When I first began illustrating more creatively, rather than for marketing purposes, I drew inspiration from the female protagonists in Studio Ghibli films, who often have close relations with nature.

I was primarily using the pen tool and focused on creating simple outlines as I wasn't too confident in drawing details yet. To add more to the shapes, I used the Clipping Mask tool to fill the shape I drew with an image.

After I grasped the basics of the pen tool, I began creating more complex images. Lines now served as part of the image itself rather than the outline. I looked at many anime-style illustrations, since most of anime style consists of clean lines and solid colors.

For these illustrations, I first drew the outlines and used them to create Live Paint objects. Turning the illustrations into Live Paint objects made it easy for me to fill in and swap around colors until I found a combination I liked.