Illustration: Find Your Signature Style
A course by VidamIllustrator, Painter, and Muralist
A course by Vidam, Illustrator, Painter, and Muralist
Learn to observe and reinterpret animals to create experimental illustrations that combine digital and analog techniques
Finding your own illustration style can be a long but exciting journey, and illustrator, painter, and muralist Attila Szamosi (Vidam) has a wealth of firsthand experience in the matter. It took him years of trial and error to find a style he was comfortable with that also gave his work an unmistakable identity. He currently designs posters and flyers as well as murals for clients like Nike, Arte, and Spotify.
In this online course, he teaches you how to identify and develop your own form of artistic expression. Discover his personal method for finding a style along with how to create a distinctive piece for an illustrated poster of anthropomorphic animals using Illustrator and Photoshop. Ready to unleash your inner artist?
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 14 downloads
Materials and Programs
2 minutes, 44 seconds
Photo Research
7 minutes, 4 seconds
How I Found My Own Style
5 minutes, 58 seconds
Tips for Style Development
3 minutes, 57 seconds
Sketching
17 minutes, 13 seconds
Final Sketch
11 minutes, 4 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start the course by getting to know your teacher, artist Attila Szamosi, also known as Vidam. After sharing a few of his pieces, from illustrations to murals and paintings, he also shows you his main influences and sources of inspiration.
Next, your teacher reveals how he finds ideas for each new project and talks about the time and dedication it took to hone his signature style. Using several animal portraits as examples, explore how to create different styles from the same stimulus.
Now it's time to start sketching your final project in Photoshop. Begin by giving your animals human-like features before working on the overall composition of your scene. Transfer your finished sketch to Illustrator and use vectors to apply color as well as create shapes and the background.
Once you're happy with the result, go back to Photoshop to add depth to your figures with shading. Move on to create analog textures with paper and pencil and digitize them to use in your final artwork.
To wrap up the course, Vidam shows you how to send your work for printing online and gives some parting tips on sending posters in the mail.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Explore your own personal style and create an illustrated poster featuring personified animals.
Who is this online course for?
Anyone dedicated to illustration, especially those still in search of their personal style or trying to perfect it. This course is also of interest to anyone curious about how to work between Illustrator and Photoshop.
Requirements and materials
You need basic knowledge of both Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to take this course.
All you need for materials is a computer with both programs and the drawing materials of your choice. These could be paper, pencils, and felt-tips, or even Procreate if you prefer to work completely digitally.
Reviews
- 4 years ago
The course is good. I learned a lot.
- 4 years ago
Great course! highly recommended!
- 4 years ago
Gostei muito do curso, mesmo não possuindo o photoshop e o illutrator consegui fazer tudo pelo Krita.
- robsoncalimaPLUS4 years ago
Estou gostando do curso, porém, um pouco complexo na hora de finalizar no ilustrator quem não tem experiência nesta ferramenta vai ser perder um pouco.
- 4 years ago
Excelente curso e didática. Recomento a todos.
Since 2004, he's been working as a freelance designer and illustrator, and currently creates posters, flyers, and above all murals for clients like WeShare, Tetra Pak, Arte, and Puma. His personal pieces, which reflect on a diverse range of everyday topics, almost like a diary, are regularly exhibited across the globe.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Inspirations
- U2
Research and Style Finding
- Materials and Programs
- Photo Research
- How I Found My Own Style
- Tips for Style Development
- U3
The Animals in the Urban Forest
- Sketching
- Final Sketch
- Vectorization
- Boar Face
- Young Boars
- U4
Elaboration of Your Illustration
- Last Vectors
- Post-production in Photoshop
- Creating Analogue Textures
- U5
Further Options for Your Poster with Vector Illustration
- Poster Printing
- Tips for Sending Posters
- FP
Final project
- Illustration: Find Your Signature Style
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 course is designed for anyone with some background in illustration or graphic design. You should already have basic drawing and digital skills but don’t need to be a professional. It’s perfect for creative learners looking to develop their own style.
You’ll need drawing supplies (paper, fineliners, brush pens), a graphics tablet, and software like Photoshop, Illustrator, or Procreate. The course combines both analog and digital tools.
You’ll learn how to develop your own characters, design illustrations for murals and posters, blend digital and traditional techniques, create vector graphics, and evolve your personal style.
The course blends graffiti, illustration, and comics. You’ll discover how to mix styles, create characters, and use both analog and digital methods.
Yes, step by step you’ll learn how to draw animals in cartoon or comic styles, simplify them, and creatively place them in everyday or urban scenes.
You’ll explore various styles, analyze influences, and develop your own signature characters. Practical exercises will help you find your unique voice.
Yes, you’ll get to know the key workflows and tools in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Procreate for illustration, including tips for efficient work and texture integration.