Pop Culture Character Painting in Photoshop
A course by Sam Gilbey
, Artist
Bring your favorite movie character to life by learning how to paint a realistic digital portrait from scratch
- 100% positive reviews (39)
- 1124 students
- Audio: English
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
Bring your favorite movie character to life by learning how to paint a realistic digital portrait from scratch
- 100% positive reviews (39)
- 1124 students
- 25 lessons (5h 38m)
- 22 additional resources (7 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software for this course
Adobe PhotoshopEveryone has a favorite movie, and of course, a favorite character. Digital artist Sam Gilbey is inspired by his passion for pop culture to create striking images of film characters. He’s worked with clients like Empire Records, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, and Marvel.
In this online course, Sam takes you step by step through the process of creating a cinematic portrait of your favorite character. Learn how to use Photoshop’s tools to bring painterly portraits to life.
What will you learn in this online course?
Course table of contents
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U1U1. Introduction
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U2U2. Preparing to Paint
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U3U3. Painting Your Portrait
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U4U4. Completing the Artwork and Sharing It
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FPFP Final project
Begin the course by getting to know Sam. He shares his creative journey, which led him to become a full-time artist specialized in painterly portraits and pop culture. Hear about the artists who have inspired him most over the course of his career.
Get an overview of what to expect from the course before seeing how to set up your workstation. Sam then walks you through the different brush types in Photoshop and shows you how to create light, shadow, and depth. Decide on which photo will be your reference image, and create the initial sketch and background.
Time to start digitally painting! Start with the principal parts of the portrait by blocking out the main areas of the face, hair, and clothing. Sam then shows you how to incorporate the smaller details as well as light and shadow, starting first with a large air brush and gradually moving toward more detailed brushes. Then see how to finish the background to give the piece a cinematic feel and enhance its atmosphere.
Learn how to add effects and texture step by step. Complete your painting by adding the final details and color grading. Wrap up the course by hearing Sam’s tips on exporting your work and sharing it on social media.
What is this course's project?
Create an illustration of your favorite movie character in Photoshop.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone who wants to learn to recreate a character from a movie with a cinematic touch in Photoshop.
Requirements and materials
Basic knowledge of Photoshop is required.
To take this course, you need access to the software. A graphic tablet is optional, but beneficial.
Reviews
A course by Sam Gilbey
Sam Gilbey is a British artist specializing in painterly pop culture portraits. He’s been drawing for as long as he can remember, and started illustrating professionally in 2004.
Throughout his career, he’s created officially-licensed artwork for films and series like The Avengers, BoJack Horseman, Jaws, Jurassic Park, and many more. He’s also collaborated with clients like adidas, Activision, Apple, Audi, The BBC, British Airways, Disney, Edgar Wright, Empire Magazine, Esquire, GQ, The Guardian, Lucasfilm, and many more.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Preparing to Paint
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Workstation and Brushes
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Light, Shadow and Depth Studies
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Research and Photography References
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Initial Sketch and Rough Background 1
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Initial Sketch and Rough Background 2
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U3
Painting Your Portrait
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The Main Portrait: Underpainting 1
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The Main Portrait: Underpainting 2
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The Main Portrait: Finessing 1
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The Main Portrait: Finessing 2
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The Main Portrait: Finessing 3
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Details of the Hair 1
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Details of the Hair 2
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Details of the Hair 3
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The Hands 1
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The Hands 2
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The Clothing 1
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The Clothing 2
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The Clothing 3
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Finishing the Background
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U4
Completing the Artwork and Sharing It
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Effects and Texture
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Final Details and Colour Grading
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Cropping and Exporting
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Sharing Your Work Online
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FP
Final project
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Pop Culture Character Painting in Photoshop
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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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 from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
Adobe Photoshop
magovector
I learned a lot with the course, it was exactly the style I was looking for
dave
This course is incredibly useful for anyone interested in painting portraits of pop-culture, high profile characters. It was a joy for me to take and complete. Sam's work is amazing. His talent for teaching is equally awesome.
janoseitun
Excelente
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sujankudari
The Solution!
jmoralesblog
Me ha encantado este curso!
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