Teaching a Boy to Fish...

My uncle recently passed away, and as I was reflecting upon my time with him, one of the memories that stuck out was the time he helped me catch my first fish.  It was a catfish, and I still can remember him scaling it and cooking it up for my dinner that night.  It's a cherished memory that inspired this illustration:

 Here are some progress images to show you how it all came together.

Initial thumbnail (originally done on a scrap of paper, then digitally redrawn in Photoshop)

Color palette chosen; drawing refined.

Rethinking acting of the adult character and details on boy.

More rethinking.  Also adjusting the composition and size of boy.

Final pose on adult; recomposing the scale of the figures and the dock to more realistic proportions.

Finding photo reference.

Applying photo reference to drawing and locking in color.

Adding color detail and reworking sky background to better balance composition.

It's always a good idea to check your illustration as a black and white image to make sure the composition is leading the eye and your colors aren't muddying-up your illustration.