Illustrated Children's Stories: Characters and Settings
A course by Giovana Medeiros
, Illustrator
Learn how to adapt the illustration of a classic story, from sketch to digital finish
- Portuguese with subtitles in English
- 100% Positive reviews (34)
- 783 students

Learn how to adapt the illustration of a classic story, from sketch to digital finish
- 100% Positive reviews (34)
- 783 students
- Online and at your own pace
- Audio: Portuguese
- Level: Beginner
- 18 Lessons (3h 31m)
- Available from the app
- Portuguese, Spanish, English, German, French, Italian
- Unlimited access forever
Get ready to see the world through your imagination's magic lens. This is an invitation for you to reinterpret stories, follow your ideas, and discover your path in children's book illustration. Giovana Medeiros, an illustrator of stories ranging from everyday life to fantasy who has worked for clients such as Chronicle Books and Harper & Collins, will be your guide in this adventure.
In this course, learn the whole process of creating your own illustrated story, adapted from a classic tale. Giovana shows you the steps and secrets to complete the first pages of a children's picturebook, combining manual drawing techniques and digital editing.

About this course
Course table of contents
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U1U1. Introduction
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U2U2. Knowing our tale
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U3U3. Drafts and more drafts
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U4U4. Final compositions
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U5U5. Finishing in Adobe Photoshop
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FPFP Final Project
Start by meeting Giovana Medeiros, who tells you about her career as an illustrator, the artists who influence her, and the work you will develop in the course.
In the second unit, start by reviewing the materials you will use for your project. Study the chosen classic tale and make the first sketches to use them as visual references. Giovana also shows you how to set up a mood board to gather all your inspirations in one place.
Give shape to your drawings, starting with composition studies for your miniatures. First, sketch the characters and animals and then, the rest of the elements that make up the scene.
Next, scan three possible compositions, choosing one of them to do the color study in Procreate. Learn how to create textures with gouache paint to scan them and use them separately in Photoshop, thus facilitating your final edit.
In the last unit of the course, see how to finish the file of your project, combining the textures created by hand with gouache, brush textures, and line details in Photoshop. Finally, Giovana tells you how to deliver your work to clients and gives you some tips on the industry and the use of social media so you can successfully promote your project.
What is this course's project?
Make three composition studies with characters and scenes from a classic story of your choice, and a finished illustration in Photoshop with manually-made textures using gouache paint.

Projects by course students
Who is it for?
Anyone interested in illustration and creative processes, illustrators who want to work in the children's sector, and people looking to learn new Photoshop techniques.
What you need
To take this course, you’ll need basics drawing knowledge.
As for the materials, you will need gouache paint and other materials of your choice for manual drawing. To digitize your creations, you will need a computer with Adobe Photoshop, a graphics tablet, and a scanner. It is recommended to have an iPad with Procreate installed, but it’s not mandatory.

Reviews

A course by Giovana Medeiros
Graduated in Illustration from the BCFE School in Dublin, Brazilian illustrator Giovana Medeiros combines digital and manual techniques with gouache, watercolor, and collage. Her work is inspired by children's stories and fantasy, everyday scenes, nature, and fashion.
Throughout her career, her work has been seen in magazines, advertising campaigns, games, and as prints. However, the publishing world has always felt most at home. Some of Giovana’s clients include Chronicle Books, Harper & Collins, Cottage Press, Zara, FTD, Itaú, My Taxi, Oxford University Press, Auzou Editions, Hallmark, Usborne, Charlesbridge, and Bloomsbury.
Contents
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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
Knowing our tale
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Necessary materials
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Pointing and drawing visual references
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Mood board
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U3
Drafts and more drafts
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Thumbnails
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Thinking about human characters
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Thinking about animal characters
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Thinking about the scenario
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U4
Final compositions
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Joining drafts
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Thinking about colors
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Drawing in Photoshop
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Creating gouache texture
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U5
Finishing in Adobe Photoshop
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Applying textures and final details 1
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Applying textures and final details 2
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Applying textures and final details 3
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Customer delivery and market tips
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FP
Final Project
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Illustrated Children's Stories: Characters and Settings
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What are Domestika's online courses?
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need for completing a specific final project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the instructor and other users, thus creating a dynamic course community.
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alpaucar
I really liked this class! It breaks down each step concisely and lightly, making the process enjoyable and accessible. Obrigada, Giovana! :)
nataliaaveras
Great! Very useful for people who want to start working on photoshop.
basia2005
Great teacher, really fun and informative class. I enjoyed this course very much and repeat it many times with great interest.. I will take all courses by Giovana Medeiros.
warta
Assolutamente fantastico!! Consigliato per tutti i bei consigli !!
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ramonadavey
Giovana was a fantastic tutor - so comprehensive and detailed at each stage of the course - I thoroughly enjoyed each unit watching her create her own amazing artwork for us to learn from. Thank you!