Digital Illustration for Expressive Characters
A course by Alessia TrunfioIllustrator
A course by Alessia Trunfio, Illustrator
Learn to design expressive characters in Photoshop by focusing on traits, poses, framing, composition, color, and shading
What are the key ingredients for making a digital illustration with a strong narrative? According to children's book illustrator Alessia Trunfio, the trick is to find the right framing, composition, color, and light for your piece, which allows you to emphasize your character's emotions and tell a captivating story. In this online course, she teaches you how to convey emotions through your digital artwork.
Throughout her career, Alessia has created compositions and book covers for major publishers like Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Capstone, and Penguin Random House. Discover her illustration techniques in Photoshop and how she gives voice to her digital characters through their body language and facial expressions. Unleash your imagination and create eye-catching fantasy scenes that draw the viewers into your story.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 15 downloads
About Me
5 minutes, 33 seconds
Influences
7 minutes, 48 seconds
Introduction to Photoshop CC
20 minutes, 43 seconds
Thumbnail and character choice
17 minutes, 18 seconds
Prepare sketch 1
13 minutes, 33 seconds
Start coloring: color bases 1
12 minutes, 31 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know Alessia Trunfio and her career in the world of children's illustration. Discover the influences that inspire her and the work she creates.
Next, Alessia gives you a detailed introduction to Photoshop before diving into the rules of composition and some theory on color, light, and shadows. She also demonstrates how to convey emotions through your character's language and facial expressions.
With those concepts fresh in your mind, get to work on your final project and create a set of sketches using reference images to spark your imagination. Choose your favorite, refine the composition, and bring it to life with color. Then, layer in details to give your character and their surroundings a three-dimensional look.
To wrap up, Alessia shows you how to make your illustration shine by adding light and reflections. She also explains the difference between RGB and CMYK, along with which to choose when printing your artwork.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Create a digital illustration of a character in a fantasy setting, focusing on the portrayal of their emotions.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone who wants to explore the world of digital illustration.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, you need basic notions of drawing and anatomy, as well as a computer with Adobe Photoshop.
Reviews
- 10 months ago
Non ho ancora terminato il corso era tutto ciò che volevo da uno di illustrazione digitale: contenuti di grande ispirazione, spiegati in modo semplice, e già mi ha dato solide basi su come muovermi nella colorazione digitale. Ottimo sia per principianti sia per chi vuole scoprire altre tecniche, per tutti i software non solo Photoshop. Assolutamente consigliato.
- 1 year ago
De maravilla, muy practico, fácil y es entendible =)
- 2 years ago
Il corso di illustrazione digitale espressiva e ne sono rimasta entusiasta! Questo corso è ben strutturato, con spiegazioni chiare e approfondite, perfetto sia per principianti sia per chi vuole affinare le proprie abilità.
- 2 years ago
Ho trovato il corso molto Utile! lo consiglio anche per prendere grande confidenza con Photoshop!
- 2 years ago
Me parece un excelente curso , las explicaciones fueron muy claras y la forma de ir desarrollando el proceso del proyecto final me pareció muy adecuada. Super recomendado
Thanks to sharing her fanart and other works on platforms like Behance, she built a reputation and found success as an illustrator, turning it into a full-blown career. Over the years, she's collaborated on illustration and book cover projects with some of the biggest names in publishing, including Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Capstone, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Preparation: communicating emotions with illustration
- Introduction to Photoshop CC
- Theories of composition
- Finding the attitude of the character
- Theory of color and shadows
- U3
The creative process: from research to defining the atmosphere
- Thumbnail and character choice
- Prepare sketch 1
- Prepare sketch 2
- Start coloring: color bases 1
- Start coloring: color bases 2
- Making three-dimensionality
- Creating the mood
- U4
Finalization
- Light and reflections
- Finalize with effects
- Print formats
- FP
Final project
- Illustrate expressions
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
Yes, this course is designed for those who already have basic traditional or digital drawing skills and want to deepen their knowledge of advanced digital illustration and character design techniques.
A basic understanding of Photoshop and fundamental drawing principles is recommended. You’ll also need a computer, a graphics tablet, and an up-to-date version of Photoshop.
You’ll learn how to create full digital illustrations, from gathering references to finalizing your work, managing composition, color, lighting, shadows, facial expressions, and poses for books, fantasy covers, or fanart.
The course covers advanced techniques in composition, character design, color theory, lighting, and professional Photoshop workflows for editorial and artistic illustrations.
You’ll need a computer, a graphics tablet, and Adobe Photoshop installed. Access to the internet for finding references and a collection of digital brushes will also be helpful.
Yes, the course includes sections dedicated to creating illustrations for children’s books and fantasy novel covers, with techniques tailored to the publishing industry.
Yes, the course offers practical guidance on preparing and publishing your illustrations on Behance and other platforms to boost your online visibility.