Pictorial Sketchbook with Gouache
A course by Maru GodasIllustrator
A course by Maru Godas, Illustrator
Explore new creative languages to work into your sketchbook and apply them to your illustrations and urban sketches
If you enjoy breaking rules, you’ve come to the right place. Here, the only requirement is to go off the beaten track and approach a blank page fearlessly. Are you ready? Delve into the universe of sketchbooks and brushstrokes with Maru Godàs and discover how to reflect the world around you in a unique way.
In this course, learn the techniques for painting with gouache and see how to apply it to your illustration and urban sketching projects. Explore new pictorial languages in your sketchbooks and draw your own imaginary world, free from the common technicalities of illustration.
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 14 downloads
What will we do in the course?
2 minutes, 29 seconds
Our materials
4 minutes, 24 seconds
Paint, notebook and… action!
19 minutes, 22 seconds
Urban greens: gouache and dry brush 1
7 minutes, 43 seconds
Urban greens: gouache and dry brush 2
17 minutes, 6 seconds
Life on the street: reduced palette and layers 1
16 minutes, 7 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start by feeling reassured that it’s never too late to start your career as an artist and hear about Maru Godás’ career path before she began dedicating herself to her true passions: drawing and painting. Discover the artists that inspire her most and see how the course is structured.
Hear about Maru’s experience painting in sketchbooks, learn about gouache, and see some of her favorite creative techniques. Go through the recommended course material and do some simple exercises to practice mixing colors and creating textures.
Color is a key component of your work. The second unit focuses on learning how to create your own color palettes; a reduced one for traveling and a more extensive one for working from home. Practice some basic gouache methods like diluting with water, using a dry paintbrush, or layering, and see how to combine them with other techniques.
To finish, paint a cityscape on a double page, blending themes and techniques learned throughout the course. Wrap things up by creating your color palette, adding textures, and retouching final details with colored pencils.
What is this course's project?
Fill a sketchbook with different techniques and sketches to use as inspiration and create a composition of an urban landscape.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
For anyone who loves drawing and wants to experiment with pictorial methods and new materials. Illustrators, designers, and all those who want to learn new techniques to add to their repertoire.
Requirements and materials
No previous drawing experience is necessary, as long as you are inspired to experiment and play with color and paints.
As for materials, you’ll need tubes of gouache, synthetic paint brushes, a sketchbook with thick paper, and colored pencils.
Reviews
- 2 months ago
Excellent cours ! J'adore l'univers artistique de Maru !...Merci !
- 2 months ago
mi piace molto come spiega in modo chiaro e semplice, ho già seguito il corso sulla pittura acrilica e ho deciso di fare anche questo perchè amo la sua tecnica.
- 2 months ago
Es una excelente profesora. Con sus dibujos sueltos y colores inspiradores llena el alma y te dan ganas de pintar, experimentar y jugar como cuando éramos chicos y nos nos importaban otra mirada que la nuestra.
- 3 months ago
Excelente
- 3 months ago
J'adore l'univers de Maru Goras ! Merci infiniment de partager votre vision, votre savoir-faire et votre passion ! Cours vraiment super
Since then, she has published several books with her work and illustrations in magazines for various big names such as La Caixa, La Vanguardia, and RACC. She currently combines her commissions with teaching, leading workshops and courses on urban sketching and illustration around the world. She enjoys sharing her discoveries with her students and, above all, encouraging them to try new things.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- What will we do in the course?
- U2
Sketchbook in gouache: first steps
- About the sketchbook: the world is a notebook
- Our materials
- Paint, notebook and… action!
- U3
Gouache color and techniques
- The world is colored
- Urban greens: gouache and dry brush 1
- Urban greens: gouache and dry brush 2
- Life on the street: reduced palette and layers 1
- Life on the street: reduced palette and layers 2
- Mixed media techniques: gouache and friends
- U4
Drawing an urban scene step by step
- Composition and deformation: everything fits in my world
- Decision making: explore the best option
- Starting with the stain: paint without fear! 1
- Starting with the stain: paint without fear! 2
- Bringing your scene to life: lines and details 1
- Bringing your scene to life: lines and details 2
- FP
Final project
- Pictorial Sketchbook with Gouache
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Urban sketching is the art of drawing live urban scenes, usually in a sketchbook. In this course, you’ll learn how to capture cityscapes and vegetation using gouache and mixed media.
This course is designed for intermediate learners who have basic drawing skills and want to explore sketchbook and gouache techniques.
You’ll need a drawing sketchbook, gouache paints, synthetic brushes, a ceramic palette, various types of paper, and some colored pencils. A sponge and water for cleaning brushes are also recommended.
You’ll learn how to make personalized sketchbooks, experiment with materials, apply gouache and composition techniques, and develop your own style illustrating urban and natural scenes.
The course teaches you to experiment with different papers, considering texture and weight to find the best support depending on the technique and desired effect for each illustration.
Traditional gouache is opaque and water-soluble, while acrylic gouache dries permanently. You’ll learn when and how to use each based on the results you want.
Techniques covered include washes, dry brush, color mixing, layering, creating plant textures, and light effects to enrich your urban and nature illustrations.