Thumbnail Sketches

I've started a new project this week, and have spent a good part of the day making thumbnail (i.e. small) sketches.  At this point in the process, I might think I know what would look good in terms of composition, but it's always good to try as many ideas as possible; that way, I can be sure that I've picked the best one possible. The reason the sketches are so tiny is twofold: first, because it saves time, and second, because sometimes it's easier to simplify and/or detect problems when the work is small. Also, because this is a design for a book cover, thumbnails are good for imagining how it might look on smart phones or e-readers.  Since I don't like drawing the same outline over and over, I've made a template out of an index card.  It's scaled down to about 1 1/3 x 2 inches. Any larger, and I tend to get hung up on the details.