Digital Painting for 2D Illustration
A course by Matt Sanz , Visual Development Artist
Learn how to create conceptual story-driven illustrations for video games and animation
From a very young age, Matt Sanz has always been the creative of the group, whether drawing the latest anime character or illustrating a colorful dragon for a friend. His experience led him to pursue his dream of becoming a digital artist, working with brands and animation studios like BOB, Friday Sundae, IGG, and Amazon Games to create video games and other interactive work.
Today, Matt is a visual development artist, receiving design briefs and helping creative ideas go from concept to completion. In this course, learn the fundamentals for producing a story-driven concept that can be developed into an animation or video game. Discover Matt’s tricks and tips for using balanced compositions and bold color palettes to create stylized visual art that brings imaginary worlds to life.
What will you learn in this online course?
23 lessons & 12 downloads
- 98% positive reviews (203)
- 5,635 students
- 23 lessons (4h 37m)
- 12 additional resources (5 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Create a story-driven illustration, from the brief and first sketches to painting it digitally.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in 2D illustration or digital illustration in general, especially if they hope to form part of a visual development team.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, some basic skills in Photoshop or another digital painting software is nice to have. Also, an interest in 2D art or visual development of any kind.
Regarding materials, you will need a computer or tablet with Photoshop or another software for digital drawing and painting.
Reviews
Matt Sanz
A course by Matt Sanz
Matt Sanz is a visual development artist specializing in video games and animation. Based in the UK, his freelance work as a 2D artist and creative director has led him to develop unique visual concepts for a wide range of clients, including BOB, Friday Sundae, IGG, Amazon Games, and more.
Matt graduated with a degree in Game Design and accepted a position as Lead Concept Artist for a studio in China shortly after, opening up a wide range of international opportunities. You can find Matt’s work online and at Artstation.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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What Will We Do on This Course?
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U2
Preparation and Defining the Goal
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Tools and Set up within Photoshop
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Colour Keys, Importance and Understanding
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Inspiration and Structuring Your References Boards
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U3
Rendering Our Design 1
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The Thumbnail - Idea Exploration 1
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The Thumbnail - Idea Exploration 2
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The Thumbnail - Idea Exploration 3
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The Thumbnail - Idea Exploration 4
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Colour Key Development 1
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Colour Key Development 2
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Clean-up Sketch 1
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Clean-up Sketch 2
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U4
Rendering Our Design 2
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Block-Out the Flats, Define the Shapes
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Establish the Shadow and Light 1
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Establish the Shadow and Light 2
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Render, Understanding the Materials 1
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Render, Understanding the Materials 2
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Render, Understanding the Materials 3
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Render, Understanding the Materials 4
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U5
Clean up, Details and Post-production
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Post-processing Elements, Clean up and Balancing
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Promoting Your Work, Professional Layout
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FP
Final project
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Digital Painting for 2D Illustration
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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
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate artists who have some experience in digital painting and want to enhance their skills in Photoshop, visual development, and concept art techniques.
You’ll need a computer with Adobe Photoshop installed, a drawing tablet, and basic familiarity with digital painting tools. Prior experience with Photoshop basics is recommended for following along with the lessons.
You’ll learn how to set up an efficient Photoshop workspace, create custom brushes, develop thumbnails, use references, apply color theory, render lighting, and craft professional 2D concept art for games and animation.
Yes, the course includes step-by-step guidance for creating and using custom Photoshop brushes to achieve specific effects and streamline your workflow.
You’ll learn how to collect, structure, and categorize reference images into boards to inspire designs and ensure technical accuracy in your artwork.
Yes, the course teaches techniques for designing stylized game characters, creating hand-painted backgrounds, and achieving animation-inspired aesthetics.
Absolutely. You’ll master Photoshop shortcuts, workspace setup, and efficient panel organization to boost productivity in your digital painting workflow.
Adobe Photoshop
Este curso viene de maravilla, es muy claro en los conceptos!
I admire Matt's Color and light theory in his visual storytellings. I feel its worth to follow his step by step instructions while creating a storyboard or concept art or visual development art
Adoré cada parte del trabajo, y sobre todo, aprendiendo a disfrutar del proceso.
a really great course
Muy bueno