Principles of Digital Painting for Portraits
A course by Rodrigo Rivas (Ruiveran) , Illustrator and Concept Artist
Joined July 2020
Learn to master lighting, shadowing, and coloring techniques to bring your illustrations to life
Joined July 2020
Adding realism to digital painting by combining shape and depth can be a true challenge for an artist. Using different drawing techniques, Peruvian illustrator and concept artist Rodrigo Rivas creates lifelike compositions that are transformed into unique portraits.
In this course, Rodrigo guides you through all the concepts and tools you need to create a realistic digital illustration. Start by learning about the artistic concepts behind light and shadows and see how to use them to add volume and depth to your compositions. Explore your imagination and turn your ideas into reality.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 26 downloads
- 98% positive reviews (164)
- 4,630 students
- 15 lessons (2h 35m)
- 26 additional resources (12 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create a digital portrait based on references by combining different lighting, shadowing, and coloring techniques
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
New and experienced artists who would like to improve their digital painting and portrait painting techniques.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, a basic knowledge of Photoshop is needed. You also need to be curious and have the desire to learn and develop as an artist.
As for the materials, you will need a computer with Adobe Photoshop installed, as well as a graphics tablet.
Reviews
Rodrigo Rivas (Ruiveran)
A course by Rodrigo Rivas (Ruiveran)
Rodrigo Rivas is a digital illustrator and conceptual artist from Peru who is dedicated to creating characters and stories through painting. He has worked as an illustrator for advertising, editorials, storyboard animation, video games, and more.
In 2019, he was part of the campaign team for the Pan American Games in Lima and was a finalist for the 2019 National Comic Contest. Currently, he is a freelance illustrator who focuses on perfecting his techniques and sharing his personal projects on social media.
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 on the Course?
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U2
Basics of digital portraiture
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Basics: secrets to a good portrait
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Tonal values and colors
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Using brushes and shortcuts
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Painting the still life
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U3
To paint!
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The mood board
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The sketch
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Raising the light with grays
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Applying the color
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Polishing the image
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U4
Final adjustments
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Brightness and color dodge
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Adjustment Layers
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We export the image
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FP
Final project
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Principles of digital painting for portraits
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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
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FAQs
You’ll learn anatomy fundamentals, lighting and color theory, how to use digital tools like Photoshop, create volume and depth in portraits and illustrations, select references, develop color palettes, and finish your digital artwork professionally.
This is an intermediate-level course, perfect for those who already have basic drawing and digital skills and want to refine their portrait and digital illustration techniques.
You’ll need a graphics tablet, access to Photoshop (or similar software), and an internet connection. Having visual references and PureRef for organizing images is also recommended.
Yes, the course includes studies in anime style, concept art, and techniques for fantasy digital illustration, helping you develop your artistic identity and draw inspiration from popular genres.
You’ll learn how to interpret light sources, assign tonal values, map shadows, and create smooth transitions to achieve realistic volume in faces and figures.
The course covers limited color palettes, using the color wheel, blending modes like Color Dodge, adjustment layers, and color harmony to effectively apply color in backgrounds and portraits.
Yes, you’ll learn Photoshop shortcuts, brush techniques, polygonal lasso, airbrush, masks, adjustment layers, and advanced methods to streamline your workflow.
La verdad me sorprendió lo bueno que es este curso y lo mucho que pude aprender. muy bien explicado y al grano.
Sencillo, aprendes muchas cosas y mejoras mucho tus ilustraciones, muy recomendado!
Excelente demais! Recomendo para todos!
Buen curso.
Excelente manera de explicar, recomendado para seguir aprendiendo más técnicas de ilustraciones.