Theme building from scratch/vanilla theme – any advice?

Hey all

I’m doing an MA in web design, for the major project we have to either build the theme from scratch, or we’ve been given a vanilla theme that we can start from.

Things haven’t really been explained properly about it and I’m totally stuck on where to begin. Static HTML/CSS sites? I can do those, and I love doing them…converting them into a WP site? No fucking clue.

I could be focusing on other parts of the project for now, such as getting my prototype site (html/css/javascript) finished, getting on with the research that will help me with the written content, starting on making illustrations, starting the 15k word report…

but I’m so hyperfocused on ‘I do not understand WordPress theme building’ that I get too overwhelmed to do any of the other work 🙃

Just looking for any general advice you may have, if you know of any awesome tutorials you could share for a beginner, or just anything…I would be super greatful!! Thank you 🥲