Record Cover Design with Pencil Illustration Techniques
A course by Charlotte Delarue , Art Director Specialized in Illustration
Joined July 2021
Create a compelling album cover by combining realistic illustration techniques like pencil sketching, photomontage, and typography
Joined July 2021
Plug in your speakers, grab a pencil, and get drawing! In this online course, learn realistic mechanical pencil drawing techniques to create a stunning album cover, from concept to publication, using both digital and analog tools.
A fan of music and the retro vibe of the '60s through to the '80s, Charlotte Delarue loves nothing more than examining the amazing hand-painted posters from these eras. Inspired by this universe, she creates visuals with pencil and acrylic paint for the music and film industries as well as the press. Discover the composition secrets of this artist who has worked for some of the biggest names in music such as Justice and singer Clara Luciani.
What will you learn in this online course?
21 lessons & 19 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (12)
- 276 students
- 21 lessons (4h 37m)
- 19 additional resources (3 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: French
- French · Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Create a graphic for a record cover of the band of your choice.
Who is this online course for?
This course is for absolutely everyone, all you need is a little free time.
Requirements and materials
The drawing part of the course is accessible to everyone, but a solid grasp of Photoshop and Illustrator is advised for the digital techniques.
You also need a camera (or smartphone), a light table (or a window during the day), a mechanical pencil (with 0.3 mm HB leads), and a drawing board.
Reviews
Charlotte Delarue
A course by Charlotte Delarue
Charlotte Delarue is an art director specialized in illustration. Drawing has always been an important part of her life, so naturally she chose to study applied arts at EPSAA. She worked for seven years for the Surface to Air studio, an experience that allowed her to try her hand at everything and create her very first illustrations for the music industry.
She finally moved to New York and began a freelance career that allowed her to hone her style with a mechanical pencil. Since then, she has worked in the press for the likes of So Press, Les Inrocks, the Wall Street Journal, and Society, for music artists such as Metronomy, Selena Gomez, Yarol, and Clara Luciani, and start-ups like Glossier, Etendard Management, and Sourcewhere.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Who Am I?
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Influences
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U2
Research and First Drafts
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Presenting the Materials
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The Concept
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The Sketch
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The Photomontage 1
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The Photomontage 2
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The Photomontage 3
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The Photomontage 4
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The Photomontage 5
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The Typography
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U3
The Making of the Drawing
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Tracing
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Starting the Drawing
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The Characters 1
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The Characters 2
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The Characters 3
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The Background
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Digitization
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U4
Usage
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Delivering an Adaptable File 1
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Delivering an Adaptable File 2
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The Vinyl Object
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FP
Final project
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Record Cover Design with Pencil Illustration Techniques
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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
This course is designed for people who already have some drawing or visual creation experience and want to deepen their skills in graphic design, illustration, typography, and mixed techniques for professional or personal projects.
An intermediate level is recommended, but the course provides step-by-step explanations. It’s ideal for creatives looking to improve their illustration, composition, and digital tool skills.
You’ll need pencils, mechanical pencils, marker-friendly paper, precision erasers, a lightbox, a scanner, and access to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator for the digital parts.
Basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator is recommended; the course also covers specific techniques for these tools in graphic design and illustration.
You’ll learn how to create logos, posters, realistic illustrations, photomontages, perspective effects, creative lettering, and how to incorporate visual references into a variety of professional projects.
Yes, the course teaches how to create album covers, tour posters, and visual materials using both traditional and digital techniques tailored to the music and cultural industries.
After this course, you’ll be able to design logos, posters, album covers, t-shirts, magazine illustrations, and merchandising visuals using professional techniques.
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Very useful course, guiding you through a complete workflow between graphic designer software, photo editing software and traditional art tools all leading to a professional result. Most courses I've seen focus on just one part of this workflow. The teacher is very knowledgeable and explains everything thoroughly, hence the five hour running time. I recommend.
Me encantan las portadas de discos y este curso es maravilloso para imaginarte diseñadora de álbum covers!
Très bon cours, bien conçus, pas très long, mais au top, très claire et précise
Pur essendo un corso interessante a livello composizione, l’ho trovato un po’ carente nella parte disegno pratico. Nelle lezioni si vedeva sopratutto lei che disegnava. La lezione in cui spiegava di più sul disegno, è stata quella sui dettagli. Purtroppo non sono abbastanza conoscente di Photoshop per dare un giudizio su quella parte del corso.
Fantástico!