Illustrated Children's Stories: Characters and Settings
A course by Giovana MedeirosIllustrator
A course by Giovana Medeiros, Illustrator
Learn how to adapt the illustration of a classic story, from sketch to digital finish
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.
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 29 downloads
What will we do in the course?
2 minutes, 48 seconds
Necessary materials
2 minutes, 59 seconds
Pointing and drawing visual references
8 minutes, 40 seconds
Mood board
9 minutes, 49 seconds
Thumbnails
17 minutes, 30 seconds
Thinking about human characters
10 minutes, 58 seconds
What's included in this course?
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 this online course 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.
Requirements and materials
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
- 9 days ago
O curso de Giovana é maravilhoso. A forma que ela explica e demonstra traz muito conhecimento e inspiração. Já estou aplicando em meu trabalho.
- 9 months ago
excelente, muito abrangente, detalhado e cativante. òtima professora
- 1 year ago
Mi sono divertita davvero seguendo il corso di Giovana Madeiros. A parte che ha del talento artistico, è anche preparata e ben organizzata nel suo lavoro. Il risultato è davvero ottimo, professionale. Ho imparato molto e il corso mi ha dato tanta soddisfazione. Lo raccomando vivamente.
- 2 years ago
Me encantó!
- 2 years ago
I highly recommend this course to beginners. Very informative. It was so much fun in watching Giovana to demonstrate.
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.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- What will we do in the course?
- U2
Knowing our tale
- Necessary materials
- Pointing and drawing visual references
- Mood board
- U3
Drafts and more drafts
- Thumbnails
- Thinking about human characters
- Thinking about animal characters
- Thinking about the scenario
- U4
Final compositions
- Joining drafts
- Thinking about colors
- Drawing in Photoshop
- Creating gouache texture
- U5
Finishing in Adobe Photoshop
- Applying textures and final details 1
- Applying textures and final details 2
- Applying textures and final details 3
- Customer delivery and market tips
- FP
Final project
- Illustrated Children's Stories: Characters and Settings
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.
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FAQs
The course is designed for people with intermediate illustration skills, ideal for those who already have basic drawing knowledge and want to deepen their techniques in print design, children's illustration, and digital processes.
You will need white paper, gouache paints, brushes, a scanner or camera for digitizing, plus access to Photoshop or Procreate and a graphics tablet or iPad with a stylus.
You will learn how to create characters, explore both traditional and digital techniques, develop a portfolio, integrate handmade and digital textures, adapt stories for illustrated projects, and craft professional compositions for the publishing market.
The course shows you how to create gouache textures, digitize them, and integrate them in Photoshop, as well as how to combine manual and digital processes in original, professional compositions.
Basic knowledge of Photoshop or Procreate is recommended since part of the course uses these tools for editing, digital painting, and project finishing.
Yes, the course teaches strategies for creating and organizing a personal illustration portfolio aimed at the publishing market and exhibitions.
Yes, there are specific modules on children's illustration, developing diverse characters, and adapting visual narratives for books and games.