Illustration

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  • Drawing Tutorial: How to Flesh Out some Loose Sketches of a Creature
    Teacher Illustration

    Drawing Tutorial: How to Flesh Out some Loose Sketches of a Creature

    If you've ever been captivated by the mystical world of fantasy illustration, then you're in for a real treat. In this tutorial, we have the privilege of learning from the talented Iris Compiet, a renowned fantasy illustrator and artist hailing from the Netherlands. Iris's unique style and expertise are sure to inspire and guide you as you embark on your own creative journey. In this tutorial, Iris Compiet shares her invaluable insights on fleshing out loose sketches for captivating creatures. By honing this skill, you'll gain the ability to bring your creations to life from a variety of angles, unlocking the true potential of your artwork.

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  • How to Draw Flowers and Leaves Step by Step in 5 min (TUTORIAL)
    Teacher Illustration

    How to Draw Flowers and Leaves Step by Step in 5 min (TUTORIAL)

    Learn the steps to sketch well-proportioned, symmetrical leaves and flowers on white paper, with Maya Hanisch Floral illustration, with its wavy and lively forms and infinite colors, is present in disciplines from graphic design to fine art, always balancing the freedom of nature and the control of the illustrator, who's able to create attractive patterns based on floral elements. In the following tutorial, artist and graphic designer Maya Hanisch (@mayahanisch) shows us how to sketch symmetrical and well-proportioned leaves and flowers, as a starting point for our floral compositions.

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  • Printing Tutorial: The Monotype Technique Step By Step
    Teacher Illustration

    Printing Tutorial: The Monotype Technique Step By Step

    Learn to make the most of textures with monotype printing, with Ustudio Mol+Carla Monotype is a versatile technique which allows you to get creative in a different way to other artistic disciplines but, if we've never used it, we might not know where to begin. That's why illustrator and designer Mol, of Ustudio (@ustudio), who has worked with clients like Coca-Cola and Nescafé, is going to show us how it works so we can use it to give life to our sketches. Start with this video tutorial:

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  • 6 Free Tutorials to Kickstart Your Drawing Journey
    Illustration

    6 Free Tutorials to Kickstart Your Drawing Journey

    Discover the best free tutorials to start drawing today. Enhance your skills with our top picks for aspiring artists! Have you ever wanted to dive into the world of drawing but didn’t know where to start? Or maybe you're looking to refine your skills with some focused guidance? We've got you covered with six fantastic tutorials that will inspire you to pick up your pencil (or stylus) and start creating. From cute animals to detailed plants, there's something here for everyone. Let's get started

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  • Tutorial Illustration: Japanese brushstrokes with Sumi-e technique
    Teacher Illustration

    Tutorial Illustration: Japanese brushstrokes with Sumi-e technique

    Learn with Flor Kaneshiro the basic aspects to take into account in this Japanese illustration technique: pressure, speed, direction and rhythm The Sumi-e drawing technique, although originally always practiced with Chinese ink, has a series of strokes that can also be applied with other materials such as watercolor. Its delicate and soft strokes, which must be very controlled if we are starting in this technique, make it ideal for those who want to expand their range of skills with watercolor. In the following video, illustrator Flor Kaneshiro (@florkaneshiro) explains the most important considerations: pressure, speed, direction and rhythm of the brushstroke, so that you can get started in the best possible way with the Sumi-e technique.

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  • Living with mistakes
    Teacher Illustration

    Living with mistakes

    When we stop fighting with our mistakes and choose to live with them, a new attitude appears that relates the illustrator with his own imperfect work, with new, much healthier and, above all, much lighter ties. When we deny and try to harshly correct our mistakes, a self-demandingness can appear that if we let it grow too much, it can pull us, first a little and then a lot, until we deviate and leave us in a place where it becomes more and more difficult to feel the enjoyment of doing something as noble as drawing. Fighting so much with the mistakes can become an obstacle for creation, also supposing an extra load of stress that we are already pulling and bringing a fog for a mind that, now more worried about achieving something, almost forgets to experience something. To stop fighting with our own mistakes allows us to open a kinder space so that the next time we “make a mistake” we can take the time to consider the possibility of living with them and also consider the possibility of including them as part of our work. Accepting that these mistakes are in themselves the flip side of every success and that, because of this, successes and mistakes make us the creative that we are, creates the possibility of trying to create a dialogue (and perhaps a style) using both sides of the coin, knowing that mistakes more often reveal the most honest aspects of each person. Does this mean to stop looking for constant improvement? Never, but it does mean a change in the attitude with which we choose to improve. We can lighten our quest for improvement by changing the conflict as a starting point and move to a much calmer place of acceptance where there is the peace of mind that comes from ceasing to pursue so demandingly. Drawing without the possibility of erasing, is a practice that can help us to relate back to our work. To see undeniably the things we would like to improve, to see the things we would like to throw away, to see without the possibility of hiding the things we would like to change and, also, to see the things we would like to keep. Living with mistakes in this way allows us to find ourselves again in our work. Because to stop fighting with mistakes is also to stop fighting with oneself. And to close, a practical invitation: Join my Domestika course Professional Illustration Techniques: From Sketches to Vectors where you will learn the necessary techniques, both analog and digital, to turn a draft into an editorial illustration with a professional finish, with which you feel identified. See you there! El Profe.

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  • How to Draw Clouds (the easy way) (+Free Download)
    Illustration

    How to Draw Clouds (the easy way) (+Free Download)

    Follow 3 easy steps and start drawing cloudy landscapes! You might start appreciating cloudy days more, when you are able to draw them accurately! Your clouds might look like literal doo-doo right now, but that's fine! Because they do look like that sometimes! A quick tip, though: Stop making them brown! That was just my own take on clouds but if you'd like to delve even deeper, this article's download comes with a .pdf and video tutorial that will do the trick!

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  • Illustration Tutorial: How to Create Color Palettes from Images
    Teacher Illustration

    Illustration Tutorial: How to Create Color Palettes from Images

    Learn to make color palettes for your designs from the colors and images that inspire you with Catalina Estrada The colors we choose for our illustrations say a lot about our style and give a unique touch to anything we want to represent. The one-color palette will transmit a series of sensations completely different from those that other tones would achieve. Therefore, knowing which colors we want to use in our illustrations, and being able to choose them well, as the Adobe Capture app allows us to do with images, will help us make our mark on our work. In the following video tutorial, illustrator and print designer Catalina Estrada (@catalinaestrada) explains how to use Adobe Capture and Illustrator to import color palettes from our favorite photographs, to be used in an illustration. Watch the video below:

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  • How to Draw Hands (+Free Download)
    Illustration

    How to Draw Hands (+Free Download)

    So, after you understand that hands have 5 fingers each (in most cases...) and some fingers are longer than others... What else is there left to learn? The short answer is: A whole lot! The long answer is: Anatomy...! Both answers came out rather short but drawing hands takes a long time to master either way... Did I make myself clear? No...? Then you'd be better off downloading the free tutorial in this article!

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  • Tips to Illustrate a Children's Story
    Teacher Illustration

    Tips to Illustrate a Children's Story

    Learn the method used by Teresa Martínez to transform text into images in the most efficient way Illustrating children's books can be a beautiful project but also one that requires a great deal of expertise when choosing the style and elements to use. After all, the goal is to synthesize a whole story into a series of images that capture the imagination of readers, both young and not so young. To help you start translating words into images, illustrator Teresa Martínez shares with us her typical workflow. She explains the importance of sketches and considers three ways in which an illustration can be related to the text.

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  • Watercolor Tutorial: Wet-on-Wet Technique
    Teacher Illustration

    Watercolor Tutorial: Wet-on-Wet Technique

    Learn to blend wet watercolors with Ana Santos Watercolor is a much more complex medium than one might suppose: one has to understand the drying times, when to use more opaque or watery colours, and how to mix the different shades well, avoiding undesired results–or taking advantage of them. Artist and illustrator Ana Santos (@anasantos) teaches us in this tutorial how to use the wet-on-wet technique, in which the same layer of paint is used, before drying, to perfectly blend the colors. Learn more in this video:

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  • How to Paint a Landscape Digitally (+Free Download)
    Illustration

    How to Paint a Landscape Digitally (+Free Download)

    You'd like to visit the landscape of your dreams without leaving your bedroom? Paint it digitally! Or take a nap and hope for the best... A download complete with 5 easy steps awaits you inside this article! Where could it be hidden...? I surely won't make it easy to find! How could I know you really deserve it, otherwise...? I will force you to read this whole article before you even get a taste of my priceless download! Priceless because it's free... Is that a contradiction? Hidden in Plain Sight

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  • Fashion Illustration Tutorial: 2 Exercises To Play With Watercolor
    Illustration

    Fashion Illustration Tutorial: 2 Exercises To Play With Watercolor

    Unleash your creativity with Jessica Durrant's tutorial, perfect for fashion illustration enthusiasts. Learn the wet-on-wet technique with two fun exercises and bring your fashion designs to life in vibrant watercolors! Ready to dip your brushes into a world of color and couture? Today, we're diving into the mesmerizing world of watercolor fashion illustration with none other than our Domestika teacher, Jessica Durrant (@jessillustrator). What awaits is a canvas of possibilities, a palette of dreams, and a tutorial that's about to splash some serious inspiration onto your artistic journey.

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  • Illustrator Tutorial: How to Create a Brush for Vector Portraits
    Teacher Illustration

    Illustrator Tutorial: How to Create a Brush for Vector Portraits

    Learn how to create a brush for digital illustration with Rogério Puhl A great set of brushes is very valuable to illustrators working with Adobe Illustrator. Each brush will have its own characteristics–thicker or finer, rounded or straight line, textured or plain effect–and these characteristics will impact your end results. Brushes are so important that many digital artist create them and then make them available for other professionals to download, either for free or for a fee. In this tutorial, illustrator, art director and graphic designer Rogério Puhl (@rogeriopuhl) will teach you how to create your own brush set in an easy and intuitive way. Discover more in the video below:

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  • Free Procreate Brushes for Children's Illustration
    Illustration

    Free Procreate Brushes for Children's Illustration

    Discover new textures and stroke your lines with newfound confidence thanks to the free Procreate brushes by Jimena S. Sarquiz! In this article you will meet a profesional artist, as we'll dive deep into her work. And at the end you'll get your deserved gift for reading it all! Well, you can also skip all that and scroll down directly to the downloadable... But I will be very disappointed in you if you take such a lazy path...! Is the emotional blackmail working, already? Let's get started then: Meet Jimena S. Sarquiz

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  • Illustration Tutorial: Shading Techniques with Pencil
    Teacher Illustration

    Illustration Tutorial: Shading Techniques with Pencil

    Learn step by step how to shade gradually and the possibilities of this technique in illustration with Ricardo Núñez Pencil shading is one of the most common techniques used by any illustrator or artist, but also one of the most practical and difficult to master. When blurring, many times we tend to generate forms that are too hard or aggressive, when the objective of this technique is to create delicate lights and shadows with a natural look. In the following video tutorial, illustrator Ricardo Núñez (@rhinunez) shows us how to correctly apply the shading technique, using pencils of different hardness. Discover it below:

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  • How to Draw a Frog (+Free Download)
    Illustration

    How to Draw a Frog (+Free Download)

    Dive into the world of frog illustration with our free PDF guide! From basic shapes to vibrant colors, discover techniques to bring these charming creatures to life. Close your eyes for a moment and envision a vibrant place where lush forests whisper secrets and hidden ponds shimmer with life. Can you hear the gentle croak of frogs echoing through the trees? Imagine sitting on the edge of that pond, pencil in hand, ready to capture the magic of these captivating creatures on paper. Welcome to an adventure like no other as today, we're immersing ourselves in the enchanting world of frog illustration. This journey is about to become ribbiting!

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  • Watercolor Tutorial: How to unblock your creativity
    Teacher Illustration

    Watercolor Tutorial: How to unblock your creativity

    Learn the technique to turn watermarks into characters, to lose the fear of watercolors and break the creative logjam with Alinailustra Creative blocks are something all artists have to deal with, no matter their discipline or experience. The blank page can intimidate us, but it’s important to get rid of the fear and not stop practicing. Alinailustra (@alinailustra), an illustrator and graphic designer, shares the keys to an exercise that will unblock your creativity and transform watercolor marks into scenes and characters. Find out more in the video below:

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  • Acrylic Alchemy: Tips for Mesmerizing Fantasy Art
    Teacher Illustration

    Acrylic Alchemy: Tips for Mesmerizing Fantasy Art

    My journey through the realm of fantasy art spans three decades, intertwining my passion for bird photography with the intricate world of role-playing game illustrations. The fusion of these worlds has enabled me to inject a dose of realism into the fantastical, crafting pieces that captivate and tell stories beyond words. The cornerstone of my artistic practice is rooted in the initial stages: sketching thumbnails until I find the one that works, shaping it into a final drawing, and then basing the acrylic painting on this drawing. The thumbnail stage is crucial for composition, and for breaking down the grand vision into small, manageable sections. It's here that the painting begins to take shape, segment by segment, ensuring each piece contributes to the whole. If you don’t get your thumbnail right before you start your painting, you will have to start the whole painting process over later on. I prefer working on watercolor board, but watercolor paper works as well. I use a simple photocopy and some coal to transfer my final drawing onto the board for the painting. The mood is set using lighting, bounce light, shadow and movement. The painting steps themselves are divided into different coloring stages. I usually start dark and go lighter along the way, ending the process with all the finer details. To breathe life into my artwork, I rely on a meticulously crafted moodboard, a collection of references that infuse realism into the fantastical. Whether it's the anatomy of bat wings, the fierce facial expression of a T-Rex or raptor head, the graceful glide of flying dinosaurs, or the ethereal beauty of cloudscapes, each element serves to ground my creations in a semblance of reality while allowing imagination to soar. What makes a painting believable, isn’t just physical accuracy. The mood of the character, particularly when it occupies the focal point, is paramount. From the nuanced facial expressions to intricate details of a backpack, or the unique features of a creature companion, everything has to feel real. So it’s very important to look at the real word for inspiration. Hopefully by the end of the process the painting will capture both the eye and the heart. For those eager to dive deeper into the world of fantasy acrylic painting, to explore the interplay of realism and imagination, I’m thrilled to be able to share my creative process in the art of fantasy acrylic painting with you in my new Domestica painting course.

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