There are specific steps that an artist or designer should follow in order to explore ideas and create artwork for reproduction. You should become familiar with them. They are explained in sequence and in detail below. Your instructor will give you exercises to complete, in order for you to gain experience in each step. This will allow you to practice for the national certification test. Please read all areas carefully, since you will be tested on this material.

Thumbnail Sketches

These are the first step in creating a design. Thumbnail sketches are small drawings that allow the artist to explore many ideas quickly. Type is drawn very quickly, and sometimes abbreviated. Lines and zig zag lines are also used to indicate type and letters. Illustrations and photographs are usually sketched very roughly, or sometimes photos are indicated by a rectangle.

Rough Layouts

These layouts are somewhat similar to thumbnail sketches, however, they are usually done to actual size. Specific symbols are used for indicating headlines, subheads, body text, and photos. They are produced using pencil or markers, but may sometimes be produced on the computer.

Comprehensive Layouts (Comps)

This type of layout is referred to as a "comp". The comprehensive layout is a model or prototype of the final design and closely resembles it. All color is shown. For example, if you were going to produce a comprehensive layout of a new soda can for a client, you might actually tape or glue the label to a can. This would allow the client to actually see the can before the final mechanical artwork is prepared.

Mechanical Layout (Paste-Up)

These layouts used to be called keylines, paste-ups and camera ready copy. They were produced by mechanical layout artists, using drafting tools and adhesive. Type and copy were produced separately, and then "pasted-up" onto a piece of paper or board. Color separation mechanicals were prepared for multicolor work. Nearly all mechanical layouts, whether one color or more, are now produced using special software on a computer. This is the final artwork that will be shot on a large camera, to make the printing plates or screen stencils.

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