Setting the Scene with Super Simple Backgrounds (Patreon)

Hello everyone!

I know that drawing full backgrounds can be a little overwhelming and time consuming, so I wanted to share some ways that I draw super simple backgrounds for my illustrations on days that I don't want to draw a full environment - enough to set the scene without spending all day drawing!

Without any kind of background, the subject of your illustration can feel a bit like they’re floating nowhere, so just adding a few simple elements can help ground them and tell a little more of their story.

So here are some of the simplest backgrounds that I think are fun to draw behind your main subject.

Shape Background

Adding a shape of colour behind your subject can help draw our attention to a particular part of your composition (like the head of the cat in my example), and it gives you an opportunity to add some extra colour to your illustration.

The shape doesn’t have to fully go around your subject, but it can if you want it to, and you can experiment with different shapes to see what works for your style. I often use circles or rounded rectangles, but you could try more organic shapes too.

Single Element Background

You could also try setting your scene with just a single element from the environment, something like a rainbow, or some clouds, or maybe a simple row of bushes. Something that suits your character but is easy to draw and will give a little bit of a setting for them.

I’ve drawn this rainbow example within a circle shape to combine the first two ideas and because it naturally restricts the space I need to draw in, but you certainly don’t have to frame yours!

Floating Elements Background

One of my favourite ways to add a little bit of a background is to add floating elements around my subject. I love drawing sparkles, hearts, flowers, or anything that suits the character.

It’s really simple and quick but balances out any awkward empty spaces and just gives a little something extra to the illustration.

Partial Scene Backgrounds

For something a little more complex but still quick to draw, you could draw just a small part of the scene that your character is sitting in to give some more context to where they are, without drawing the full environment.

I like doing this by giving them something to sit/stand on, so perhaps a rug to suggest that they’re inside the home, or some grass to show that they’re outside. It’s amazing how much a few extra elements can tell us about where they are!

If you find that drawing the ground makes your illustration feel like it’s too heavily weighted at the bottom, then you can add some floating elements higher up like I have to help balance things out.

So if you’re feeling a bit overwhelming by the idea of having to draw a full background for your characters, try just suggesting their environment with a few elements like I have in these examples. It’ll save you lots of time and you can always draw a deeper background on the next one!

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