Article illustrations

Article Illustrations — Grav Hand-Drawn Style

Overview

Generate 16:9 landscape hand-drawn illustrations for articles, blog posts, and technical content. Each illustration captures one cognitive anchor point from an article and turns it into a clean, absurd, memorable whiteboard-sketch explanation.

The skill uses a recurring character IP called Grav: a small, round, always-floating figure with dot eyes and a thin antenna. Grav participates in the core action of every illustration — never just decoration.

Repository: vipin-si/article-illustrations

When to Use This Skill

• Use when writing articles, blog posts, or documentation that need inline illustrations
• Use when you want to turn abstract concepts into concrete visual metaphors
• Use when you want a consistent visual language across multiple articles
• Use when you need hand-drawn explanation sketches, not PPT infographics

How It Works

Step 1: Digest the Article

Read the article and identify cognitive anchor points — core judgments, turning points, input/output loops, before/after contrasts, and common pitfalls. Don't distribute illustrations evenly; prioritize moments that benefit from visual explanation.

Step 2: Plan a Shot List

For each illustration, define:

• Placement: After which section
• Theme: What this image is about
• Core Meaning: The one idea it conveys
• Structure Type: One of 8 composition patterns (Workflow, System Closeup, Before/After, Role States, Conceptual Metaphor, Layered Method, Map Route, Mini Comic)
• Grav's Action: What Grav is doing in the scene
• Annotation Labels: 3–5 short English labels

Step 3: Generate Images

Use the generate_image tool with the built-in prompt template. Each image follows strict style rules:

• Pure white background, no textures
• Black hand-drawn line art with slight wobble
• Sparse red/orange/blue handwritten annotations
• Grav always floating (never touching surfaces)
• One core idea per image
• 40–60% canvas usage, 35%+ whitespace

Step 4: QA Check

Verify each image against the QA checklist: correct format, Grav present and active, original metaphor, clean composition, sparse annotations, correct color usage.

Examples

Example 1: Plan illustrations for an article

Analyze this article and create a shot list of 5 illustrations.
Don't generate images yet — just plan which cognitive anchor points
deserve illustrations and what each image should convey.

<paste article>

Example 2: Generate illustrations directly

Generate 4 Grav-style illustrations for this article.
Requirements: 16:9 landscape, pure white background, black hand-drawn
line art, sparse red/orange/blue English annotations.

<paste article>

Example 3: Single concept illustration

Generate one 16:9 illustration for this concept:
"Trust isn't declared — it's built one piece of evidence at a time."
Grav must perform the core action. Maximum 5 annotation labels.

Example 4: Iterate on a result

This illustration is on the right track, but Grav feels like decoration.
Keep the core meaning but regenerate: make Grav the one actually
driving the structure.

Visual Style

Element	Rule
Background	Pure white — no cream, texture, gradients, or shadows
Line art	Black, hand-drawn, slightly wobbly, not mechanical
Whitespace	Main subject 40–60% of canvas, 35%+ empty space
Annotations	Handwritten English, 2–5 words each, max 5–8 per image
Color: Black	Main line art, characters, structures, objects
Color: Red	Key highlights, problems, warnings, results
Color: Orange	Main flow, paths, arrows, direction
Color: Blue	Supplementary notes, feedback, system state
Prohibited	Green, purple, yellow, pink, gradients, drop shadows, 3D, realistic UI

Character: Grav

• Small round body (pebble/potato shape)
• Two dot eyes (slightly asymmetric)
• One thin bent antenna with tiny circle tip
• Thin stick legs that dangle without touching surfaces
• Always hovering — visible gap between Grav and any surface
• Expression: calm, focused, deadpan
• Role: active participant in the system, never decoration

Best Practices

• ✅ Start with a shot list before generating images
• ✅ Invent a new metaphor for every illustration — never reuse compositions
• ✅ Make Grav the action protagonist, not a bystander
• ✅ Keep it absurd but structurally clear
• ✅ Use color sparingly — when in doubt, use black
• ❌ Don't make PPT infographics or formal flowcharts
• ❌ Don't add title bars or decorative frames
• ❌ Don't let Grav touch the ground or stand on surfaces
• ❌ Don't make Grav cute, smiling, or emoji-like

Limitations

• Requires access to an image-generation tool that can follow composition, line-art, and annotation constraints.
• The recurring Grav character style can drift between generations; verify every output against the QA checklist.
• Text in generated images may be misspelled or distorted, so short labels and post-generation review are required.
• The style is intended for explanatory article illustrations, not photorealistic product imagery or brand-final artwork.

Common Pitfalls

• Problem: Illustration looks like a PPT slide

Solution: Remove 30% of elements, increase whitespace, make it weirder

• Problem: Grav is just standing next to the action

Solution: Redesign so Grav IS the mechanism — becomes the funnel, dangles from the lever, is suspended inside the machine

• Problem: Same metaphor as a previous illustration

Solution: Replace the physical object entirely — same concept, different analogy

Additional Resources

• Full skill with prompt templates and QA checklist
• Example illustrations