This is the Workshop Archive, where I share how previous illustrations came together.

In July 2011, my project was a Citroën DS. Here's how it progressed.

14 July 2011 -

initial rough sketch.

16 July 2011 -

the first wheel is completed.

18 July 2011 -

the interior is done. Not sure about the colours yet, look a bit murky but easy to change.

21 July 2011 -

main body outline completed. It's starting to look like a Citroen!

23 July 2011 -

adding shadows and highlights to the bodywork. I always illustrate my cars in red first, and once it's all done I can change the overall colour. Red just seems to look right for all cars in my mind, and it shows up all the reflections and nuances just right.

29 July 2011 -

round headlights and grille of the early DS are done. I'm also going to do a second version with the glassed-in headlights of the later DS as well.

31 July 2011 -

I've been working on the glassed-in headlights option. Here you can see how the glassed-in version compares to the (slightly revised) round headlights version.

Totally different bumpers and grilles on each, which has taken quite a lot of time and tweaking.

I'm still a little hazy about exactly what models had which headlights: Citroen DS, Citroen ID, DS20, DS23.... it's all a French mess to me at the moment, I might head to some classic car forums and ask the experts there.

1 August 2011 -

Finally finished the glassed-in headlamps! Now time to start thinking about the background.

All that's left to illustrate is the remaining chromework (door handles, window frames, winscreen frame, stuff like that).

Then I can chuck it all into Photoshop and start putting some nice subtle gradients into the paint reflections!

3 August 2011 -

I had to take last night off due to an urgent freelance graphic design job. However, tonight I'm back at the Citroen!

I've almost completed the chromework around the windows.

6 August 2011 -

A partially satisfying, partially frustrating day working on the Citroen.

I finished work in Adobe Illustrator - chucked in the background and did some work on the Citroen badges.

Then I opened the many layer files in Adobe Photoshop. It all came together beautifully until I opened the headlight files.

I had done some tricky stuff in Illustrator: transparencies and Gaussian blurs. When I opened these in Photoshop, it freaked out.

So I had to go back to Illustrator and remove any tricky effects, and break the headlights into their component parts to re-build then in Photoshop, and then add transparencies and blurs.

Which is all a long way of saying it took a lot longer than I expected this afternoon, and I didn't get to do any of the fun Photoshop work like glossing up the paint or putting reflections in the windows. Sigh.

7 August 2011 -

I've been finessing the glass today in Photoshop. Windscreen, glassed-in headlights, etc.

I've also done a chrome effect on the text "Citroen" which I'm pretty happy with :)

So it's almost done - I just need to work on subtle reflections in the paintwork next.

27th August 2011 -
I had an urgent freelance graphic design job come in, which meant that I had to leave the Citroen for a little while. But it's all systems go on the DS once again.

Today I've worked on the subtle reflections in the paintwork. I think it'll be finished tomorrow, and ready for sale!

28th August 2011 -

FINISHED! I completed the reflections in the paintwork today, a few tiny final tweaks, and then my Citroen DS was complete!

So in my final artworks there are two types available for purchase, the early round headlight version, or the later glassed-in headlight version.

Now I've put together a couple of variants of the colour, and it's time to start thinking about my next project. What to choose, what to choose...?