Digital Painting for 2D Illustration
A course by Matt SanzVisual Development Artist
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
What Will We Do on This Course?
1 minute, 10 seconds
Tools and Set up within Photoshop
9 minutes, 52 seconds
Colour Keys, Importance and Understanding
6 minutes, 47 seconds
Inspiration and Structuring Your References Boards
10 minutes, 19 seconds
The Thumbnail - Idea Exploration 1
12 minutes, 54 seconds
The Thumbnail - Idea Exploration 2
13 minutes, 43 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start your course by getting to know your teacher, visual development artist Matt Sanz. He explains the artists and influences that have inspired him over the years and gives you a quick overview of what will be taught throughout this course.
In the next unit, Matt goes through his Photoshop setup and explains some of his favorite shortcuts. Learn to define the objective of your final image by understanding what a color key is and how it can be used to create impactful personal and professional projects. Then, create a reference board based on the subject you’ve chosen for your final project.
Now it’s time to explore your idea using the techniques laid out by Matt. Start drawing thumbnails and practice some fundamentals of composition, including the rule of thirds, the golden ratio, pyramid composition, and visual balance. Learn to develop color keys and make digital retouches to your image.
Learn how to block out the flats and define the shapes, two foundational steps that help define the major elements of an illustration and prepare it for the painting stage. See how to apply simple light and shadow layers to the painting as a way to analyze their values. Then, start rendering your image and adding color that accurately represents the light and shadows.
To wrap things up, discover Matt’s tricks for post-processing images, including tips for balancing color throughout the image. Learn how to maximize the quality of your image and see some easy-to-apply techniques for displaying and sharing your work online.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What 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
- 6 months ago
Este curso viene de maravilla, es muy claro en los conceptos!
- 7 months ago
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
- 10 months ago
Adoré cada parte del trabajo, y sobre todo, aprendiendo a disfrutar del proceso.
- 10 months ago
a really great course
- 11 months ago
Muy bueno
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
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- What Will We Do on This Course?
- U2
Preparation and Defining the Goal
- Tools and Set up within Photoshop
- Colour Keys, Importance and Understanding
- Inspiration and Structuring Your References Boards
- U3
Rendering Our Design 1
- The Thumbnail - Idea Exploration 1
- The Thumbnail - Idea Exploration 2
- The Thumbnail - Idea Exploration 3
- The Thumbnail - Idea Exploration 4
- Colour Key Development 1
- Colour Key Development 2
- Clean-up Sketch 1
- Clean-up Sketch 2
- U4
Rendering Our Design 2
- Block-Out the Flats, Define the Shapes
- Establish the Shadow and Light 1
- Establish the Shadow and Light 2
- Render, Understanding the Materials 1
- Render, Understanding the Materials 2
- Render, Understanding the Materials 3
- Render, Understanding the Materials 4
- U5
Clean up, Details and Post-production
- Post-processing Elements, Clean up and Balancing
- Promoting Your Work, Professional Layout
- FP
Final project
- Digital Painting for 2D 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
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.