Narrative Illustration: Tell a Story without Words
A course by Enrique TorralbaIllustrator Specialized in Literature for Children and Young Adults
A course by Enrique Torralba, Illustrator Specialized in Literature for Children and Young Adults
Discover the power of visual narratives by creating images filled with meaning and detail
A visual narrative is one that is voiced so loud and clear it needs no words. This is the definition according to Enrique Torralba, an illustrator specializing in children's and young adult literature who has worked with publishers like SM, Alfaguara, and Edelvives. Join Enrique and create illustrations steeped in narrative detail.
In this course, learn how to structure a short story in concise images expressing concepts through visual metaphors. Use the techniques you learn to create new worlds and illustrate situations with powerful narrative force.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 25 downloads
What Will We Do In This Course?
3 minutes, 41 seconds
Materials
10 minutes, 51 seconds
Narrative In Silence: Get Down to Earth, Get Your Feet Wet, But All in Silence
8 minutes, 59 seconds
Release Your Hand and Heat the Information
10 minutes, 25 seconds
The Trigger: Looking For the Best Pretext
4 minutes, 59 seconds
Narrative In Form: Structured Discourse
9 minutes, 2 seconds
What's included in this course?
Enrique starts the course by telling you about his experience over the past 30 years as an illustrator. He gives you a tour of his illustrated universe and shows you what inspires his work.
Next, explore the concept of a visual narrative and what's involved. Discover the power of a well-trained imagination and do some practice exercises to loosen up your hand and stimulate your creativity.
In the next unit, uncover the secret to narrative triggers. Enrique gives you some tips on how to find the right trigger for your story while exploring the concepts you want to express in your illustration. Next, analyze several basic formulas to help you structure your narration. Learn how to cultivate your story with visual metaphors and use rhetorical devices to build different layers of interpretation.
Finally, take an in-depth look at each step of the creation process from first sketches to the final illustration. Experiment with the gouache technique and add colors and other details to your work. To end the course, assemble your illustrations by hand in an illustrated fold-out format.
What is this course's project?
Create a short narrative sequence in an illustrated fold-out format following each step of the creative process from concept to finished project.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in fictional narrative illustration.
Requirements and materials
You only need basic notions of drawing and to be willing to explore subjects you're unfamiliar with.
The materials include Post-it notes, dual-colored pencils, HB pencils, parchment paper, scissors, tape, and thick card stock. You may also need some extra materials depending on the design of your final project. If you decide to follow the teacher's method, you also need gouache paint in different colors and both flat and round brushes.
Reviews
- 2 months ago
Excelente curso. Mucha xperiencia mucho aprendizaje
- 3 months ago
Good course, i recommend
- 3 months ago
Me encanta el trabajo de este profesor, muy bueno, inspirador, y las imágenes sin texto me apasionan, me hacen pensar.
- 5 months ago
Creía que estaría un poco más enfocado en la técnica del gouache. Lo veo un curso más teórico que práctico, muy centrado en la narrativa. Pero incluso cuando se mete en el gouache, es poco práctico. Trata sobre la historia del gouache y dos lecciones para decir como crear gouache en casa...algo que yo no tengo intención de hacer, aunque sea curioso. Pero muy muy poco sobre pintar con gouache. Lo siento descompensado.
- 10 months ago
Es un bon curs, Enrique Torralba explica be i les idees son bones . Gracies
He has been selected to represent Mexico twice alongside other Mexican illustrators, at the 2009 Salón del libro in Paris and the 2010 Salón del libro in Quebec. He is also a founding member of Ilustradero and the Mexican Illustrators' Association.
Content
- U1
The Beginning Of the Road
- Presentation
- Those Who Marked My Path
- What Will We Do In This Course?
- U2
The Creative Adventure
- Materials
- Narrative In Silence: Get Down to Earth, Get Your Feet Wet, But All in Silence
- Release Your Hand and Heat the Information
- U3
Silent Narrative: Foreshortenings and Hidden Treasures
- The Trigger: Looking For the Best Pretext
- Narrative In Form: Structured Discourse
- The Potentiated Narrative: How to Hide the Treasure?
- U4
The End of the Road and Its Forks
- Sketch and Process: Traveling Companions to the End of the Adventure
- The Gouache: What the Recipe Says Of the Ingredients and Seasoning 1
- The Gouache: What the Recipe Says Of the Ingredients and Seasoning 2
- The Final Touch: The Illustrated Plating 1
- The Final Touch: The Illustrated Plating 2
- The Illustrated Foldable: The Treasure Chest Opens Before Our Eyes
- FP
Final project
- Narrative Illustration: Tell a Story without Words
What to expect from a Domestika course
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to structure visual stories without words, using sketching techniques, gouache, and visual rhetorical devices to create illustrated foldouts and coherent sequential narratives.
The course is aimed at intermediate level. It’s recommended to have basic drawing and composition skills before starting.
You’ll need good quality paper, pencils, erasers, brushes, gouache, a palette, a cutting board, and simple bookbinding materials.
The course covers preparation, color mixing, application, differences between traditional gouache and Acryl Wash, plus tips for professional finishes.
You’ll learn how to organize illustrated sequences using setup, development, and resolution, employing visual tools and composition to tell stories without words.
You’ll do warm-up exercises, continuous line drawing, spotting figures in stains, and word association games to spark creativity.
It’s not required, but familiarity with painting materials is recommended. The course includes an introduction and hands-on practice with gouache.