Brain dump on my (indispensable) little Pizza-notebook.
Sketch thumbnails
Prepared two options for the client to choose from.
A
B
Marks and other details
Tools and material: Coloured pencil on paper.
Final artwork
A reminder on tawakkul (relying on God), rizq (sustenance) and recognising blessings even in the little things or the mundane.
Having earned the trust and being handed total freedom to express myself for a project are such an honour honestly, and it can be challenging.
As much as I appreciate the space to do so, the artwork is meant for a client and for them to use. Therefore, it's important to me that whatever I come up with will actually make sense to them.
The excitement slash freedom can be overwhelming and it may freak you out sometimes. Asking a few questions will do the trick to help one figure out where to start and set a clear path.
I've learned that clients usually have some ideas of what they want to see. Try to navigate it by inquiring, which in turn will help you understand their needs and uncover their expectations (I prepared a form for clients to fill in). Try asking what do they want to see in the final artwork, a subject, what it means to them, which one of your past works resonates with them the most, and etcetera.
See what you can offer and communicate how to best work on it -you may also want to negotiate about a change of style, especially if you have progressed in the way you work or have outgrown a certain style (past works). Alhamdulilah, it helped me to ground myself and brainstorm for the work; the mood or look of the artwork, narrow down on what kind of colour palette to use, the composition and other details.
