Modern Portraiture with Procreate: Stylize Your Subject
A course by Paul RydingFreelance Illustrator
A course by Paul Ryding, Freelance Illustrator
Combine the fundamentals of human anatomy and digital tools to create recognizable portraits with a personal and contemporary flair
With portraiture, you can capture the life story of your subject through the finer details the face gives away. Illustrator Paul Ryding combines anatomical study with digital tools to create portraits with a human element that no filter can replicate. He’s worked with clients including Facebook Forbes, Politico, and The Wall Street Journal.
In this course, he teaches you how to illustrate portraits with a personal and contemporary touch in Procreate. Use a photo reference as your guide to create realistic works of art on an iPad, with your own stylistic flair. Are you ready to take a digital dive into portraiture?
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 18 downloads
Preparing Your Source Material
6 minutes, 49 seconds
Introduction to Procreate and the Pencil Tool
10 minutes, 34 seconds
Franken-Drawing
4 minutes, 14 seconds
Mapping the Photograph
5 minutes, 36 seconds
Understanding Anatomy
8 minutes, 7 seconds
Drawing the Face 1
20 minutes, 43 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know illustrator Paul Ryding. He talks through the creative career which led him to illustrate for some of the biggest publications in the world. Find out about the influences which inspire his work and take a look at what you can expect from the course.
Discover how to prepare a reference photo for your portrait. Paul guides you through mapping out your portrait’s features and adjusting settings like canvas size and opacity. Get an introduction to Procreate and its features, before experimenting with the pencil tool. Then learn how to combine several photos to create a unique reference image.
Time to start drawing! Begin by planning out the key elements of your photograph on the page before hearing Paul’s tips on understanding anatomy for a realistic-looking portrait. Draw the face of your subject with your reference photo as a guide, before moving on to the finer details like hair and shading. Give your artwork an artistic flair that makes it recognizably yours, experimenting with graphic elements, ink, and more.
Learn how to export your final illustration, ready for your professional portfolio. Then discover how to approach clients with your work and get hired for commissions. To finish the course, Paul shares his advice on copyright, contracts, and watermarks.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Create a modern digital portrait from a photo reference using an iPad and Procreate.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
The course is for anyone with an interest in creating unique and realistic digital portraits on their iPad.
Requirements and materials
Experience with Procreate is required.
You will need an iPad with Procreate installed, as well as an Apple Pencil.
Reviews
- 7 months ago
J'aime vraiment cette formation. J'ai encore beaucoup à apprendre et à pratiquer mais j'apprécie le rythme et les informations pertinentes et les explications de Paul.
- 8 months ago
Great and useful tips!
- 1 year ago
Paul is a natural teacher. Very well done. I learned a lot. Exactly what I need to see to tackle projects on my own. Excellent!!!!
- 1 year ago
EXCELENTE. muy motivante.
- 2 years ago
Un insegnante molto professionale, un ottimo corso! Mi ha aiutato a capire meglio Procreate in funzione della ritrattista.
Since then, Paul has worked with clients including Facebook, Forbes, Politico, and The Wall Street Journal. In 2020 he was commissioned by The Guardian to illustrate a series of long-form articles called “Lost to The Virus” about individuals who passed away from COVID-19. He also illustrated the cover for the best-selling book Trayvon Martin: Rest in Power.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Getting Ready to Draw
- Preparing Your Source Material
- Introduction to Procreate and the Pencil Tool
- Franken-Drawing
- U3
Mapping, Measuring, and Drawing the Face
- Mapping the Photograph
- Understanding Anatomy
- Drawing the Face 1
- Drawing the Face 2
- Final Touches to the Face
- Adding Graphic Elements
- U4
Professional Practice Makes Perfect
- Preparing Your File for Professional Use
- Approaching Clients and Getting Hired 1
- Approaching Clients and Getting Hired 2
- Copyright and Contracts
- FP
Final project
- X Digital Realistic Portraiture
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.
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Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
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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
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate artists with some prior experience in drawing or digital illustration, looking to deepen their skills in portraiture and adapt traditional methods to digital workflows.
You will need an iPad Pro with Procreate, an Apple Pencil, a Paperlike screen cover (optional), and access to Adobe Photoshop. Basic drawing supplies are also useful for analogue exercises.
You’ll learn how to create expressive portraits by combining traditional and digital techniques, manage references, map facial features, use Procreate effectively, blend typography, and prepare artwork for professional presentation.
This course is best for those with some prior drawing or digital illustration experience. Absolute beginners may find it challenging, but motivated learners can still benefit.
You’ll learn step-by-step how to import, convert, and adjust photographic references in Procreate, including converting color photos to black and white and managing luminosity for accurate mapping.
The course covers mapping facial features, using anatomical guidelines, expressive brushwork, and blending techniques to accurately capture likeness and convey personality in your portraits.
You’ll explore workflows for scanning traditional sketches into Photoshop, refining them digitally, and integrating both analogue and digital methods to create unique, contemporary portraits.