Hand-Drawn Illustration with Layers, Colors, and Shapes
A course by Ricardo PireccoIllustrator, Artist, and Graphic Designer
A course by Ricardo Pirecco, Illustrator, Artist, and Graphic Designer
Create a visual story by combining different techniques and elements, from initial concept to the final artwork
Expressing feelings through imagery to create narratives brimming with color is one of the defining characteristics of artist Ricardo Pirecco's work. After having worked for brands like Havaianas, Renner, and Itaú, in this online course he shows you how to have fun illustrating with some simple methods.
Ricardo guides you on a journey to create your own visual narratives using both drawing and painting. Discover techniques for layering as well as combining colors, shapes, and other elements, from the first outlines to the finished artwork.
What will you learn in this online course?
13 lessons & 17 downloads
Necessary materials
3 minutes, 10 seconds
Definition of the theme and graphic style
6 minutes, 59 seconds
Sketches in the sketchbook
13 minutes, 10 seconds
Color palette
12 minutes, 25 seconds
Project drawing
9 minutes, 35 seconds
First coat of paint: background colors
12 minutes, 6 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start by getting to know a little bit about Ricardo Pirecco and his career in the world of illustration and design, as he shares some of his most noteworthy projects and main influences.
Dive right in seeing how to explore your materials to their fullest and define a theme and graphic style to use as a reference for your piece. Then do some doodles in your sketchbook and decide on a fun and playful color scheme.
Now it's time to bring your piece to life! Do your drawing in pencil before adding colors using acrylic paint. Next, learn to fill in your composition and add details with permanent markers. Ricardo also shows you how to apply new layers of paint and create exciting textures using oil pastels.
To bring the journey to an end, put the finishing touches on your illustration and see how to compile a photographic record of your work to share with the world on creative platforms as well as social media.
What is this course's project?
Create a composition, based on the concept of family, by combining illustration and painting on paper.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in painting and drawing as well as art lovers in general looking for new forms of expression, techniques, or tools for visual storytelling.
Requirements and materials
You don't need any previous drawing or painting experience to take this course.
In terms of materials, you need pencils, a sketchbook, permanent markers, acrylic paints in a variety of colors, paintbrushes, oil pastels, masking tape, and a fixative spray.
Reviews
- 6 months ago
Claro e objetivo.
- 7 months ago
Muito bom, acessível, e sem pressão
- maura_bozemanPLUS8 months ago
Great course! Pirecco explains the different aspects and helps you learn to pull things together and make it pop with colors. I haven't used oil pastels before and bought some to try out. Really cool!
- medgoretiPLUS2 years ago
O curso do Pirecco é bem explicado, sem contar a paciência e tranquilidade que ele passa, fiquei motivada pois voltei à desenhar depois de um tempo parada, gostei muito do curso, quero continuar e melhorar meus traços e técnicas. Obrigada.
- xeniamonellsPLUS2 years ago
Me ha encantado la forma en la que explica todo!
He currently works as creative director and illustrator at Estúdio Pirecco, where he develops creative projects and illustrations for different brands, advertising agencies, publications, as well as private commissions. He also gives classes and lectures at schools, colleges, and companies.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- My Influences
- U2
Planning
- Necessary materials
- Definition of the theme and graphic style
- Sketches in the sketchbook
- Color palette
- U3
Design illustration
- Project drawing
- First coat of paint: background colors
- Second layer of paint: details
- Lines and more details
- Last details and finalization
- U4
Finalization and disclosure
- Photographic registration and image adjustments
- Dissemination and sharing of your work
- FP
Final project
- Hand-Drawn Illustration with Layers, Colors, and Shapes
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
This is an intermediate-level course, perfect for those who already have basic drawing skills and want to deepen their techniques in manual illustration, composition, and painting on various surfaces.
You’ll need watercolor paper, acrylic and watercolor paints, pencils, mechanical pencils, a variety of brushes, Posca pens, a ruler, a sketchbook, and pastel chalks. Basic digital tools for image editing are also recommended.
You’ll learn creative processes, how to build mood boards, research and organize references, acrylic and watercolor techniques, visual storytelling, composition, sketchbook documentation, and how to complete both personal and commercial art projects.
Basic drawing knowledge is recommended since the course focuses on advancing techniques and developing more complex projects, including observation, composition, and manual painting.
Yes, there are specific modules on children’s illustration, watercolor use, paper selection, and detailing techniques tailored for kids’ projects.
Yes, the course covers how to research, filter, and organize visual references, create folders, and build mood boards to support and inspire your illustration projects.
You’ll learn how to select and test color palettes, mix acrylic and watercolor paints, apply layers, and create color effects in your illustrations.