1. Research and Brainstorm (this happens in your sketchbook: Look at the competition for some ideas and to generate your own ideas. Look at the resources below for a start. Begin to make some brainstorm ideas, make a mind map with you at the center, from there branch out to all things about the person you have chosen.
2. Sketch Thumbnails: Create several small drawings of your initial ideas based on your research and brainstorming. This also happens in your sketchbook.
3. Sketch a Rough: Draw larger thumbnails of your best ideas. Take the aspects you like about each thumbnail and incorporate them into your rough sketch in your sketchbook.
4. Create a final composition: Draw your project out in finer detail. This is drawn to scale, it shows how your portrait will be framed in the space, you work out the border decisions, incorporate the background into your design.
5. Execute: After you complete your sketchbook work you will then begin working with the comptuer.