How I Build Worlds Through Illustration

Illustration, for me, is about choices. Every piece begins with a question about space, scale, or what should feel familiar — and what shouldn’t. I’m not interested in images that exist alone. I want work that feels alive, that belongs somewhere. This is the approach I use to create narrative illustration and explore my illustration process at Emily B. Studio.

See how this process comes to life in my latest collection or join Emily B. Studio's Imaginarium for monthly creative prompts and studio insights.

 

I don’t start with a story: my narrative illustration approach

I don’t begin with characters or a plot. That closes things too quickly. Instead, I start with conditions:

• A place that bends the usual rules
• A creature that feels familiar but acts differently
• A figure that doesn’t quite fit the scale

These choices create tension without explaining everything. That tension is what makes a piece hold together.

 

Repetition builds connection in illustration

Rather than describing a story, I rely on repetition:

• Motifs
• Spatial relationships
• Sensory cues
• Emotional weight

Repeating these elements across pieces creates a logic the viewer senses without needing a plot. This is how individual illustrations connect to each other and to larger collections.

Process over polish

Most of my work comes together in the sketching stage. That’s where I test ideas, push scale, and decide what stays or goes. Polished surfaces matter less than internal consistency. If the logic of a piece fails, the final image doesn’t survive.

Prioritising process over perfection gives the work room to grow, evolve, and remain cohesive over time.

 

How this shapes my collections

Each illustration belongs to a wider internal structure, so my collections aren’t just themed sets. They are clusters of decisions.

Take the Kindred Creatures collection: each piece explores proximity, guardianship, and otherness. They stand alone but follow the same internal rules, creating a sense of familiarity and depth across the collection.

You can explore the Kindred Creatures collection here.

 

What this offers the viewer

Illustrations built with narrative logic invite you to look slower, reflect, and find your own meaning. The images don’t resolve immediately. They continue to unfold as you live with them.

That’s the experience I want every viewer to have.

 

Why I work this way

This approach allows ambiguity without chaos. It supports long-term making rather than one-off output. Motifs return. Worlds expand. Meaning deepens. That’s how I want my work to evolve — naturally, over time, with room to breathe.

Explore further

If you’re drawn to illustration that prioritises internal logic and symbolic depth, you can explore my collections in the shop.

You may also enjoy Imaginarium, my monthly printed zine subscription. Each issue includes studio updates, creative prompts, and challenges tied to how this work develops over time.