Sketchbooking for Beginners: Learn to Draw Your Surroundings
A course by Maximiliano Vera Herrera, Illustrator
Overcome your fear of the blank page and learn the fundamentals of drawing any object like a pro
For illustrator Max Vera, always having a sketchbook on hand has opened up a lot of unexpected doors, from making friends to finding work and even traveling. In this online course, he teaches you how to draw by recreating your surroundings and introduces you to your new best friend—the pocket sketchbook.
With Max as your guide, learn the basic principles of sketching to distill what you see into images on paper and draw anything you want. Practice new techniques, explore your creativity, and discover the possibilities of carrying your art with you wherever you go.
What will you learn in this online course?
13 lessons & 17 downloads
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know Max Vera as he tells you about his artistic journey and his relationship with drawing throughout the years. He also shares the influences that helped him find his own style.
Learn how to draw any object in your surroundings by focusing on three key concepts: shapes, colors, and proportions. Discover the essential materials you need to sketch on the go, as well as how to lay out a page and choose interesting references.
Next, make a list of things you like and split them into three levels of difficulty. Start drawing simple objects from the easiest category, like a piece of fruit, and work your way up to more challenging images like a landscape. Max also shows you how to create a basic composition from scratch following the same approach.
See how to enhance certain aspects of your sketches with color and get your finished illustrations ready to share on social media. To round out the course, Max shares some fun ideas on how to make drawing more social, such as starting a creative community, forming drawing groups (whether virtual or physical), and organizing events to meet new people.
- 97% positive reviews (113)
- 4,698 students
- 13 lessons (2h 29m)
- 17 additional resources (7 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Fill the first few pages of your sketchbook with drawings that range in difficulty.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone who's interested in learning to draw, regardless of their skill level.
Requirements and materials
No previous knowledge is required for this course; it's open to anyone who's looking to have fun while learning to draw.
All you need is a notebook and a pencil, or any other drawing tool. Additional materials include an aerosol fixative to preserve your work and your phone to take pictures for social media.
Reviews
Maximiliano Vera Herrera
A course by Maximiliano Vera Herrera
Max Vera is a professional illustrator who has collaborated with a range of studios from around the world on editorial projects, animation backgrounds, and character design. Although much of his work is produced digitally, his favorite kind of drawing is done on the street, or in museums, where he always finds something interesting to depict in his sketchbooks.
Over the course of his career, he has worked with brands throughout South America and the United States. He has also participated in group exhibitions such as Muerte Lenta, PlayFair, and Cartoon Madness.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Equipment and Theory
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Basic Materials
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The Basics: Shapes, Shades, and Proportion
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Tips for the Presentation of the Sketchbook
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U3
How To Start a Sketchbook?
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Drawing Things You Like
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Simple Drawings
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More Complex Drawings
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Drawing a Stage
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Creating Basic Compositions
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U4
Final Tips
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Color Details
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From Paper to Internet
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Drawing in Community
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FP
Final project
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Sketchbooking for Beginners: Learn to Draw Your Surroundings
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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
Yes, this course is designed for beginners and requires no prior drawing experience. You'll start with the basics and progress to more advanced sketchbook sketching techniques.
All you need is a small sketchbook or notebook, a graphite pencil, an eraser, and some highlighters or fineliners. The recommended materials are portable and easy to use anywhere.
You'll learn how to simplify shapes, apply proportions, use tones and color, create compositions, depict everyday objects and urban scenes, and build creativity and confidence in your drawing.
The course teaches you how to break down objects and scenes into basic shapes and silhouettes, making it easier to represent them visually and develop your own illustration style.
It includes practical exercises, observation techniques, and strategies to overcome fear of mistakes, encouraging free practice and creative self-expression with every sketch.
You'll learn principles of visual composition, tonal balance, element placement, and hierarchy so your pages look harmonious and professional.
Yes, the course offers exercises to create characters inspired by cartoons, explore different expressions, and apply design and stylization techniques.
Me gustó mucho el curso. Intentaré estar practicando lo que nos enseñaron. Se me hace una buena aventura y es un buen curso para iniciar
esta bastante bien el curso se me hizo corto realmente, Maximiliano es bueno explicando, solo que me parecio que le habla a un publico un poco mas infantil quizas, estaria bueno que en un futuro saque uno nivel medio o avanzado, igual se rescataron varios tips, asi que bien
Excelente curso me encanta
La verdad me ha gustado desde la presentación que hace, mostrando sus trabajos, progresos y sus influencias artísticas, me he dado cuenta como es importante no ver el dibujo como complicado que a cada rato tienes que hacer dibujos profesionales y con terminados perfectos. Muchas gracias, Maximiliano, he retomado el dibuj, después de años sin tocar mis libretas y herramientas. :)
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