Illustrators Designing a World

The most rewarding clients have full and complete faith in an illustrators abilities, are able to give constructive feedback and provide enough work to give you something resembling a full time employee's paycheck. These come by once in a blue moon. I'm very fortunate to be working with one right now. The project, which is still confidential at this point, is by far the biggest project I've ever worked on and as I have a great deal of creative control I'm elated as well as nervous. The project is currently in early stages: character and culture design (and the style I'm working on is nothing like you've seen me do before).

Designing a culture is a fascinating process. How do the people dress? What do they eat? What is their climate like, why do they wear their hair the way they do? Do they wear jewelry (if so what does it look like, how does it react to light, what is it shaped like?). I'm imagining the excitement I'm feeling is akin to the likes of George Lucas when he started planning out Star Wars. And not to leave you hanging, but the deadline on the project has now been extended to October so I may not be able to show you a single pencil stroke until next year when it's "unveiled"...