Dancing like a Bull in a China Shop

A bull in a china shop is usually an indication that things are not going well. According to Merriam-Webster, it is “a person who breaks things or who often makes mistakes or causes damage in situations that require careful thinking or behavior.”

My imagination ignored the careful thinking bit and added the unbridled joy of Gene Kelly dancing in Singin' in the Rain. What if a china shop was a bull’s happy place? That is what I set out to create.

Let’s take a look at my illustration process.

Shapes

a rough marker drawing using basic shapes

When I start a drawing or an illustration, I try to think about the basic shapes that make up the image. I thought the bull should be big and rectangular. Roughly assembling the shapes together helps determine if it works before sketching further.

Rough Sketch

pencil and marker sketch

Next, I sketch out the idea with a blue pencil. Sometimes this may take several versions, unlike this time where I got what I wanted the first try. I did erase a first attempt at the bull's legs and redraw them, since I liked everything else. I go over the pencil sketch with a marker and make adjustments.

Moving to Digital

my layers setup in Concepts

I take a photo of the sketch with my phone and then send it to my iPad so that I can start working on the digital illustration. The reference photo is my bottom layer in Concepts with the opacity turned down. My file almost always starts out with these layers (outlines, text, color, and sketches). I add layers for the background, shadows, or texture if it is needed for the illustration. A few hours later, hopefully, I end up with the final illustration.

Be kind to yourself on your creative journey.

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a marker sketch of my first idea for the bull

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You made it to the end of the newsletter. Here is a video of the Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain. 😊