Creative Guide: Illustrate a sticker set for your “future self” with Ohni Lisle

In the future, communication will continue to expand beyond words. Emojis are already an essential part of how we interact with each other on a daily basis, but during this Guide, we’re going to take it one step further and create a set of stickers that are personalised and specific to your future self. They will let you express your emotions and embody your hopes for the future, so be optimistic in your outlook when envisioning who that person is.

As you’ll be creating a set that is specific to you, there’s only one place to start: by observing yourself. This is a crucial part of the process, so grab a mirror, iPad, iPhone or use Photo Booth on your Mac and take some time to really look at yourself and your features. Consider which you would like to include as part of your sticker set and whether you would like to overemphasise, alter or abstract them in any way. Also have a think about any objects or items of clothing that are distinctive to you. What do you like? What is quintessential “you”? We’d suggest taking some photos here for reference later on. You can keep these photos in Notes along with any written ideas.

Ohni Lisle: Arguably most of my work is me, or a facet of me, even if it doesn’t look like me. When starting to observe yourself, you can use your mind’s eye or a mirror, or a mix of the two. Look out for things you like, things you want to exaggerate or recede.

It feels like the New World reference speaks to the feeling that we are entering a global higher consciousness about our place on earth. So in that world, I think, like a lot of people, that I’ll be a more thoughtful person compared to the faster pace of pre-pandemic life.

Ohni’s vision for her future self is malleable, fluid and bold so she’ll be drawing features and objects that help her express that vision. This vision will also influence the style she works in.

As with any creative project, it’s important to know what else exists out there in the world you’re about to venture into, so we’ll take some time to do some image research before making anything. Gather images that inspire you and which embody how you envisage your future self; look at stickers, portraits and still lifes made by illustrators working in varying styles, but also delve into other creative media like photography or painting. At the end of this step, compile your selfies and between five and seven reference images on a moodboard using Keynote or Pages – this will set the tone for the rest of your project.

OL: For inspiration, I look to artists and current photographers. A lot of contemporary fashion and makeup photos tend to take up space in my head, as well as my screenshots folder. Sometimes I just get obsessed with a certain striking visual and it orbits me… forever. Inspiration could be viewed as the distilled essence that is going to help you get excited to create, as well as to try to convey a feeling. Part of your own motivation and guiding light.

The inspiration you find should help shape the “future you”; a heightened version of yourself not burdened by things that may be a struggle to you now. More like the essence of you even. Maybe even bringing back parts of you that have been lost from childhood.

Now it’s the fun part – it’s time to tackle the main part of the brief and actually design your sticker set. Use your favourite sketches as starting points and go through a process of refining them. Below, you’ll find videos outlining Ohni’s process in AI, which you can follow when designing your own stickers.

If you want to work directly from a sketch you’ve just made, import it as a layer in AI. Then on another new layer, draw over it with the Pen tool. Alternatively, don’t get too hung up on the sketch and merely use it as a loose reference!

OL: I recently saw a funny TikTok of an illustrator’s process, riffing on how people think an illustrator’s path from start to finish is very linear, an “A” to “B” process. The video instead shows a jumbled up ball, taking into account all the twists and turns that can happen when you’re making. Honestly, at this stage, I try many things and see what feels the best, comparing and contrasting, trying to excite myself. Then when something feels solid, I move on.

Once you’ve drawn your first sticker, copy and paste it a few times and manipulate/distort each one differently using Illustrator’s Effect > Distort & Transform. This is an easy way to test out lots of variations.

OL: Start throwing things at the wall and see what sticks. Don’t stress, there’s always Command-Z. It helps to be in a good mood, listen to something that brings out the essence or vibe you are after. My advice is also to try to work on the bigger picture first then go into details. What feels most “you”? Really big eyes and a small mouth? Or maybe all your features are big? You can play with the bare bones of the piece, and get a sense of proportion before rendering these things in detail. One caveat, if you are getting lost on one particular sticker, go with it! It can always be a focal point to reference when rendering out the rest too.

We’re aiming to have a full set of stickers by the end of this step, so you need to go through a process of distillation in order to work out which are your favourites. Sometimes it’s easier to judge your work when it’s not in the software. Export the options you’re torn between as PNGs or jpegs and view them in Preview. You could even print them or AirDrop them to your iPhone to see how they work in that context. Looking at your work through a different lens can give you a fresh perspective.

OL: It’s time to crit yourself which is also a fun phase. Think objectively. Does each sticker have the same bold impact your sketch did? Are you happy? Could these dimensions be warped and even more impactful? Make any final tweaks. When I think the “pot is starting to form”, I clone files or elements of the file to compare the best options as I’m trying things along the way. This stops things from getting too precious at this stage.

The set Ohni has decided on feels graphic yet elegant. The stickers feature thin black lines which help create a boldness – something she envisions for her future self – and they also feature a spectrum of colours, mirroring the vivacity she hopes to embody. Although simple, they are punctuated with personality and you can imagine how they would set the tone of a conversation.

A key stage in Ohni’s process involves spending dedicated time playing with the colour and texture of her artworks, and so she wants you to do the same. The colours you choose will really set the tone for the portrait you later create, so try out loads of combinations of things. You could play with the eye colour, for example, or add a glossy texture to a pair of sunglasses in order to make them look reflective.

In the video below, Ohni demonstrates how to use the Mesh Tool in Illustrator but feel free to experiment and explore further.

OL: I play with the hue and saturation bars and see what’s exciting. In this close-to-completion phase, I love adding solid colour layers on top of my artwork and playing with all the transparency effects: difference, exclusion, screen, overlay, etc. A lot of interesting shifts come from this.

Colour has huge emotional power and can enhance a mood, so don’t be afraid to colour slide everything on the stickers you’re making and see what you’re responding to. “Future self” sounds abstracted and otherworldly, so carry that into colours that evoke this feeling.

When using colour, it’s helpful to think of the stickers as a series, a family, rather than individual artworks. Working from a colour palette with help create this uniformity. Under swatches in AI, you can build your own unique palette (you can then save this for future projects too).

OL: Knowing when to stop usually comes naturally to me, because I’ll be at a point where I’m happy, and the more and more little things I finesse or try start to feel more and more taxing and draining. I firmly believe there is a guiding light in everyone that lets you know when a work is done: listen to yours.

When you feel your stickers are complete, save them as individual PNGs, at a maximum size of 500KB.

Whether your stickers sit on the wacky end of the spectrum, the elegant end, or somewhere in between, we’d love to see what you’ve made during this Creative Guide. Make sure you share a screenshot of your stickers in a conversation or on a photograph on social media. Use #CreativeNewWorld and #TodayAtApple, and also tag @ohnilisle.