Naturalist Illustration Techniques: Whales in Watercolor

Naturalist Illustration Techniques: Whales in Watercolor

“You have reached the end of the course! Thanks for joining it. It’s been such a pleasure. I hope you have learned a lot and, of course, have so much fun. Now you are ready to make your final project: A fully rendered illustration of a whale done in watercolor! Do you have any idea of what kind of whale interests you? Meanwhile, you think and decide, let me show you an example of how I would love to see your final project: The Research Ideally, you'll want to start by researching species that could be found close to you or spark up your interest. If you don't live near the ocean, you might want to take this as an opportunity to feel closer to it… and who knows, maybe a wish put on paper might eventually become a reality.

The Protagonist Decide what whale will be the protagonist of your illustration, gather up as many sources of visual references as possible. Remember to include full-body images, so you get an understanding of the overall shapes and proportions; close-ups of details, color palette references, and any other reference that may inspire the overall composition; a movie, a textile pattern, or even a book. The Sketch Begin by sketching out the overall shape of your whale. Once the shapes and proportions are right, and you have a rough idea of the light and shadow scheme and general color areas, you can trace and transfer your drawing onto your watercolor paper, so it works as an outline for you to color in. The Painting Start painting with light washes, and only move on to darker shades and tones once you feel confident in the process. Remember to play around a little bit with water and pigment as well. You might start our illustrations with a plan, but who knows what watercolor has to offer in return, right? The Details Finishing touches will be responsible for giving character and interest to your image, so give yourself time to dwell in the details of your whale: face, fins, calluses, etc. Remember, the illustrations I did as examples along this course are here for you to learn and decipher every last bit of technique, but I highly encourage you not to reproduce exact copies of my work. Instead, give it a try and create your own images from scratch, beginning with your own personal gatherings of visual references that will surely make your designs unique! Please consider that drawing and watercolor techniques could be important, but what really matters and makes your illustrations more powerful is when something valuable as a story or maybe some personal motives are standing behind them and holding them together. Narrative and emotion could be more powerful than you can imagine! I can’t wait to look at your process and read about your experiences with whales and dreams about the ocean. But, please, do not just share some images; I truly want to know the stories behind your illustrations. Throughout the forum, we’ll be in touch; feel free to share your illustrations and ideas and ask any questions about the creative or productive process. I'll be checking on it every few days and doing my best to give you feedback. See you around!”

Partial transcription of the video

“We have reached the end of the course and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have. You're now ready to make your final project, a fully rendered illustration of a whale done in watercolor. Can you think of a species of whale that really interests you? Ideally, you want to start by doing some research on species that are found close to you. If you don't live near the ocean, you might want to take this as an opportunity to feel closer to it. And who knows, maybe a wish put on paper might eventually come a reality. In this course, we have learned a lot about drawing and watercolor techniques. ...”

This transcript is automatically generated, so it may contain mistakes.

Course summary for: Naturalist Illustration Techniques: Whales in Watercolor

• Level: Beginner
• 99% positive reviews (397)
• 14922 students
• 5 units
• 18 lessons (3h 14m)
• 8 downloads

• Category

  Illustration

• Software

  Adobe Photoshop

• Areas

  Fine Arts, Naturalistic Illustration, Painting, Watercolor Painting