Creating an Illustrated Brand: From the Idea to Merchandising
A course by Vania Bachur, Illustrator
Develop an illustrated character and its visual identity to create your own product line
Can you imagine making your own illustrated brand a reality? Take your drawings a step further and make them the stars of a product line with the help of Vania Bachur. Also known as Suupeergirl, this self-taught illustrator has created a memorable brand from her unique style.
In this course, Vania teaches you how to create your own characters, digitize them, and bring them to life in the form of different products. To do so, learn to develop a style guide that allows you to unify your creations to sell their licenses or design your own products.
What will you learn in this online course?
17 lessons & 17 downloads
What's included in this course?
To begin, Vania tells you about her experience in the world of illustration, how she got started, and most importantly, how she started monetizing her drawings. She also shows you her main sources of inspiration and some of the influences behind her work.
Creating characters is the challenge for the next unit. Using a mood board, make some quick sketches to help jumpstart your creativity. Then, begin defining the personality of your characters to connect with your future consumer.
Next, develop a step-by-step style guide that integrates your designs. Begin digitizing your drawings and see what kind of products can be created from them. Use mockups to visualize the final result in a realistic way.
Finally, Vania shares some tips for promoting your brand through social media, as well as some tricks for keeping you inspired and productive on your journey. When you're done, you'll be able to design illustrated characters, create a style guide that helps define their personalities, and bring them to life for a variety of projects.
- 99% positive reviews (730)
- 16,572 students
- 17 lessons (2h 56m)
- 17 additional resources (6 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, German, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Create a line of merchandise with your own illustrated characters. To do so, you will work on developing three key elements: your character’s universe, a style guide, and the corresponding products.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Students, professionals, and aspiring illustrators who want to learn how to create illustrated characters and convert them into merchandise.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, you will need some basic knowledge of drawing and notions of editing in Procreate, Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. As for materials, you will use the basics of every illustrator: paper, a pencil, and a computer or tablet with the programs mentioned above.
Reviews
Vania Bachur
A course by Vania Bachur
Adorable and colorful characters are the hallmark of self-taught illustrator Vania Bachur, also known as Suupeergirl. Somewhere between kawaii and cartoon, Vania has been able to create a unique, recognizable style that is full of personality.
Currently, she owns her own brand which designs merchandised products featuring her characters. She has also published a book with Penguin Random House and worked for major international brands like Disney Pixar, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Apple, Wacom, and more.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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What will we do in the course?
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U2
Character Creation
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Search for inspiration
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Sketch 1
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Sketch 2
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Character psychology
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U3
Create a style guide
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What is a style guide?
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Digital illustration 1
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Digital illustration 2
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Integration of a style guide
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Product Design
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Use of mockups
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Presentation of a product
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U4
How can I make a living from drawing?
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The Malvatips
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How to sell your brand on social networks SC
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Tips to stay creative
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FP
Final project
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Creating an Illustrated Brand: From the Idea to Merchandising
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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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.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
You’ll learn how to create original kawaii characters from sketching to digitalizing, vectorizing, and developing style guides. You’ll also see how to apply your illustrations to products, promote them, and build your personal brand as an illustrator.
The course is designed for people with intermediate skills in illustration or design, but beginners with basic experience who want to dive deeper into kawaii characters and branding will also benefit.
You’ll need basic drawing supplies (pencil, paper, markers), a graphics tablet or iPad (optional), and access to software like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop or Procreate for digitalizing, vectorizing, and product creation.
The course guides you from brainstorming and rough sketches to defining personality, proportions, color, and details, using both traditional and digital techniques to bring unique kawaii characters to life.
Yes, the course covers vectorization techniques using Live Trace and manual adjustments in Illustrator, so you can turn your sketches into digital illustrations ready for printing or products.
Yes, you’ll learn how to create mockups, choose suitable products, and adapt your characters to various merchandising formats like backpacks, notebooks, and stationery.
The course includes fanart exercises and style references like anime and retro cartoons, helping you expand your technical and creative skills while developing your own style.
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
這課程令我對插畫業界多了認識，豐富了我的知識，能令人有一個好的起步及方向
Corso davvero interessante! Ben spiegato e che apre a tante nuove possibilità creative! Grazie!
Me encanta! Muy profesional, bien explicado. Inspirador!
Vania Bachur es una grande referencia para los que queremos vivir de nuestras ilustraciones :)
Highly recommended for those looking to monetize their art.