Overcoming Creative Blocks: Form Ideas in a Sketchbook
A course by Raúl Nieto GuridiIllustrator, Author, and Designer
A course by Raúl Nieto Guridi, Illustrator, Author, and Designer
Discover strategies to develop your graphic identity by learning to draw with words and to write with pictures
Want to develop your own graphic identity to illustrate your ideas? Author, illustrator, and designer Raúl Guridi guides you on a journey to discover your own by teaching you the creation process and techniques for finding inspiration. He specializes in the field of children's literature and has published more than 70 books with translations in many countries across the globe including the United States, Italy, France, and Russia.
In this Domestika course, learn strategies to overcome and work around creative blocks using words, objects, and images, and create a sketchbook with a series of illustrations where you can develop your style and graphic identity. By the end, you'll know how to draw with words and write with pictures.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 12 downloads
Materials
3 minutes, 32 seconds
Connecting
6 minutes, 46 seconds
Graphic identity
8 minutes, 36 seconds
Possible routes
8 minutes, 58 seconds
Possibilities of our narration
6 minutes, 42 seconds
The importance of character 1
12 minutes, 37 seconds
What's included in this course?
Illustrator Raúl Guridi opens the course by introducing himself and telling you about his professional background. He also talks about his work method and shares some of his creative influences.
Delve into the world of illustration and creativity by exploring three key concepts: identity, intention, and coincidence. Play with words, photographs, and objects to "trigger yourself" and find inspiration.
Next, begin the search for your graphic identity by elaborating on a central idea. Analyze potential creative avenues for your project, decide what story you want to tell, and translate your ideas into a storyboard.
Continue by outlining the plot and developing your illustrated universe, who inhabits it, and the conflict that moves your story. Then, decide how your adventure begins.
To round out the course, Raúl discusses the feasibility of your project to help you make more informed decisions. Finish up by exploring the expressive possibilities of your story based on the target audience and select what format you want to present it in.
What is this course's project?
Compile a catalog of creative ideas in the form of a sketchbook where you can find inspiration when you're feeling blocked or want to explore new avenues in your creative process.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in visual and written art, narrative illustration, and experimental illustration and creativity techniques, as well as anybody who wants to be the author/illustrator of their own picturebooks.
Requirements and materials
No previous knowledge is needed to take this course, just come ready to explore, create, and play.
As for materials, you need a notebook, charcoal, black pencils, gouache or watercolors, thick black and white markers, old paper, cutouts, card stock, photographs of yourself as a child, and some random objects you have within reach.
Reviews
- 29 days ago
He is an inspiration!
- 2 months ago
Un curso muy inspirador
- 3 months ago
Enjoyed the many exercises. This was so much fun!
- 5 months ago
Adorable, sobre todo que hable de su experiencia abre posibilidades y además te afirma con su ejemplo que somos cada uno, una posibilidad sensible en el planeta.
- 8 months ago
Best of the best!
Raúl has published more than 70 books which have been translated in many countries such as the United States, Italy, France, and Russia. His projects have earned him multiple awards including the 2015 Spanish National Prize for best picturebook for El Rebaño, honorable mention from the judges' panel at the Bologna Children's Book Fair for the picturebook Dos Caminos, the "Serra d'Or" Premio de la Crítica award for Un pèl a la sopa (2019), and the 2021 Premio Banco del libro de Venezuela for Cómo meter una ballena en una maleta.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
Connect
- Narrative images
- Materials
- Self-provocation
- Connecting
- U3
To project
- Graphic identity
- Possible routes
- Possibilities of our narration
- U4
Create, place
- The importance of character 1
- The importance of character 2
- The space: narrative of history
- How does our story begin?
- U5
Code and Present
- Reading code
- Our format
- FP
Final project
- Overcoming Creative Blocks: Form Ideas in a Sketchbook
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
You’ll learn how to unlock your creativity, develop your own graphic identity, and build visual narratives using words, images, and objects. The course covers practical techniques in illustration, composition, character creation, and editorial formats for original illustrated projects.
This course is aimed at people with intermediate skills in illustration or creativity, but it’s also accessible if you’re interested in exploring creative processes and developing your own visual projects.
You’ll need a sketchbook, a variety of colored pencils, charcoal, a blue pencil, recycled paper, personal photographs, everyday objects, and modeling clay. It’s also helpful to have basic digital tools for narrative assembly.
You’ll learn self-stimulation techniques, creative lists, word association, and how to explore objects and images to spark creativity and overcome artistic blocks.
Yes, the course includes hands-on exercises to create and develop your own illustrated notebook, combining sketches, collages, texts, photos, and personal resources.
Graphic identity is your unique visual style that defines your projects. In the course, you’ll learn how to shape it based on ideas, experiences, references, and experimentation with materials and techniques.
Yes, the course covers creating storyboards, character development, scene composition, and visual narrative structures applied to illustrated books and editorial projects.