Illustration of Stylish Female Characters in Photoshop
A course by Joana NevesIllustrator and concept artist
A course by Joana Neves, Illustrator and concept artist
Learn how to create characters full of personality using digital drawing techniques
Digital illustration offers endless possibilities when drawing the human figure, and Adobe Photoshop is the tool that really lets your imagination soar. Alongside concept artist Joana Neves, who has collaborated with big names like Netflix, Disney, Google, Amazon, and The Washington Post, discover how to push the limits of shape, work with vibrant colors, and condense as much expression as possible into one single image.
In this course, learn to design two female characters and compose a digital illustration in Photoshop. Joana teaches you techniques to train your artistic eye and create dynamic human figures full of character and style.
What will you learn in this online course?
14 lessons & 23 downloads
References
10 minutes, 28 seconds
Anatomy
9 minutes, 37 seconds
Movement
15 minutes, 40 seconds
Form simplification: people
17 minutes, 1 second
Shape simplification: objects
8 minutes, 9 seconds
character sketch
20 minutes, 29 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start the course by getting to know your teacher, Joana Neves. She talks about her career as an illustrator and concept artist as well as what sparked her interest in fashion and all things concerning women. She also shares the artwork and artists that have most influenced her work.
Learn how to find references and create a mood board to help you hone in on the final design. Then, explore basic notions of human anatomy, proportion, and how the body moves. To help you create visually stimulating designs, Joana explains how to simplify complex shapes for both people and objects using photos.
Now it's time to get to work! Begin with the initial sketches of your characters in Photoshop with the help of your teacher. Joana guides you through the process step by step until you are happy with your composition before teaching you basic color theory so you can make your characters and their surroundings truly spring to life.
Wrap things up by adding digital textures and the finishing touches to really make your piece pop. Joana leaves you with some final tips on how to export your file and share it with the world on social media.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Create two stylish female characters that exude personality and dynamism using digital illustration techniques in Photoshop.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Illustrators, designers, and anyone interested in creating female characters from scratch.
Requirements and materials
Basic knowledge of anatomy and digital design is required for this course.
In terms of materials, all you need is a pencil and paper for the first stages of the project, then a computer with access to Adobe Photoshop. A graphics tablet for illustrating would also be useful, although not essential.
Reviews
- 2 years ago
i love this course so much
- 2 years ago
:)
- 4 years ago
Buen curso
- 4 years ago
:D
- 4 years ago
La parte de Photoshop está muy mal explicada, si es que podemos decir que está explicada de alguna forma. No entendí nada de lo que hizo desde que abrió el programa. La profesora habló de capas como si quienes miran el curso fueran expertos en el programa. No lo recomiendo para principiantes, es un curso para expertos en técnicas digitales.
She has taken part in both individual and group exhibitions across Europe and the United States and collaborated with names like Netflix, Disney, Google, Amazon, The Washington Post, Boom! Studios, NYU Game Center, Storythings, Blazing Griffin, and more.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
think with the design
- References
- Anatomy
- Movement
- Form simplification: people
- Shape simplification: objects
- U3
Image creation
- character sketch
- Final composition
- Color
- painting the sketch
- U4
Finalization
- texture application
- Finishing the details
- Sharing our work
- FP
Final project
- X illustration of characters
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
The course is intermediate level, recommended for those who already have basic drawing or digital illustration skills and want to improve their character creation and stylized illustration techniques.
You will need a computer with Photoshop installed or similar digital painting software. A graphics tablet is recommended, along with internet access for researching references.
You will learn how to create dynamic characters, stylize shapes, apply fashion and visual storytelling concepts, explore proportions, color, composition, and finish professional digital illustrations.
The course covers everything from researching references, creating moodboards, anatomical sketching, and simplifying shapes to digital finishing, focusing on expressive design and visual identity.
Basic anatomy knowledge is important because the course explores proportions, anatomical landmarks, and building dynamic poses, but it also offers simplification methods to make the process easier.
Yes, you will learn how to research and incorporate historical references like 1980s fashion into character design, exploring elements such as shoulder pads and bold silhouettes.
Yes, the course covers practical Photoshop techniques including layer use, color adjustments, texture, file organization, and professional illustration finishing.