the arms and legs should be bent, and give me a guide for proportions. However, you'll notice she looks pretty different otherwise. That's when I get to exercise creative license.

After the sketch is done, I trace it onto tracing paper with a Micron pen - this gives me a more defined line to work with when I bring it into the computer.

I use the traced image and scan it into the computer, increasing contrast so that the lines are opaque and clean.

Once the image is in the computer, I bring the file into Adobe Illustrator and use the "Image Trace" tool to convert it into vector lines. This allows me to easily make adjustments and clean up any errors in my tracing.

Once I'm satisfied, I start to add color and texture. For this particular illustration, I added a denim texture to her pants with a gradient fill, to make them look more realistic and add some interest. I also added a little bit of feathered color to her face so she looks rosy and happy. I chose the colors of her clothes and shoes carefully, communicating that she is trendy and conscious of student culture.

This piece was used as a printed insert for all the receipts that go out to our donors. So I added the text that was written for the piece, and a textured blue background to make the drawing stand out.

Here's the final product!

My Top 10 Favorite Projects in 2012

This year has been eventful in so many ways. In terms of my work and ministry, 2012 was the year I explored and developed new areas of creativity. Beyond my design work, I've had the chance to write, learn photography, and manage social media. It has been a wonderful opportunity to branch out and serve God in new ways.

Here are 10 projects I'm proud of from this past year:

10. Receipt insert illustration, September
Every month I design the receipt package that goes out to all our donors. Admittedly it is not my favorite project by any means. But in September I created this illustration for the insert, and it turned out to be pretty fun. I enjoyed the process of drawing the hands and the text, as well as creating the texture behind the image.

9. Illustration for InterVarsity blog, May (on intervarsity.org)
Illustration is another area of creativity in which I've had the chance to gain more skills through one of my ongoing projects - the InterVarsity blog. I enjoy the process of visualizing ideas that had only previously existed in words. This one I did in May was a fun one that I particularly enjoyed. I'm developing a particular style of drawing that I hope is fun and engaging to viewers/readers.

8. Campus photo shoot, June (original post)
During the summer I got a crash course in photography, running eight separate photo shoots over the course of eleven days! It was a great opportunity to develop my skills in photography, something I've enjoyed all year. I still have a lot to learn but I'm proud of the progress I've made.

this was one of my favorite shots from the photo shoot
I did on campus with several new staff posing as students

7. Urbana 12 Special Guest Invitation, June
I enjoyed this project because of the process of problem solving it entailed. Previously the reply card was a separate postcard that did not seem to have any connection to the actual invitation. By designing it as a perforated attached card that you could rip off and mail in, it kept the whole thing cohesive and elegant. I enjoy projects where I can use my creativity to solve problems, as well as make them look good!

 

 

6. Urbana 12 infographic "How to Raise Money to Get to Urbana," June (on Facebook)
This was the first of several infographics I designed to promote Urbana 12. I was excited because I not only designed it but was heavily involved in coming up with the ideas. I enjoyed creating each illustration and using the Urbana color palette to convey a light-hearted, fun tone to the piece. Humor is one of my favorite ways to communicate.

5. Books of the Bible pie chart infographic, April (on Facebook)
This simple infographic was our most popular of the year. The team meeting for this infographic was one of the most memorable, fun moments of the year.

4. Urbana 12 Conference Handbook, October (original post)
Despite the stress this project inevitably incurred, I am actually very proud of it. For Urbana 09's handbook, I began with a layout that another designer had started. But this time, I was able to create the entire handbook from scratch. I'm excited about the solutions I came up with for the various types of information that needed to be presented.

3. ONS infographic, June (on Facebook)
If you're counting, this is the fourth (out of 5) that uses the Urbana color palette, and the third (of 3) infographic on my list of favorite projects. I was especially excited that this infographic contains real (and interesting, in my opinion) data. This is the only infographic to date for which I have had to come in on a Saturday to complete. I'd like to say it was worth it, because I'm very pleased with how it looks.

2. "Singleness Sucks, Sometimes" blog post, October (on intervarsity.org)
I wrote three blog posts for the national InterVarsity blog in 2012. This one about my journey as a single woman was by far the most personal and significant. It became the year's fifth most read post in only a month! I've been truly enjoying the opportunity to communicate truth through my writing. I hope to continue this area of creativity and expression in 2013. 

1. Join-In Booklet for Urbana 12, November (original post)
Once in a while there is a project which really inspires me to create something really good. The Join-In Booklet for Urbana was my favorite piece of the year, and I'm apt to think it was because the cause was so important. Through this booklet I helped 16,000 Urbana participants join in assembling 32,000 medical kits, in partnership with caregivers in Swaziland, Africa. 

The Urbana Handbook: a love-hate relationship

The Urbana 12 conference handbook included 11 maps, two versions of the schedule, lists of over 70 restaurants, 20 hotels, 250 missions organizations, details about meals and Bible studies, over 30 bios with photos, and many other pieces of information all wrapped up into 144 pages.The back pocket held a folded 33-inch manuscript of all the passages in Luke that were studied during Urbana. The project took about two months to complete!

As a designer, this is the kind of work that I both love and hate.
 
I love being able to put a lot of information together in a way that is organized, aesthetically pleasing, and user-friendly. I love using my skills to help people find their way around the often overwhelming experience that Urbana can be. Without the handbook, students would likely be lost and unable to fully participate in all the Urbana offers. The conference handbook is often a memento that Urbana participants will keep for a long time. There is deep satisfaction when I get to walk around Urbana and see everyone holding the handbook I spent so many hours creating.

Luke Manuscript - click to view larger

On the other hand, it is probably the most stressful, demanding project I will ever work on. Having designed the Urbana 09 handbook, I was slightly more prepared for what the experience would be like, but I still could not avoid the late nights working on edits, the frustration of receiving information later than planned, and other obstacles that a project this large naturally incurs. 

 

Ultimately, the work I do as a designer for twentyonehundred productions is never completely fun. There will always be aspects of my work that are frustrating, difficult, exhausting. At the same time, there's an inexpressible joy that comes from creating something that impacts so many people. Not only do I serve the participants at Urbana through my work, but I also indirectly impact the thousands of people that might hear and respond to the Gospel as a result of the decisions made at Urbana. If I'm still here for Urbana 15, I hope I'll get another opportunity to serve Jesus and advance his kingdom by designing the next conference handbook.

Urbana 12 - A Recap

It's difficult for me to briefly but adequately describe what Urbana 12 was like. I hope this video and short slideshow will give you a glimpse of the scope of Urbana. Undoubtedly, there are thousands of stories about how Urbana changed lives and will change lives in the future!

I am thankful once again for the opportunity to work towards calling students to join God's mission. There is little that I would deem a better use of my time and skills and energy. Thank you to all who prayed for me and for the conference. I can confidently say that God showed up! Praise God for his faithfulness and power!


Urbana 12 Full Summary from InterVarsity twentyonehundred on Vimeo.


(to view images larger, click here)

My favorite Urbana project

Tonight Urbana participants "Joined In" and built 32,000 medical kits for caregivers of AIDS patients in Swaziland, Africa. I was humbled and grateful to have a part in this experience by designing the booklet that students used to write notes to the caregivers, think and process what they were learning, and to pray for them. 

This was by far my favorite and possibly most significant piece that I worked on for Urbana. It was so exciting to see them in students' hands and to be a part of this amazing evening! May the Lord be praised and may many people receive the love of Jesus through these kits.

Pray that this evening would be the start of steps of obedience as students think about what it means to join in God's mission around the globe and in their communities. 

Urbana 12, Day 2

(1) My infographic was published in the Urbana-themed Inheritance magazine, available at the Asian American lounge (2) A shot of what my computer screen looks like as I sort through and process photos.

Day 2 is coming to a close. Today has been significantly busier and more stressful. Please pray that communication would be clear and that systems would function and be helpful in getting our work done! Pray that we would show grace and care to each other.

On another note, I am enjoying seeing all the beautiful photos our photographers have been providing! You can view a sampling at 2100's Facebook page.

 

It always makes me happy to see students using what I've designed!

Urbana 12, Day 1

clockwise from top left: 1) my own copies of the handbook and seminar notebook that I designed 2) the wall of inspiration for our photographers 3) me and my boyfriend, pat, who i reunited with for the first time since we began dating! 4) students poring over the handbook as they enter into the conference

Urbana 12 officially starts in just a few hours! But our team, and thousands of staff and volunteers, have already been hard at work! My photography team has just begun our workflow and so far things are going okay. Please pray for technical hiccups to be smoothed out - we have encountered several issues that were unexpected and have been somewhat stressful. I am hoping that everything will be figured out by tonight so we can get a steady workflow established!

Some more things you can pray for: 

• Praise God that most of our photographers have arrived and have jumped in with enthusiasm. I am excited to be working with them.
• Pray for the one remaining photographer, Sean, still en route. (The bus he was taking had a flat tire).
• Pray for the remainder of students still arriving and the registration process to go smoothly, so that as many students as possible can enter into the conference well. Many will be tired, hungry, disoriented. Pray that God would give them a sense of peace and joy that they are here.