I hate thumbnailing, but i know they're super important, help me realize this

arielg

xin li

@arielg said in I hate thumbnailing, but i know they're super important, help me realize this:

how do you enjoy your thumbnailing? or is it just a logical technical process to you? did you find it to be fun when doing it after a few times?

I actually enjoy doing thumbnails a lot. It just let me do all the stuff I love about making art, none of the stuff I am not so good at. Thumbnails are so small, so I can not draw in details - I am really not so good at drawing. Thumbnails focus on big picture, design, composition, and concept - all the things I discovered are the most fun for me with art.

I do not see it as a logical technical process. I use it almost like a way to write down an idea. I am a very slow painter - I take from 3 days to 10 days, and sometime even more to make a finished piece. I do not have the time to paint every idea that pops up in my head. So I jot down illustration ideas in thumbnail format with annotation, so I can use them later. In other words, I often do thumbnails just an image idea, not for any specific project or anything. I did quite a few personal paintings from random thumbnails I jotted down.

I also use it to filter out the ideas. I am not so good at evaluating my own ideas to be honest. Most of the artists, art directors, editors are trained to read thumbnails. When they see a group of thumbnails, they have informed opinions, they can tell which one is working and why from their point of veiw. I am always shocked by how little I need to do to get an idea across when working with an editor.

Hope this is somewhat useful info. If you really do not like this method, find other methods that works for you. Enjoying the process of art making is so improtant for stay making stuff.

NessIllustration

@arielg I actually really hate thumbnailing! It's the part of the process where I'm most stressed and unsure. I don't know where it is going and I'm often anxious it's not going to turn out as I want. I'm quite tense until I finish the sketch stage and all the decisions are made, then I can finally relax and enjoy myself. I go through thumbailing logically, technically, with lots of breaks to rest my brain. It,s always a relief when I'm done!