Recently I completed an illustration project for the social communication platform Hound.chat and I’d like to walk you through my process for client work.

The project involved multiple rounds of feedback and discussion (what animals should the platypus be discovering? should the turtle be playing a Nintendo Switch or a PS5? - I do enjoy the whimsy of my job very much) that pushed my creative skills to the limit. As illustrators, we often employ the skills of multiple professionals for each artwork:

Character designers
Background painters
Graphic designers
Rendering artist

After the final illustrations are packaged and delivered, I felt like I have climbed a mountain.

So, as an “aftercare” for myself, I decided to make a quick comic to walk through the whole process for Hound and how I work on client projects in general. It also helps that little imposter syndrome of mine, thinking that I’m somehow not enough of a professional, to see the care and effort I put into each artwork.

And voila! With just a few simple steps and multiple crying sessions - you too can do art! Just kidding, I know the road to illustration is treacherous but highly rewarding. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing your artwork in use (accompanying a published article, on a website, decorating a window display,…).

I hope this little comic helped you peek behind the curtains!

Got a cool project on your mind and want an illustrator on board?

Shoot me an email buffienguyen@gmail.com!

My Illustration Process for Client Projects

Which kinds of event benefit from graphic recording?