Building an illustration, layer by layer.
After many years as a professional illustrator, I’ve developed a structured approach to my work—kind of like layering a cake! Whether it’s a personal or commercial project, breaking things down into clear steps helps me stay focused and avoid procrastination.
Why layers? My illustrations are super detailed and take time to complete, so working in stages keeps everything manageable.
My process:
👉 Idea/brief 👉 Rough sketches 👉 Refined color sketch 👉Foundation (background) 👉 Details & elements 👉 Textures & final touches
In this post, I’ll walk you through each step—let’s dive in!
LAYER 1
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LAYER 1 🍰
1. IDEA OR BRIEF
The first layer, is the “dough” of my illustration— where I mix ideas, inspirations, and a strong concept to create a base.
For client work, they usually provide a brief with all the key details I need, helping me answer questions like:
→ What’s the theme or story?
→ What are their inspirations or references?
→ Any references from my portfolio?
→ What are the dimensions?
→ What’s the color palette?
Once I have a clear direction, it’s time to start drawing!
LAYER 2
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LAYER 2 🍰
2. ROUGH SKETCHES
Rough sketches are the quickest and safest way to explore multiple directions and find the perfect composition.
The goal here is to work fast and loose, testing different ideas without over thinking. Colors aren’t necessary at this stage, but adding shadows and light can help with depth.
If your client is unsure about the direction or composition and requests multiple sketches, use this step to present them with several rough options. Guide them through the process until they settle on a clear direction. This stage is perfect for finding clarity on both sides before investing too much time in a refined color sketch.
LAYER 3
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LAYER 3 🍰
3. REFINE SKETCH
This refine sketch serves as a blueprint for the final artwork, guiding me through the finalization process.
I like to make it as detailed as possible to stay on track and avoid getting lost in the details—especially since my style is quite complex.
For clients, this stage is crucial as it helps them visualize the final piece and approve the composition. Once the sketch is approved, only minor adjustments at the end will be made moving forward.
LAYER 4
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LAYER 4 🍰
4. FOUNDATION
Before adding any details, I make sure the foundation of my illustration is solid.
This starts with the background. I like to build everything on clean, separate layers, which I later organize in Photoshop under a single group named "BACKGROUND."
This makes it easy to keep the background separate from the elements I’ll be adding in the next step.
LAYER 5
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LAYER 5 🍰
5. CHARACTERS AND ELEMENTS
This is when characters and elements are added to bring the story to life.
Like the background, every element is drawn in its own separate file. This helps when I need to make adjustments to a specific element, prepare the files, or deliver separate icons,
LAYERS 6
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LAYERS 6 🍰
6. TEXTURES AND FINAL DETAILS
Textures and final details are the cherry on the top!
This is my favorite part—where the magic happens: adding textures and details! My illustration transforms from flat to full of depth.
I usually build my textures in Photoshop with over 1,000 layers. This step can be the longest in my process.
Delivering Layered Files:
Some clients or projects may request layered PSD files for example, for animation or campaigns where the artwork needs to be adapted into different format (web, printed, etc..) To protect your work, always merge layers as much as possible, keeping each element grouped while avoiding sharing your full working file with every texture and adjustment layer exposed. This helps prevent unauthorized modifications or misuse of your artwork.
Protecting Your Work:
It's important to clearly state in writing from the start that any creative alterations that change the essence of the artwork—such as color changes, distortions, or moving elements—are not allowed. Your work is a carefully crafted piece of art, and even minor modifications can compromise its originality and artistic integrity.
To protect your creative vision, always specify that your work can only be adapted or repurposed —not modified or altered—with your explicit permission. This ensures it remains true to your intent and prevents unauthorized changes
THANK YOU
FOR READING!
I hope you enjoyed my first blog post! You can find a step-by-step video of the process on my Instagram @coliviapearson.
If there are any other topics about my illustration process or tips on working as an artist that you’d like to learn more about, let me know in the comments on Instagram.