Portrait Illustration with Analog and Digital Techniques

Beautiful images that empower women are at the heart of Amy Pearson’s work. Throughout her career, the artist has developed a unique technique for creating incredibly realistic portraits that capture the power and strength of the women she illustrates.

In this course, Amy teaches you how to make captivating portraits that combine a variety of analog and digital techniques. Guiding you from initial sketch to finished work, discover how the blend of handmade pencil drawing, watercolor painting, and Adobe Photoshop has the ability to create stunning images full of color and character.

Start your course by getting to know a bit about Amy and how she made the jump from fashion design to illustration. See some of the clients she’s worked with throughout the years and learn about how she uses Instagram to showcase and sell her work.

Amy introduces you to the different materials you need to create your final project. She shows you where to find inspiration and some of her favorite online sources for reference images. Using Photoshop, prepare your selected reference photo by adjusting levels and start learning some basic watercolor techniques that will help bring your portrait to life.

Next, discover the basics of a great composition by preparing a rough collage of your final illustration in Photoshop. After printing out the image layout, Amy shows you how to use a lightbox for sketching the outline of your portrait before offering some tips on developing your final sketch.

Start creating the decorative elements that will make your illustration stand out and learn how to import your drawings into Photoshop. Using some basic tools, create layers to add color and texture to your project. Begin adding backgrounds and learn some of Amy’s tricks for adding depth to your work.

Finally, get some recommendations on printing your art using Giclée printing, the ideal method for reproducing work with exceptional amounts of detail. Wrap things up by getting some ideas on how to hand finish your final print, including paint, embroidery, and metal leaf techniques.

Create a hand-rendered portrait by combining analog and digital techniques, including pencil, watercolor, and Photoshop.

This course is for artists, illustrators, or anyone with an interest in creating portraits that combine traditional and modern techniques.

No previous experience is necessary, but basic drawing and Photoshop skills are nice to have.

Necessary materials include a mechanical pencil, an eraser, mixed media paper, watercolor paints and brushes, a lightbox or a ruler, tracing paper, a printer, a scanner or camera, a graphics tablet, and a computer with Adobe Photoshop installed.