After reading the article on how millennials have become the burnout generation, I had many different ideas on what someone would visualize as an illustration for this article. I came up with three different rough sketches of what came to mind after finding the key points of the article.
sketch 1 
sketch 2 
sketch 3
The first sketch I created embodies how millennials are supposed to create their own future and be positive while constantly remembering the fact that their generation not doing as while as the past generations have done. So its a visual metaphor of painting their own mess. The second sketch is the one I ultimately decided to go with due to my peer’s feedback of the composition being the most successful. This sketch shows how millennials are constantly juggling multiple tasks and feeling like their to-do list is never-ending. The third sketch represents a sense of time. It shows how millennials feel alone and feel like they’re running out of time to finish all these tasks in order to have that “perfect life”.
This is the first draft I made after deciding on which sketch to go with. I kept the overall theme and idea of the rough sketch but I decided to get more visually created with the to-do list. I added a fishing pole to add a sense of never-ending anticipation. As if someone is dangling the list right in front of them but they will never be able to reach it or complete the list. I also added a phone to the character so the theme of multitasking could show more.
After receiving feedback from my classmates, I changed the color of the background to a more saturated green to add a sense of urgency. I also enlarged the To-do list to gain a sense of balance between the two themes. I added a few changes to the character as well. I lightened his shirt and got rid of some of the details around his head.
This is my final draft of the editorial project. I added grain-like texture to the background add a sense of static and urgency. I also added a circle of red to convey the urgency a little more. Below are some web mock-up versions of my illustration.
After completing the editorial illustration and doing some self-reflection on the project I feel as if I successfully conveyed what the article was trying to illustrate to the reader. When sketching out the key points of the article, I tried to think about what would look the most visually appealing and understanding to the viewers. I wanted the illustration to speak for itself and to be a good representation of the subject to the article. Overall, this project challenged me as an interpreter of subject-matter and as an artist.
Six additional sketches
Sam here. Hey Annabelle! This is wild… fun colors! The treadmill with the neverending list is a great idea…. kudos there! I might suggest that the fishing line is actually one detail too many… there’s a lot going on here, and I think big mocking list hanging in front of his face kinda sells the concept by itself without the need for the fishing pole. The list can just be dancing around and flaunting, and the idea is there. The red circle around the head might be a little too distracting too– I think that using those initial exasperation lines you have, but maybe putting those in red, would do the trick. The goal being, to make sure the eye focuses on the most important thing– the running man and the list. Lots of great ideas in here, just a matter of refining it so it has even more impact.