Most of the work that I do in storyboarding starts out really rough. The client wants something very quickly (and rather cheaply as well). So the first pass naturally is drawn small and loose. This keeps it quick (and therefore cheap) and invests just enough effort to demonstrate the gist of the idea. It is understood that if the ideas seem to be working, the drawings can always be refined in the second pass.
Sometimes the project disintegrates before it ever has a chance to get refined. Sometimes the drawings are redrawn to a much higher level of finish. And many times the rough sketches are sufficient to communicate the idea and the client chooses to move forward without refining any drawings.
As a result of this sketchy process, a good many of my individual storyboard drawings would not be worthy of showing off, being out of context and all. But from time to time, a beautiful little drawing comes out, that is made all the better by the fact that it was created in a spontaneous and gestural manner.
For me the preferred method is to sketch freehand on paper without any framing boxes. Sometimes I’ll even sketch subjects separately. I almost always scan the drawing for delivery anyway, so once it’s scanned I can frame it up and manipulate individual elements with the computer software. Using the computer allows me to experiment to find the best framing and composition.
I also can create lighting effects very quickly in the computer. Much more quickly than trying to shade with the pencil. Knowing this, I can abbreviate my pencil time. Sketch fast, and finish it in the computer.
Working this way makes it quick and relatively easy to make changes.
