Narrative Illustration: Create a Children's Picturebook
A course by Pablo BernasconiIllustrator and Writer
A course by Pablo Bernasconi, Illustrator and Writer
Learn how to create a picturebook using mixed media and digital collage techniques, from the story layout to the final images
Acclaimed Patagonian illustrator and author Pablo Bernasconi is known for his original visual metaphors. His work has been published in magazines and newspapers like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph, Rolling Stone, and many more. In this online course, he teaches you how to tell illustrated stories and guides you through the step-by-step process of creating your first picturebook. Learn all you need to know, from critical reading of your own story to the look and layout of the contents. Experiment with mixed media and collage, then digitize your illustrations. Work on the final touches in Photoshop and put together your picturebook using InDesign.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 17 downloads
Directed reading
10 minutes, 33 seconds
Layout and conceptual party
16 minutes, 22 seconds
Characters
8 minutes, 48 seconds
Narrative scenes
16 minutes, 32 seconds
Preparation of materials
11 minutes, 43 seconds
Assembly and illustration of the characters
9 minutes, 11 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start the course by meeting your teacher, Pablo Bernasconi. He talks to you about his work, his interests, and most significant influences when it comes to planning a visual and conceptual plot.
Get to know the difference between a picturebook and an illustrated book. Then, analyze your chosen narrative text under the interpretative parameters of an illustrator and sketch the layout of your project, as if it were a storyboard: plans, scenes, metaphors, and possible characters.
Pablo explains different mixed illustration techniques that allow you to achieve greater efficacy and precision when choosing a visual resource, be it collage or any other medium. Explore different elements and textures to bring your protagonists to life and try out some options for the background.
Get to work on the cover, design, font, and content of the book. To do this, digitize all your illustrations and assemble everything in Photoshop, then retouch and work on the finer details of your project. Finish putting together your picturebook using InDesign.
What is this course's project?
Create a coherent sequence of narrative illustrations from a specific text.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Design and illustration professionals, as well as students or anyone who enjoys reading picturebooks.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, it is recommended you have basic notions of Photoshop and InDesign, although it is not essential.
What you do need are materials such as a pencil, crayons or pastels, acrylics, India ink, a pen, paper, notebooks, magazines to cut out, brushes, a glue stick, scissors, fabric textures, an SLR or a cell phone, a computer with Photoshop and InDesign, a graphics tablet, and a scanner.
Reviews
- ana_briPLUS1 month ago
Curso excelente. Muito didático e dinâmico. Inspirador.
- 4 months ago
Pablo es un gran profesional y este curso demuestra que también es un excelente formador.
Es un curso muy completo para iniciarse en el mundo del libro álbum. Cada unidad aborda herramientas y conceptos clave para poder concretar un proyecto, ya sea trabajando sobre un texto propio o tomando uno de referencia.
Además de lo técnico, el curso transmite muy bien la sensibilidad y el proceso detrás de este tipo de narrativa visual.
- 5 months ago
Pablo's artwork is inspiring and he is a very good teacher. It was a pleasure to follow his lessons.
- 9 months ago
Pablo is an excellent teacher. I enjoyed his course and his techniques for textures are creative.
- 9 months ago
Hola a todos, solo con la presentación, la calidad y el arte de Pablo, sé que será sublime. Así que me dispongo a disfrutarlo al máximo. Vuelvo por aqui luego de terminado también. Saludos
Many of his illustrated metaphors have appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Saturday Evening Post, The Telegraph, Rolling Stone, and The Times. He has received significant awards throughout his career, such as Los Destacados de ALIJA and the SND gold medal. Additionally, he was a finalist at the Hans Christian Andersen Awards (IBBY) in 2018 and a candidate for the ALMA (Astrid Lindgren Award) in 2021 and 2022.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Learn to read like an illustrator
- A definition of the album book
- Directed reading
- Layout and conceptual party
- Characters
- Narrative scenes
- The scene plans
- U3
The style of the illustration
- Aesthetic decision and search for materials
- Preparation of materials
- Assembly and illustration of the characters
- Funds
- U4
Assembly and page setting
- Assemble and retouch in Photoshop 1
- Assemble and retouch in Photoshop 2
- Assemble and retouch in Photoshop 3
- Layout in InDesign
- FP
Final project
- Narrative Illustration: Create a Children's Picturebook
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
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to create children’s picture books from concept to final design, using collage techniques, visual storytelling, character development, and both manual and digital composition.
Advanced experience isn’t required, but having basic drawing skills or an interest in illustration and collage will help you get the most out of the course.
You’ll need basic art supplies (paper, scissors, glue, pigments), digital tools like Photoshop, and access to a computer for digital collage and layout work.
Yes, this course guides you through the entire process of creating a children’s picture book, from the initial idea to final illustrations and layout.
Yes, the course explains the difference between picture books and illustrated books, focusing on how image and text work together, visual storytelling, and two-page spread composition.
You’ll learn to blend traditional and digital collage techniques, including hands-on manipulation, Photoshop editing, and assembling illustrated scenes.
The course includes exercises and techniques for designing children’s characters, exploring expressions, clothing, textures, and stylistic consistency within a visual narrative.