| name | article-illustrations |
| description | Generate hand-drawn 16:9 article illustrations with the Grav character IP, sparse annotations, and absurd but clear visual metaphors. |
| category | creative |
| risk | safe |
| source | community |
| source_repo | vipin-si/article-illustrations |
| source_type | community |
| license | MIT |
| license_source | https://github.com/vipin-si/article-illustrations/blob/main/LICENSE |
| date_added | 2026-06-06 |
| author | vipin-si |
| tags | ["illustration","article-graphics","visual-metaphors","image-generation","whiteboard-sketch"] |
| tools | ["image-generation"] |
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
