Illustration for Picture Books: Combine Digital and Analog Techniques
A course by Maguma, Illustrator and Designer
![prensa [El País]. Design, and Traditional illustration project by Maguma - 01.11.2013](https://imgproxy.domestika.org/unsafe/s:109:109/dpr:1/rs:fill/ex:true/el:true/plain/src://project-covers/000/067/793/67793-original-93028-original-Memorias.divididas_MArcosGUardiola.jpg?1357897429)
Create the cover of an illustrated book using analog techniques like watercolors or India ink and Photoshop
According to illustrator and designer Maguma, a book cover is a window that gives us a glimpse of the world held within its pages. What we say with the cover and how we say it is a crucial part of the book as a whole. Captivate your readers and prompt them to discover the rest of the story with nothing more than an image.
In this course, learn how to create an illustration using analog techniques, like watercolors and India ink, and enhance your art with digital tools like Photoshop. Your project will be the cover of a picturebook and the starting point for creating powerful illustrations with your own style.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 25 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (45)
- 878 students
- 16 lessons (2h 54m)
- 25 additional resources (12 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Illustrate the cover of a picturebook by combining digital and analog techniques.
Who is this online course for?
Anyone who enjoys illustrating by hand and wants to discover how to combine analog techniques with digital tools to take their illustrations to the next level.
Requirements and materials
No illustration experience is needed to take this course, but some basic knowledge of Photoshop is recommended.
As for the materials, you need India ink, watercolors, graphite and colored pencils, a computer with Photoshop, a light table, and a scanner.
Reviews
Maguma
A course by Maguma
Maguma is an architect by trade with a passion for drawing. He began working in illustration by collaborating with El País newspaper where he was a regular contributor. Since then, his illustrations have been published by major media outlets including Courrier International, Forbes, and Yorokobu.
His books have also seen widespread distribution by publishers like Fondo de Cultura Económica, Editorial Milrazones, Editorial Limonero, A buen paso, Editorial Amanuta, Gallucci Editore, Boitempo, Tara Books, and Libros del Zorro Rojo.
Maguma's work has earned him a long list of awards including first prize at the 2019 Babalunga International Contest, promoted by the Babakamo festival, and the Latin American Illustration 7 Award. His picture book El sueño de Pandora also earned honorary mention at the 4th edition of the International Compostela Awards.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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U2
First steps
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The journey of Illustrating an album with four colors
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Images that communicate
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Materials
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My cover and some references
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U3
Starting to draw
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Expressive sketches
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Concept sketches
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Cover Layout
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U4
Analog stains
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From lithography to risography
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Working with matter
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From analog to digital
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U5
Finishing the cover
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The digital stain
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Digital collage 1
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Digital collage 2
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Preparing the file for printing
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FP
Final project
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Illustration for Picture Books: Combine Digital and Analog Techniques
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at 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
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Certificates
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Get front-row seats
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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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FAQs
You’ll learn how to blend analog and digital techniques, design striking picture book covers, prepare files for printing, and explore the interplay between image and text in visual storytelling.
Yes, the course is aimed at people with an intermediate level who already have basic illustration skills and want to deepen their knowledge of mixed techniques and publishing processes.
You’ll need traditional materials like watercolors, ink, brushes, special paper, plus digital tools such as a computer with Photoshop and access to a scanner.
Basic Photoshop skills are recommended since exercises involve layer masks, ink separation, and digital adjustments.
You’ll learn to create stains, textures, and sketches by hand, digitize them, edit in Photoshop, and assemble final compositions ready for professional printing.
Yes, the course covers file preparation including ink separation, resolution adjustments, and formats suitable for offset, screen printing, and risograph.
Yes, you’ll develop everything from researching references and sketching to the final assembly of illustrated covers and storyboards for complex visual narratives.
Adobe Photoshop
buen curso
Muito bom curso!
Love the course so much and the Artist is so creative
I'm only part way through the course and I had to come here and leave a review. This teacher is very inspiring and has a way of opening your mind to see things differently. I think seeing is the secret to drawing and he makes you see. If you want to illustrate kid's books, you need this course.
Normalmente trabajo usando técnicas tradicionales que luego coloreo en digital, pero usaba una técnica muy complicada. En este curso he aprendido cómo mejorar la calidad de mis ilustraciones de una forma mucho más facil. Muchas gracias.