From storyboard to presentation sequence

CMV supplied the narrative structure and rough storyboard. My job was to turn that framework into a coherent series of finished illustrations with consistent vehicles, locations, figures, colour and atmosphere.

That changes the nature of the assignment considerably. A single concept image only has to work on its own; a sequence has to maintain continuity from frame to frame while still making each individual scene immediately understandable.

Across 11 illustrations, the visual language therefore had to remain stable while moving between automotive, architectural, studio and presentation environments.

Precise linework with restrained digital colour

The visual style combined controlled linear drawing with subtle digital washes reminiscent of architectural and automotive presentation sketches.

The work was produced digitally rather than as vector artwork. That allowed the drawings to retain a more organic quality while still giving me precise control over line weight, colour, perspective and repeated design details.

The colour was deliberately restrained. Its job was to separate forms, establish atmosphere and guide the eye without overwhelming the underlying drawing.

Automotive, architectural & location accuracy

Although the finished images have the looseness of presentation sketches, the underlying information had to remain precise.

The SEDRIC autonomous vehicle was drawn to match the supplied design references, while locations including Autostadt Wolfsburg and Potsdam needed to remain recognisable within the visual treatment.

Continuity extended to smaller details as well. Clothing, colour treatments, vehicles and environmental elements had to remain consistent wherever they reappeared across the sequence.

Concept art as visual storytelling

The project sits somewhere between concept art, storyboard illustration and editorial presentation drawing.

The images needed to do more than establish atmosphere. Each one represented a specific moment in a larger narrative and therefore had to communicate action, setting and spatial relationships quickly.

This is where sequential illustration becomes particularly useful. Instead of asking one image to explain an entire idea, the information can unfold through a controlled visual progression.

Comics & Sequential Illustration →

Illustration for presentations, launches & future concepts

Concept illustration is particularly useful when the thing being communicated cannot simply be photographed yet — because it is still being developed, because several future situations have to be shown, or because a presentation requires a consistent visual treatment across very different environments.

In those situations, illustration can bring vehicles, architecture, people and scenarios into one coherent visual language while keeping close control over what the viewer sees.

The SEDRIC sequence is a good example of that role: visualising a supplied narrative clearly enough for professional presentation while retaining the atmosphere and economy of concept drawing.

Commissioned Illustration & Campaign Visuals →

Working from an agency storyboard

The project was led at CMV by Creative Art Director Barbara Kuerten. The storyboard and narrative direction were already defined, so my role was to translate those requirements into a finished visual language.

That kind of collaboration requires both interpretation and restraint: understanding what the creative team wants to communicate, solving the drawing and continuity problems, and keeping the illustration aligned with the larger presentation rather than pulling it in another direction.

I work in the same way on other agency-led assignments involving concept visuals, campaigns, storyboards and presentation artwork.

Graphic Design & Creative Direction →