Many educators would say that pencils, paint, and paper are the most important tools in the artroom, but are they really? If they look deeply at how students create art, it is their beginning ideas and concepts that gauge the success of a work of art. Without proper planning and guidance, even the most talented students will struggle through their art journey. In this article, the author discusses the importance of thumbnails in idea development. She stresses that thumbnails should be one of the most important components of an art unit.