Tori English Design

This month’s fun project was painting a mural for my future niece/nephew. I’ve broken down the process from start to finish in case you either want to make one on your own, or you’re curious about what goes into it!

Step 1: The idea

Since we don’t know the sex of the baby, we wanted something gender-neutral, bright, and eye-catching. They decided to go with outer space for the theme.

Step 2: Sketching

First, I started by sketching out some characters. The requirements: Aliens, planets, spaceships, and of course, their dog Poppy.

Step 3: Move to Illustrator

I image traced my drawing from my sketchbook in Illustrator and started to mockup up some different layouts. We originally thought we were going to paint the whole room blue, but then realized that if we wanted lots of colour, a neutral base would be better.

Since drawing in Illustrator feels easier than drawing with a pencil at this point, I created the rest of the designs from scratch in Illustrator.

Step 4: Refinement stage

We shifted the direction after deciding to paint the wall white, and I got to refining the design and exploring colour palettes. I chose a five-colour primary colour palette that felt bright and energetic, without scaring the baby.

Step 5: Get approval from future parents

Success!

Step 6: Have your boyfriend do the tasks you don't want to do a.k.a. printing off your design from Staples, buying paints, and prepping the pounce pattern

Teamwork makes the dream work. Thanks Evan!

Step 7: Transfer the design onto the wall

Evan printed the patterns at the proper scale and scored the outlines of the design with a little spikey wheel (the technical term, obviously). Then we taped up the design and he patted down the paper with powdered charcoal. That way, the outline of the design transfers over, and you don't have to freehand the design.

Step 8: Paint!

Self explanatory.

Step 9: Patiently wait for baby to arrive

Thanks for following along!

This May will mark four years since I graduated from the Alberta University of the Arts with a Bachelor of Design. Since then, I've had the privilege of illustrating for a wide range of clients and industries, including a puppet theatre, companies in the energy sector, therapists, real estate agents, and more. There are many reasons why I recommend custom illustration, but I've narrowed it down to five!

Stand out in your industry

While working with the team at Gentle Lion Communications on their marketing and communications strategy, Art and Josh identified a need for more playful brand elements to better reflect their personality. Less traditional, more personal, stylish, and fun. This new direction has helped them stand out from the crowd in their industry.

Make complex topics digestible

Whitecap operates the world’s largest underground geological CO2 sequestration project — the Weyburn Unit. We needed to amplify the benefits of the Weyburn Unit, illustrate how it works, and tell the story of the project in a way that is relatable to everyday life, something that photography or words alone couldn’t do.

Created at Roadmap

When photography isn’t an option

We brought Dr. Raechelle's website to life with colorful illustrations that reflect inclusivity and depict a range of relationships and connections. In certain professions, like psychology, it's important to keep subject matter anonymous. Custom illustration was a great choice for this project because we were able to depict a diverse range of people without being too specific.

Created at Roadmap

Streamline your team’s design time

The Calgary International Film Festival approached me with a request to revamp their festival graphics and appeal to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. They also expressed concerns about the previous year’s design direction, which involved spending countless hours photoshopping figures from backgrounds. To save their lead designer time and effort, I provided them with a library of illustrations that could be easily incorporated into their collateral.

Have fun with your brand

For the past three years, I have illustrated Shareworthy's holiday card, placing the team alongside their favorite musical theater icons. This has become a fun tradition that clients and partners can look forward to collecting each year.

Painting a Mural from Start to Finish