Illustration in Photoshop: Create Striking Compositions
A course by Mary Cagnin, Illustrator
Learn to combine digital art and hand-drawn textures to create an impactful illustration that tells an original story
If you're looking to discover how to mix traditional, manual techniques with digital ones to create expressive compositions, illustrator and comic artist Mary Cagnin is the perfect person to guide you on your journey. Having collaborated with publishers like Globo, Abril, and MOL, as well as written stories for award-winning comics, Mary teaches you to tell impactful visual stories.
In this course, learn to compose a creative illustration in Photoshop. Your teacher walks you through each step, from the creation of a mood board and watercolor textures to the initial sketches and right down to putting the finishing touches on your digital artwork. By the end, you'll have the tools to tell a striking visual story using a powerful combination of illustration techniques.
What will you learn in this online course?
17 lessons & 18 downloads
What's included in this course?
Start by getting to know a little bit about Mary Cagnin and her career so far in the world of illustration. She shares the artistic influences present throughout her creations and talks about the different paths you can take to enrich your work.
Immerse yourself in Mary's creative process and see how each individual element of your illustration can tell a story. Get to know the different types of composition and learn to illustrate a range of character poses and angles to express specific emotions and feelings.
Now it's time to organize your mood board according to your tastes and the message you want to convey. Explore the best tools and brushes for composing your piece in Photoshop. Mary then teaches you to digitize watercolor patterns and textures, done on paper by hand, for striking on-screen effects.
Next, study color and composition to help define the best options for your project. Work on the very last details of your illustration, softening lines as well as adding colors and textures. By the end of this course, you'll have composed an expressive digital piece using unique, handmade effects.
- 100% positive reviews (17)
- 408 students
- 17 lessons (2h 37m)
- 18 additional resources (4 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Portuguese
- Portuguese · Spanish · English · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Create a digital illustration brimming with personality by following Mary Cagnin's creative composition process.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Illustrators, visual artists, comic artists, and anyone interested in discovering new techniques for creating original illustrations.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, you need basic knowledge of Photoshop or a similar program.
In terms of materials, you need watercolors, paintbrushes, paper, and a computer with Photoshop or your preferred software.
Reviews
Mary Cagnin
A course by Mary Cagnin
Mariana Cagnin studied visual arts at São Paulo State University (UNESP) and has been an illustrator and comic artist for over a decade. She has illustrated books and magazines for publishing houses including Globo, Abril, and MOL and is also the author of the Vidas Imperfeitas comics as well as the award-winning Black Silence and Bittersweet. Since 2013, she has been creating her own social media content and has a YouTube channel with over 300K subscribers to date.
She has also given in-person and online courses for a variety of Brazilian institutions, including the private nonprofit SESC and arts centers, in which she shared her own teaching methods. In 2017, she received a Globo award for best theme design (Casa & Jardim) and was invited by the Brazilian embassy to participate in the Gothenburg Book Fair in Sweden.
Content
-
U1
Introduction
-
Presentation
-
Influences
-
-
U2
Composition
-
Materials
-
Telling Stories with an Image
-
Creative Composition
-
Poses and Angles
-
-
U3
Tools and Resources
-
Organizing Your Referrals Panel
-
Choosing Tools and Brushes
-
Creating Textures and Stains
-
Digitizing the Watercolor Textures
-
-
U4
Organization and Production
-
Brainstorming
-
Initial Studies
-
Design
-
Finalization
-
Colorization and Textures
-
-
U5
Finalization
-
Final Adjustments
-
Subscribing and Exporting to Social Networks
-
-
FP
Final project
-
Illustration in Photoshop: Create Striking Compositions
-
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
This is an intermediate-level course, perfect for those who already have basic drawing or illustration skills and want to deepen their knowledge of watercolor, digital illustration, and artistic composition.
You’ll need watercolor paper, brushes, watercolor paints (either pans or tubes), masking tape, plus a computer with Photoshop, Krita, or another digital illustration software.
You’ll learn traditional and digital watercolor techniques, character creation, artistic composition, collage and texture integration, organizing your creative process, and professional illustration export.
Yes, the course covers how to combine traditional watercolor with digital tools, including scanning, texture editing, layering, and blending painted elements into digital illustrations.
Basic knowledge of programs like Photoshop or Krita is recommended, but the course offers guidance and tips for beginners exploring digital tools.
Yes, the course includes drawing techniques for comics, publisher illustrations, scene development, and visual storytelling to broaden your professional opportunities.
You’ll learn how to gather, organize, and use visual references, create Pinterest boards, build digital mood boards, and segment images to enrich your creative workflow.
Adobe Photoshop
Good tips for creating textures
Curso muito bom! Ela mostra todo o processo criativo dela, ensina um pouco de teoria e dá dicas que funcionaram na experiência dela. Sensacional!
Acompanho o trabalho da Mary já tem anos e amo a didática dela. Recomendo muito pra quem quer entender melhor sobre composição!!
A good and educational course, really helped me.
Dużo się nauczyłam. Prowadząca daje bardzo ciekawe wskazówki.