New skills, projects, ideas and fun facts about the world of illustration
Illustrator and designer Willian Santiago teaches us how to use Photoshop brushes to simulate manual painting techniques, such as chalk, watercolor, pencil, and many others
As an illustrator, my creative journey has led me through a myriad of projects, from animation art to book publishing, to advertising, to comic creating. However, it's in my personal time where I truly delve into creating my own personal fantasy art, creating Risograph prints that are inspired by whimsical adventures that are fully my own. Through my monthly Riso print club, I share a new fantastical print every month, each one a testament to the magic of storytelling and illustration. It helps me make a new fantasy print each month, and has helped me find my own voice and taste in a field where a clients vision can sometimes take precedence.
Discover how to bring your tree drawings to life with our easy-to-follow coloring tips. Start creating nature's beauty on your drawing device or even on paper...! The bark is brown and the leaves are green... Done! Well, obviously there's more to it. This tutorial would turn out too short! Like with everything, you can make a ham and cheese sandwich or cook an elaborate recipe for seared scallops and baby spinach with spiced pomegranate glaze... Both dishes could be called "dinner", just the same... I actually prefer the sandwich... Free Download
Learn how to use your sketches and draw them with vectors to give the final touch to each element with Mauro Martins, graphic designer and bespoke illustrator Sketching helps us to organize ideas on paper, letting the line flow freely to give life to abstract figures that will later gain detail. It is at this stage that we can give free rein to our creativity. The next step is digitization, which requires more attention to detail and can be quite laborious, but it is essential to define your style and identity. To help you in this process, Mauro Martins (@mauromartins), graphic designer and illustrator, shares some tips to transform your sketches into a vector and give the final touch to each element. You can watch the tutorial here.
Trina Robbins, a luminary in every sense of the word, stands as a testament to the power of creativity, resilience, and advocacy. In the colorful tapestry of comic book history, there are figures whose influence reverberates far beyond the pages they've crafted.
Learn to draw a rabbit easily with our expert tips. Download our free guide and bring your sketches to life! This step by step tutorial covers it all from the adorable bunny ears to the soft fur rabbits fashionably wear. And of course, we couldn't leave you hanging with two ears sticking out of a fur ball... We will also teach you how to draw the bunny's eyes, nose, legs... Yes, a whole and unharmed bunny! Is all this specificity really necessary...? Free Download
Navigate the murky waters of collage art and copyright with me and learn how to use others' work legally in the process. If your are just doing collages for fun in the privacy of your home, there is no need to worry! The Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team won't be kicking down your door, anytime soon... But if you post your collage art online or sell it... The SWAT team won't be making an appearance either, but you might face some unsavory legal issues, nevertheless. Let's find out how to keep your hobby or business running safely under the guise of the law. And remember the following information only applies to collages... If you run a drug cartel on the weekends as a hobby, I wouldn't worry about copyright infringement! What is considered a collage?
As artists, our canvas extends beyond mere buildings; we are the narrators of urban tales, entrusted with the noble task of encapsulating the essence and spirit of the facades and spaces we depict. Join me, Urban Anna, on a creative odyssey where we delve into the captivating world of watercolor, unveiling four secrets to infusing life into our architectural muses.
Discover how to unlock your creative potential: techniques and key factors to stimulate your imagination and generate innovative ideas
Once in a lifetime a tree drawing tutorial stands in your way and dares you to make the change your life needs, desperately...! Are you ready? You can always pretend this window opened up by accident in your browser and go back to your treeless ways... But I hope I can convince you it was all destined to happen. Hear me out: Recent studies show that drawing trees is beneficial for your overall health. People who know how to draw trees are statistically more likely to be successful in life, love and money metrics than those who don't... That's what my doctor told in my last appointment... My broken arm is still swollen, unresponsive and sore, but my drawing skills are getting better each day (with my other arm...)!
Elevate your drawing skills with our free PDF tutorial on hair coloring. Unlock the secrets to vibrant and lifelike hair in just two steps! Have you ever been so engrossed in creating the perfect character, only to hit a roadblock when it comes to coloring their hair? Well, fear not, because we've got just the solution to breathe life into those flat strands and infuse your illustrations with vibrant hues! Hair is an essential element of character design, an expression of personality, and a canvas for creativity. Much like crafting the perfect hairstyle in real life, mastering the art of hair coloring in illustrations requires finesse, technique, and a touch of magic. Before we dive into the world of hair coloring, let's take a moment to revisit our first adventure in mastering the art of drawing hair. If you missed it, be sure to download that freebie as well!
In the vibrant world of illustration, artists continuously explore and innovate to express their unique visions. The blend of analogue and digital techniques represents a fusion of tradition and modernity, offering limitless possibilities for creativity. This article delves into practical ways to combine these two realms, providing artists with the tools to enrich their visual storytelling.
Learn how to draw anime face proportions correctly by following these simple tips, with Geoff Pascual
Discover Fito Espinosa’s tips for shading your illustrations with ink to give them a professional edge When it comes to inking your drawings, shading is one of the most complicated techniques to get right. With acrylics, watercolors, or other painting and drawing materials, we use different tones to capture the shadows created when light hits an object. However, when using ink, we’re only working with one tone and we can't make it lighter or darker. In this blogpost, painter, illustrator, and visual artist Fito Espinosa (@fitoespinosa) teaches us different shading techniques using either black or color ink. You can watch the tutorial below:
The years go by, but Van Gogh's influence on the art world remains undoubted On a day like today, exactly 171 years ago, one of the great geniuses of the visual arts world, Vincent Van Gogh, was born in Zundert (Netherlands). Unfortunately, he never knew that his work was going to triumph and become one of the most highly valued in the art world. On the contrary, his brother bought his paintings, making believe that he had other buyers, Van Gogh found out and went completely mad. But almost two centuries after his birth, the great exponent of post-impressionism continues to inspire and influence painters all over the world with his work. Today, in commemoration of the anniversary of his birth, we take a look at artists who have shown Van Gogh's influence throughout his career. Yayoi Kusama
Are your illustrated characters balding rapidly? We have the perfect free downloadable tutorial on how to draw hair! It will look good as new! Hairstyle is a key point in character design. How would you like us to perceive your fellow cartoons? If you take proper care of their appearance they could become iconic, but if your illustrations only have three long greasy hairs (because you got lazy drawing the fourth) we will think your characters are institutionalized in a mental hospital, at best... Or at worst, that they are all Homer Simpson's relatives... Is that what you were looking for? Iconic Cartoon Hairdos
Learn the basics you need to know to unlock this vector design package, with Ros
Join Astrid Wielinga, aka Urban Anna, for invaluable tips on using fineliners in watercolor illustrations. Get inspired and learn more about her whimsical watercolor course. Calling all aspiring artists and seasoned illustrators alike! Get ready to elevate your artistry with three game changing tips from the talented Astrid Wielinga (@urbananna), also known as Urban Anna. In this article, we'll dive into Astrid's expert advice on using fineliners in watercolor illustrations, guaranteed to ignite your creativity and inspire your next masterpiece.
Dive deep into the art of drawing from observation with Astrid Wielinga, an expert in capturing the essence of surroundings through sketching. In this tutorial, you'll uncover essential techniques, from honing your observation skills to translating what you see onto paper with precision. Welcome to an exciting journey into the world of urban illustration! Today, we're thrilled to embark on an adventure guided by the talented Astrid Wielinga (@urbananna), also known as Urban Anna. Get ready to unleash your creativity as we explore Astrid's tutorial, where she shares invaluable insights on observing and sketching your surroundings with finesse.
Award-winning artist and illustrator Mika Takahashi teaches us how to improve a digitized illustration by touching up imperfections and small details on the paper step-by-step
Learn these basic tips to start working on your watercolor portrait eyes with Sol Barrios The eyes are the element of the face express the most and bring the most personality to a portrait. Therefore, it is important that we dedicate special attention and detail to them in our projects. In this tutorial, Sol Barrios (@solbarrios), watercolorist and muralist, teaches us how to approach the drawing of the eyes step by step in a watercolor portrait. You can follow the process in the following video:
Explore the unique link between art and water through the works of Hockney, O'Keeffe and more. Immerse yourself in aquatic landscapes and portraits March 22 is the date established internationally as World Water Day. The importance of this element, which is living one of the most complicated times in history due to climate change, goes beyond what we already know, which is its importance to live. Today we want to give an artistic point of view to this day and tell you about 10 artists for whom water was more than just an element, it was their source of inspiration and an essential component in their works. Claude Monet
Learn to create characters by setting your pencil free and leaving your comfort zone, with these tips from Cecy Meade Drawing for pleasure is usually fun, however, drawing every day for a living can be wearing. If you have to constantly churn out new characters, you will of course have days where you feel less inspired or you just can’t find a way to create something fresh and original. To help you overcome these creative blocks and tap into your creativity, designer and 2D and 3D illustrator Cecy Meade shares her top tips below. Although they focus on character design, these tips can be applied to any illustration task or, in fact, any creative task.
Learn the basic keys of the drawing and illustration tool with José Luis Ágreda The drawing and animation program Clip Studio Paint is one of the most interesting alternatives to Adobe Illustrator, although it is perhaps less well known. The software, of Japanese origin, is created especially to help in the illustration process, so it is worth trying it out in order to compare it with other more popular ones. José Luis Ágreda (@agreda), illustrator and comic book artist who was also recently the art director of the animated film 'Buñuel en el laberinto de las tortugas', is an expert in the handling of Clip Studio Paint and has synthesized everything you need to know when starting to use the program in 8 essential points. Discover the Clip Studio Paint tutorial in the following video:
Unlock your creativity with our free PDF tutorial on drawing and coloring a snail. Dive into step-by-step instructions and unleash your inner artist. Perfect for beginners and seasoned illustrators alike, discover the joy of bringing your artwork to life! Are you ready to dive into the world of illustration? Imagine a quiet afternoon, your sketchpad ready for action. Now, imagine adding a charming snail to the mix, slowly crawling across the page. Intrigued? Well, you're in luck because we're about to spill the beans on an exciting artistic adventure that will have you buzzing with inspiration. We all know that art has the power to transport us to different realms, evoke emotions, and ignite our imagination like nothing else. Whether you're a seasoned illustrator or just beginning, there's always something magical about putting pen to paper and bringing your ideas to life. And what better subject to explore than the humble yet utterly fascinating snail?
In graphic design and illustration, geometric shapes are timeless. We find a lot of inspiration in it and the core of our work is based on seemingly simple shapes. Most of us don’t give much thought to a square, circle or triangle but sometimes they carry profound meanings or are used to evoke various emotions. And they are also easy to use for their decorative qualities. A pointy square or one with rounded corners generate different feelings towards it: hard and sharp or soft and gentle. So utilizing geometric shapes in design is not just about creating visually appealing work; it's actually tapping into the universal language of shapes to convey messages and call for reactions. This article explores where to search if you want to create with geometric shapes, blending simplicity with profound meaning.
In visual storytelling, the tools and mediums I select are not just instruments; they are the very foundation upon which my narratives take shape. My individual journey through illustration has been defined by the exploration of vibrant colors, intriguing textures, and the emotion that each piece conveys. Let me take you behind the scenes of my creative process, highlighting the sketchbooks, tools, and theories that bring my stories to life.
Learn how to add color to your illustrated stories simply and easily with Paula Bossio Watercolor offers an interesting way to add color to your drawings. Its flexibility allows for an original style that's worth trying out and experimenting with. In this tutorial, graphic designer, illustrator and author Paula Bossio (@paulabossio) explains how to use it to bring color to your work. Prepare your sketch and let's go!
Create an illustrator profile on Instagram that makes your work stand out and attract new clients, with a little help from the illustration agency Pencil A social media profile has become the new cover letter for creatives across all fields, especially illustrators. It serves as an intuitive, free, and attractive way to present your portfolio of work. Instagram, being so easy to use and having such a wide reach, is among the best options you have available. It is a great way for people to discover your illustration work. To help you make the most of your illustrator profile on Instagram, Sandra López–from the illustration agency Pencil (@Pencil)–shares some key tips to help you make wise decisions and reach as many people as possible. Discover Sandra’s tips in the following video:
Learn the keys to organizing the illustrations in your portfolio an appealing, elegant manner with Ricard López
