Fixing an Illustration That Just Doesn’t Work

As illustrators, we’ve all had that moment, you’re almost finished with a piece, but when you step back, something just feels off. The colors might be working, the details look nice, but the overall composition doesn’t tell the story you intended. The good news? You don’t always need to start over. Sometimes, small changes can completely transform your artwork.

That’s exactly what happened with one of my recent illustrations.

The Struggle

I thought I was nearly done, but the moment I looked at it with fresh eyes, I realized it wasn’t working. The elements felt chaotic, and instead of looking like the inside of a sewing box, it just didn’t make sense.

Rather than scrapping everything, I made a few intentional changes.

Playing With Scale

The breakthrough came when I adjusted the scale of certain elements. By using larger buttons and framing them with surrounding objects, the piece immediately started to feel more cohesive.

Small Changes, Big Impact

What’s interesting is that I didn’t overhaul the entire artwork. The background and overall composition stayed the same; I simply swapped out and adjusted some of the elements. Those small tweaks brought clarity to the narrative I wanted to convey.

The Lesson

The key takeaway here? Pay close attention to composition in the sketching phase. Investing time early on can save you hours later if you decide to refine your visual elements. It also ensures that every detail enhances, rather than distracts from, your story.

Art isn’t always about perfection the first time around. Sometimes, it’s about taking a step back, noticing what’s not working, and finding the courage to make changes.

I hope this little insight helps you in your own creative process.

Until next time,Happy ✨