Digital Painting: Female Fantasy Portraits
A course by Fernanda MayaDesigner
A course by Fernanda Maya, Designer
Learn how to illustrate soulful female portraits in Photoshop, inspired by fantastical elements
Illustration is a language that can be used to express any topic that interests you. For Fernanda Maya, it's an opportunity to portray feminine force, nature, and symbolism. In this online course, she teaches you how to make female portraits in Photoshop, inspired by fantastical references.
Through experimentation with many different techniques, Fernanda discovered that digital painting was among her favorite mediums. Get ready to find out why as she walks you through her creative process—make mistakes, rethink your ideas, and explore new ways to illustrate women.
What will you learn in this online course?
20 lessons & 31 downloads
Create the atmosphere of a portrait
17 minutes, 48 seconds
Illuminate the face 1
21 minutes, 16 seconds
Illuminate the face 2
17 minutes, 59 seconds
Brushes, patterns and textures 1
17 minutes, 31 seconds
Brushes, patterns and textures 2
16 minutes, 39 seconds
Brushes, patterns and textures 3
14 minutes, 14 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin by hearing Fernanda Maya talk about her career in the world of illustration, some of her experiences, and what inspires and motivates her to create. She also shares the referents and artistic movements that have influenced her work.
Then get stuck into your final project. Learn how to create the composition and give it color to generate a particular atmosphere. Your teacher then shows you how to make brushes and patterns in Photoshop, as well as how to achieve a range of different textures.
Next, look for reference images, color schemes, and details to help generate a collage to work from. Continue with the sketch and, from there, turn your attention to the character and background, before discovering how to apply filters and masks to add the finishing touches to your illustration.
Now take a look at how to choose the corresponding file for both a digital and printed publication, along with some important configurations and details to take into account. To wrap things up, Fernanda gives you some final tips to facilitate communication with potential clients.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Create a portrait of a fantastical female character, ready for digital publication and printing.
Who is this online course for?
Anyone drawn to fantastical and mythological themes, with a special interest in female portraiture.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, you need basic knowledge of drawing and Photoshop.
Reviews
- 1 year ago
The course was excellent . The step by step approach to drawing and painting the portrait helped me understand the delicate nuances of creating a beautiful portrait
- 1 year ago
muy buen curso bien explicado. Muchas gracias
- 2 years ago
beaucoup de compréhension et tips utiles
- 2 years ago
Maravilloso curso, la instructora es muy meticulosa en sus explicaciones y llegan muy bien sus enseñanzas. Muy recomendado para quienes desean incursionar dentro del mundo del arte digital.
- 2 years ago
I highly recommend this course for anyone looking to enhance their artistic skills. This course offers detailed tutorials and expert instruction, making complex techniques easy to understand and apply. It's perfect for both beginners and intermediate artists.
She loves experimenting with different techniques and is currently producing her pieces exclusively using digital programs and her Cintiq. She has collaborated with brands such as Bacánika, Editorial Planeta, and the Luis Ángel Arango Library, among others. She also hugely enjoys selling her portraits and prints, as well as bringing the ideas of others to life.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Preliminary knowledge
- Create the atmosphere of a portrait
- Illuminate the face 1
- Illuminate the face 2
- Brushes, patterns and textures 1
- Brushes, patterns and textures 2
- Brushes, patterns and textures 3
- U3
Start creating the portrait
- References, mood board and collage creation
- The skit
- Make the baselines
- Start with color
- Give character detail 1
- Give character detail 2
- Funds 1
- Funds 2
- Corrections and finishes
- Settings and filters
- U4
Export and tips
- Export the file for digital or printed version
- Pro Tips
- FP
Final project
- Digital Painting: Female Fantasy Portraits
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 create female portraits in digital painting, covering composition, lighting, texturing, brush creation, and integrating symbolism and nature—blending realism and abstraction with inspiration from styles like ukiyo-e and eclecticism.
This is an intermediate-level course, perfect for those with basic digital drawing skills and Photoshop experience who want to deepen their knowledge of advanced female portrait and illustration techniques.
You’ll need a computer with Photoshop installed and preferably a graphics tablet. Basic familiarity with the software is recommended to get the most out of the lessons.
The course covers composition techniques, lighting styles (Rembrandt, butterfly, rimlight), custom brush creation, texturing, color management, and the integration of symbolism, nature, and elements inspired by ukiyo-e and eclecticism.
You’ll be able to create expressive digital portraits, customize brushes, apply advanced lighting and texturing techniques, blend styles, and professionally export your work for print or digital platforms.
Basic anatomy knowledge is recommended, but the course offers geometric simplification methods and practical exercises to improve your depiction of facial features and hands.
You’ll learn how to incorporate the concepts of kintsugi and the ukiyo-e aesthetic into your digital portraits, using visual references and composition techniques to add symbolism and cultural depth.