Working on the Popadeli Mick Salad Mixed Salad leaves seed packet. A cross over between the design and the illustration work that I do for many clients.

My layout pad is the most important tool as I can allow my ideas to flow easier when I’m doodling on a large piece of paper, or even a small scrap of paper. I think it comes from scribbling down layouts at Uni on the Graphic Design course. Sometimes my scribbles are like doctors notes, only legible to me, other times people have said they are actual illustrations rather than doodles. This is more likely when I’m concentrating on other things and I really have no idea what I’m drawing. Once I’ve got my ideas sorted in block format, then I work out the poses in sketch format. My characters are shaped easily from the personalities they take on, Mick Salad here is a fashion diva, eccentric fashion guru who flounces about without a care in the world (well apart from when you mix red and green which shouldn’t be seen – except on a tomato). Working in Adobe Illustrator (have been since I realised I was incapable of realistic digital art in Photoshop) allows me to have a clean sharp image that can be transformed into any size a quick rejig and it’s sorted. I use the Pen tool to create my illustratons in a digital mode and allow the curves to follow my unsteady hand creating a smooth line.

Here’s an example of the work in progress. As you can see I work alongside the layout as there isn’t much point creating a great character that won’t fit the packet, layout, box or sign. But that’s the jigsaw puzzle that you are working with. Looking forward to seeing these seed packets in the flesh after they’ve been printed. Look here and I’ll add a post when I get a sample.

Final Product