Introduction to Illustration of Characters with Gouache and India Ink
A course by AndonellaCartoonist and Illustrator
A course by Andonella, Cartoonist and Illustrator
Learn to give personality to your creations through colour
The work of Andonella–an illustrator and cartoonist with high doses of black humor and irreverence–is characterized by striking the perfect balance between sweet and grotesque. With a powerful color palette and a unique style, it managed to catch the eye of several brands such as Nike, Ponds, and H&M, as well as publications such as Vice, Juxtapoz, Nylon, and Pictoline.
In this online course, she teaches you the creative and technical process for creating characters with gouache and India ink, reviewing the basic principles of drawing, guiding you from the first sketches to the digitization of your illustrations.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 13 downloads
Build my moodboard
7 minutes, 55 seconds
How to build characters? I
20 minutes, 54 seconds
How to build characters? II
16 minutes, 1 second
Draw from the absurd
10 minutes, 16 seconds
materials
17 minutes, 13 seconds
Understanding the material: Brush and ink
8 minutes, 26 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start by learning about Andonella's work, and more about her favorite artists.
Next, she shows you the importance of creating a mood board and teaches you to gather all the elements that inspire you and express them in your characters through graphic style and color palette.
Andonella tells you about the drawing method she has developed throughout her career as an illustrator, which helps her create characters more effectively. In addition, she gives you a few creative tips to help you loosen your hand and discover the joy of drawing.
Later, get to know the materials that are used throughout the course and learn to handle each of them correctly.
See the importance of color and learn to work with the color wheel to give your illustrations more character. Discover new tools and create your own color palette with gouache.
Once you have the finished sketch and your color palette has been defined, do the drawing manually and then digitize it, do the color correction with Photoshop and give it the final touches to apply it to any medium.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Based on a popular character or an invented one, create your own character from a mood board and give it a unique personality through gouache and Chinese ink.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Illustrators, designers, cartoonists, and anyone curious about creating their own characters in a different way.
Requirements and materials
No prior knowledge of any kind is required. Regarding the materials, you need a pencil and paper, gouache paint, brushes, watercolor paper, India ink, and a paint pan, as well as a computer with Adobe Photoshop installed.
Reviews
- samukaPLUS3 months ago
Fascinante
- 8 months ago
Me ha encantadooo
- 2 years ago
very good
- 2 years ago
Wonderful course with a brilliantly quirky style. I loved the collage idea as reference for the illustrations.
- 3 years ago
Es un curso entretenido, explica muy bien
Her work has been published in different digital and print media such as Vice magazine, Juxtapoz, and Nylon, and in publishers such as Planeta, Penguin Random House, and Santillana. In addition, she made the graphic identity of the Mextilo, memoria de la moda mexicana characters, is co-author of the book #AmigaDateCuenta: una guía para la vida, has worked with Pictoline and has collaborated with different brands such as H&M, Nike, and Ponds.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
How do I start to create?
- Build my moodboard
- How to build characters? I
- How to build characters? II
- Draw from the absurd
- U3
Materials, color and technique
- materials
- Understanding the material: Brush and ink
- Understanding the material: Gouache
- Understanding the color
- Color matching
- U4
Practical development of a character
- Sketch
- Final character I
- Final character II
- Final character III
- Digitization and final details
- FP
Final project
- Introduction to the illustration of characters with gouache and Indian ink
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
The course is designed for intermediate learners—perfect for those with basic drawing skills who want to deepen their understanding of character construction, gouache techniques, and advanced color handling.
You’ll need gouache, watercolors, a variety of brushes, suitable paper, a mechanical pencil, blue lead, a sharpener, an optional lightbox, and access to Photoshop for digital cleanup. It’s also recommended to have India ink and auxiliary tools like palettes and containers.
You’ll learn to create original characters using geometric shapes, develop mood boards, choose color palettes, sketch, ink, and paint with gouache and watercolor. You’ll also digitize your illustrations and explore cultural and personal influences.
The course covers building and synthesizing animated characters, creative color use, mood board creation, gouache and watercolor techniques, and integrating cultural references—especially Mexican culture—into the creative process.
Yes, it’s recommended to have basic drawing knowledge and an understanding of volume and proportion, as the course focuses on intermediate and advanced illustration and color techniques.
Mood boards are used to gather reference images, textures, colors, and visual styles that guide character creation and help define the project’s atmosphere, color palette, and visual consistency.
Gouache offers opaque colors, dense mixing, and easy corrections on paper, while watercolor provides transparency and light layering. The course teaches how to combine both for unique illustration effects.