Introduction to Oil Paint Illustration
A course by David de las HerasPlastic Artist and Illustrator
A course by David de las Heras, Plastic Artist and Illustrator
Create a book cover using pictorial techniques
Illustrator and plastic artist David de las Heras has collaborated with different international magazines and publications, although his greatest contribution to the publishing world is in the form of book covers. With his illustrations, he dresses up the ideas hidden in those books, hinting wordlessly at what lies within its pages.
In this online course, he teaches you to use pictorial techniques and oil paints to create illustrations capable of transmitting an idea to the viewer, either for editorial use or any other graphic field.
What will you learn in this online course?
19 lessons & 14 downloads
Maps
5 minutes, 55 seconds
Prepare the backpack
8 minutes, 19 seconds
War and Peace I
15 minutes, 28 seconds
War and Peace II
5 minutes, 31 seconds
Sketches
5 minutes, 22 seconds
Preproduction
9 minutes, 50 seconds
What's included in this course?
David begins by talking to you about the formal importance of an image and walks you through a series of examples.
Through a simple exercise, learn to appreciate the importance of color when telling a story and how it helps guide the viewer's emotions. Using a sketch as a base, look for the idea to base the cover of your chosen book on.
Once you've decided on a concept, look for a reference image in digital format and capture it in Photoshop to be able to do a tracing. Next, get stuck into the layers of acrylic, before starting to paint with oil.
When your painting is finished, scan your illustration to add the finishing touches in Photoshop and finalize the layout. Your design is now ready for printing!
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Create the cover of a book using oil painting techniques.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Illustrators eager to learn techniques that open up new possibilities, and anyone with a taste for oil painting.
Requirements and materials
No prior knowledge of painting is necessary for this course, although notions of drawing are advised to successfully carry out the final project.
As for materials, you need paper, a pencil, charcoal, colored pencils, masking tape, brushes, acrylic paints, oil paints, a cloth, white spirit or solvent, Liquin, and a palette to mix the colors.
Reviews
- 1 month ago
excelente
- 1 year ago
bellissimo molto bello e divertente esperienza positiva
- alanatellezPLUS2 years ago
Se bota que es un gran pintor viendo sus otros trabajos, pero el curso no es tan bueno
- 2 years ago
Decisamente fantastico
- 3 years ago
Excelente curso, donde explica el paso a paso!!
His pictorial work has always tried to find interest in moments of conflicet related to the home and the feeling of belonging. Through his illustrations, he establishes a dialogue with the viewer and helps them understand the world around them. His work has been exhibited in countries such as Spain, Germany, and Portugal, as well as in collective exhibitions at La Casa Encendida and at the Matadero in Madrid.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
Prepare the trip
- Maps
- Prepare the backpack
- War and Peace I
- War and Peace II
- U3
To land
- Sketches
- Preproduction
- U4
Trip
- First steps, the drawing
- First layer of acrylic and beginning to tone I
- First layer of acrylic and beginning to tone II
- Construction with oil I
- Construction with oil II
- Construction with oil III
- Construction with oil IV
- Construction with oil V
- Construction with oil VI
- U5
The takeoff
- Face wash
- Cover ready for printing
- FP
Final project
- Editorial oil illustration
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
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to design pictorial covers from initial sketch to print, applying illustration techniques, composition, color theory, and digital editing, with a focus on portraits and visual metaphors for editorial and children’s books.
Yes, this course is designed for those with some background in illustration or painting who want to refine their skills and understand professional processes for editorial covers.
Basic drawing and painting experience is recommended since this is an intermediate course covering advanced techniques in portraiture, color, and composition.
You’ll need acrylics, oil paints, brushes, heavyweight paper, colored pencils, painter’s tape, a mixing palette, and access to a computer with Photoshop for the digital portion.
Yes, the course covers specific techniques for creating pictorial covers for both novels and children’s books, blending visual and symbolic elements appropriate to each genre.
You’ll explore triangular composition, color usage, fitting elements together, pigment mixing, texture creation, text integration, and digital editing in Photoshop.
The course teaches how to position and blend titles and other text into your composition, ensuring readability and visual harmony between the illustration and editorial elements.