The making of the SUEK annual report illustrations

Starting to work following the traditional process for creating similar illustrations.

Studying ways of loading coal onto ships.

Making the first sketch. Making the first sketch.

This is a very important stage since any changes introduced later will require lots of redrawing and result in significant delays.

The client approves the sketch, starting to draw.

Coloring.

Technical experts make corrections and ask to add machines for unloading coal cars. Going back to study more.

Making another sketch.

The client approves.

Drawing the lines and coloring the picture again.

Before we start to work on the illustration on open-pit mining, we carefully read the statement of work and talk to experts.

Drawing a sketch.

The client approves the sketch but asks to remove the bird. Drawing.

At this stage the client makes more corrections, asking to remove the dragline excavator and the train, decrease the size of explosions and redraw the mine.

Going back to the sketch.

Better, but we need to remove the ground texture and make everything smooth.

Redrawing.

Making a sketch for the coal formation process.

The client asks to remove the dinosaur.

Drawing.

Now we need to replace the ground texture and make everything more “plastic.”

Done.

Studying the coal washing process.

Understanding the process and making a sketch.

The client approves.

Drawing.

Studying the methods of underground mining, gathering materials, consulting the experts.

Suggesting variants.

The client approves the large-scale design with the surface area.

Knowing the client’s preferences by now, we draw the coal bed without a pronounced texture.

Following the experts’ advice to change the location of the descent into the mine and add auxiliary tunnels and braces.

Done.