Children’s Illustration: Portraying Emotions
A course by Noemí VillamuzaIllustrator
A course by Noemí Villamuza, Illustrator
Learn to compose compelling children’s illustrations using graphite, watercolor, and collage
What if you could recapture the emotions of childhood through illustration? In this online course, discover your voice and create captivating children's illustrations alongside accomplished illustrator Noemí Villamuza, who has published numerous children's and young adult books with companies like Kalandraka, Kókinos, Media Vaca, and Nórdica.
Learn to illustrate scenes from childhood that convey maximum emotion with minimal details. Noemí teaches you expressive techniques for a variety of mediums, focusing on graphite as the primary tool and complementing it with watercolors, colored pencils, and collage.
What will you learn in this online course?
13 lessons & 18 downloads
Materials
3 minutes, 30 seconds
Brainstorming
9 minutes, 3 seconds
Building a character
8 minutes, 21 seconds
Sketches
15 minutes, 45 seconds
Compositions
12 minutes, 7 seconds
Illustration with tenderness
17 minutes, 43 seconds
What's included in this course?
Get to know Noemí Villamuza as she talks you through her creative journey to becoming a children's illustrator, including how she got started, her influences, and the artists she admires.
Begin by familiarizing yourself with the course materials. Brainstorm some ideas and put together a concept map for your project: a series of emotion-centric illustrations. Then, learn how to create characters and explore the limits of composition while drawing your first sketches in panels.
Make a clean version of three illustrations using different mediums for each scene and the cover: grease pencils, collage, watercolor or India Ink, and graphite. Noemí teaches you how to use them and their distinct qualities to convey specific aspects of emotions.
Once you've finished, digitize your drawings and see how toedit the images in Photoshop, as well as prepare your files for printing. To wrap up the course, learn how to assemble a short book with your artwork and tie it together with a handmade Japanese binding.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Create three children's illustrations with three characters that each represent a different emotion and a cover that encapsulates them all.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in exploring the art of illustration to help them better express their emotions and tap into their creative voice.
Requirements and materials
A love of children's literature, as well as basic notions of drawing and some skill with a pencil are essential for this course.
As for materials, you need pencils, ink, a Pentel brush pen, colored grease pencils, white paper or card stock, a scanner, and Photoshop.
Reviews
- 1 year ago
Super! Just what I was looking for!
- 1 year ago
AMAZING, thank you so much Noemi, I learned so much and will be reviewing this course again and again.
I will be looking for more courses by you Noemi!
Thank you again Noemi and Domestika!:)
- 2 years ago
Este curso es maravilloso, me encanto. Lo vi la primera vez en Plus y luego lo termine comprando. Totalmente recomendado.
- doctorbannerPLUS2 years ago
Excelente curso. Te lleva paso a paso, utilizando una metodología de trabajo interesante.
- 2 years ago
Me transmite mucho esta profesora, gracias!
She was a finalist for Spain's National Illustration Award in 2002 and won a Junceda award for illustration in 2007, as well as an award for the IBBY poster for the 2010 International Children's Book Day. When she's not creating, she shares her knowledge by teaching illustration classes at institutions across Barcelona, like the Escola de la Dona, Escola Bau, and Escola Massana, and by running workshops at schools, libraries, and cultural centers.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Work table
- Materials
- Brainstorming
- Building a character
- Sketches
- Compositions
- U3
Illustrations
- Illustration with tenderness
- Mysterious illustration
- Euphoric illustration
- Front page
- U4
The finish
- Scanning and digital treatment of illustrations
- Binding
- FP
Final project
- Drawing techniques for children's books
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
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FAQs
You will learn mixed techniques using graphite, watercolor, and collage, character creation for children, emotional composition, developing your own style, and producing editorial projects like covers and illustrated books, blending handcrafted and digital processes.
Yes, the course is designed for people with basic drawing skills who want to refine techniques and deepen their knowledge of children's, editorial, and poster illustration.
You’ll need graphite pencils, watercolors, a Pentel ink brush, watercolor pencils, various papers, scissors, glue, raffia cord, and access to a computer with basic Photoshop for digital touch-ups.
Yes, while basic drawing knowledge is recommended, the course guides you step-by-step through techniques and processes to improve your skills and develop personal projects.
The course includes exercises and personal projects that let you experiment with different techniques and references, helping you define and strengthen a unique artistic voice for the publishing market.
Yes, the course covers illustrating children’s stories, educational books, and covers, as well as adapting style and visual storytelling for young audiences.
Techniques taught include graphite, watercolor, collage, oil pastel, Pentel brush use, texture creation, modernist composition, working in black and white, and basic digital retouching.