Experimental Illustration with India Ink and Acrylics
A course by Elisa TalentinoIllustrator
A course by Elisa Talentino, Illustrator
Create stunning illustrations with unconventional materials and find your own style using alternative painting techniques
The creative process is never straightforward: we design, we experiment, and often we make mistakes, which can lead to unexpected sparks of inspiration. In this course, learn how to use alternative illustration techniques to incorporate experimentation into your creative process alongside Elisa Talentino, artist specialized in editorial illustration whose work has been published by major Italian and international companies like Mondadori, Einaudi, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
Elisa shows you techniques to help you approach illustration from a different angle and create unique and unexpected works of art. Discover how to use India ink and acrylic paint on paper or acetate, reproduce textures to create striking natural effects, and combine both techniques letting your creativity run wild.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 18 downloads
Materials
15 minutes, 18 seconds
Find your own style without fear
13 minutes, 9 seconds
A tool to tell a story: the leporello
8 minutes, 41 seconds
Painting techniques: Indian ink and acrylic on paper 1
16 minutes, 36 seconds
Painting techniques: Indian ink and acrylic on paper 2
9 minutes, 39 seconds
Painting techniques: acetate 1
15 minutes, 58 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start by getting to know your teacher, Elisa Talentino, artist specialized in illustration, painting, graphic arts, and animation. She tells you about her work, her career, and the artists and artwork that inspire her during her creative process. She also explains how consistency, trial and error, and tenacity have been the driving force behind her mastery of experimental illustration.
Next, go over the materials you need to unleash your inner artist, from specific tools to homemade alternatives, and start creating without limits.
Follow up with a series of exercises designed to help you find your own style, embrace other disciplines, and let go of your fears. Then, discover how to channel the results of these exercises and transform them into a story in physical format. Elisa introduces you to the leporello, an accordion-style book that’s perfect for experimenting and breaking the boundaries of a single page.
Learn different painting techniques such as the use of India ink and acrylic paint on paper and acetate, as well as monotyping, a technique that walks the line between printing and painting. Armed with these new techniques, take some time to experiment, make mistakes, and internalize their creative potential with a few practical exercises.
Continue building on what you've learned by applying these techniques to produce different textures that you can use as a foundation for all your artwork. Once you’ve explored these creative possibilities, Elisa teaches you how to transfer your ideas to your leporello and digitize your work to put the finishing touches on your illustrations.
What is this course's project?
Create an illustrated leporello, a small accordion-style book, with full artistic freedom. Compile the illustrations you create throughout the course to produce a book that’s as original as your personal style.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in the world of illustration and curious minds who want to learn and grow creatively through experimentation.
Requirements and materials
You don't need any prior knowledge of illustration to take this course, just some materials such as paper, black and colored India ink, acrylic paint, acetate sheets, and kitchen degreaser.
Reviews
- 13 days ago
Excelente
- 2 months ago
Mi sono molto divertita a realizzare una tecnica che mai avrei pensato fosse un po' nelle mie corde,insegnante perfetta nella spiegazione
- 3 months ago
Muy interesante con muchas técnicas bien explicadas.
- 8 months ago
Hermoso curso.
- 8 months ago
Fantastic course! Elisa Talentino is a great teacher!
She has twice been awarded a gold medal by 3x3 magazine, a prestigious New York publication devoted to contemporary illustration, and has had her work showcased at major international events like the Bologna Children's Book Fair in 2015 and the Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibition in 2019 and 2020. She has also published numerous books including Quando il mondo era tutto azzurro, released by Topipittori in 2020.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Inspirations
- U2
Your toolbox
- Materials
- Find your own style without fear
- A tool to tell a story: the leporello
- U3
Creative illustration techniques
- Painting techniques: Indian ink and acrylic on paper 1
- Painting techniques: Indian ink and acrylic on paper 2
- Painting techniques: acetate 1
- Painting techniques: acetate 2
- Painting techniques: monotype with Indian ink 1
- Painting techniques: monotype with Indian ink 2
- U4
The textures
- Starry skies with the degreaser
- The stencil as a visualizer of harmony
- Collage with pictorial scraps
- U5
One last touch
- We mix the techniques
- Digitization
- FP
Final project
- Experimental illustration techniques: find your language
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
An illustrated leporello is an accordion-folded book that lets you tell visual stories in sequence. Its structure offers great creative freedom and room to experiment with both traditional and digital art techniques.
Yes, the course is intermediate level: perfect for those with basic drawing or illustration skills who want to explore new experimental and digital methods.
You’ll need paper, acetate, brushes, inks, acrylics, scissors, collage materials, a scanner, and a computer with Photoshop. Recycled materials are also handy for experimenting with textures and alternative tools.
You’ll learn how to design and create an illustrated leporello, experiment with collage, textures, manual and digital techniques, digitize and optimize your work, and develop a personal style through experimentation.
You’ll learn how to cut, fold, and bind accordion-format paper, choosing the right materials and tools like a bone folder for crisp, durable folds.
Basic Photoshop skills are recommended, but the course provides step-by-step guidance on scanning, cleaning images, selecting colors, and applying digital textures.
The course covers collage, textures, painting on paper and acetate, monotype, experimental screen printing, risograph printing, and blending traditional and digital methods.