Atmospheric Painting in Procreate: From Concept to Color
A course by Deb JJ Lee
, Illustrator
Learn to follow your artistic intuition to create atmospheric illustrations by experimenting with concepts, color, and composition
- Best seller
- 100% positive reviews (4)
- 1154 students
- Audio: English
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch

Learn to follow your artistic intuition to create atmospheric illustrations by experimenting with concepts, color, and composition
- 100% positive reviews (4)
- 1154 students
- 16 lessons (2h 40m)
- 16 additional resources (2 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
The atmosphere of an image is built upon visual elements, but it can impact the viewer on an emotional level. That’s why illustrator Deb JJ Lee relies on both technique and artistic intuition to shape the mood in her pieces. This approach has led her to work with brands like Adobe, Google, and Facebook, and with media outlets such as The Washington Post and NPR.
In this online course, learn to paint atmospheric illustrations in Procreate. Deb teaches you how to develop a concept by following your instincts, as well as how to express emotions through color, composition, and linework. Trust your mind to guide creative decisions and produce art that moves your audience.

What will you learn in this online course?
Course table of contents
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U1U1. Introduction
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U2U2. Digital Drawing and Illustration Basics
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U3U3. The Illustration from Start to Finish
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U4U4. What Comes Next?
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FPFP Final project
Get to know Deb Lee as she talks you through her creative journey from playing violin to UX design and finally illustration. Discover her influences and what inspires the work she creates.
Learn how to use the main features of Procreate. Then, choose a scene to draw and see how to ethically source references to inspire your composition, before developing it through a series of thumbnails.
Next, Deb teaches you how to turn your loose sketch into a polished piece step by step. Define shapes, sharpen details, and explore how color can build atmosphere, as well as strengthen storytelling aspects.
After layering the linework, refine the image using your teacher’s improvised approach. Make any last-minute adjustments before exporting your file to share.
To wrap up, Deb shows you how to create a strong portfolio website. She also shares some invaluable tips on the illustration industry and how to overcome creative block.
What is this course's project?
Create a digital illustration based on a film or book that conveys the atmosphere and emotions of the story.

Who is this online course for?
Anyone with an interest in digital drawing who wants to learn how to follow their creative intuition.
Requirements and materials
Basic drawing skills and notions of Procreate are recommended but not essential.
As for materials, you need an iPad with Procreate and a compatible stylus.

Reviews

A course by Deb JJ Lee
Deborah Lee is a Korean illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY. During the last year of her design degree at Carnegie Mellon University, she realized that drawing was her true passion and spent the years after graduating developing her portfolio while working as a UX designer in Silicon Valley. In 2020, Deb made the leap to a full-time freelancing career. As a self-taught illustrator, she relies on both technique and intuition to create art with a strong emotional charge.
Deb has collaborated with brands such as Google, Facebook, Lyft, LinkedIn, and Procreate, as well as media outlets like New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and PBS. In the editorial field, she has illustrated for publishers including HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Simon and Schuster. She also wrote her own graphic memoir, IN LIMBO, and has been awarded for her work by the Society of Illustrators and Adobe.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Digital Drawing and Illustration Basics
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Techniques and Tools
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Selecting the Scene and References
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Effective Compositions 1
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Effective Compositions 2
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U3
The Illustration from Start to Finish
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Detailing the Sketch 1
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Detailing the Sketch 2
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Telling a Story with Color 1
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Telling a Story with Color 2
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Laying in the Linework
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Cleaning Up and Improvising
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Making the Final Touches and Exporting
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U4
What Comes Next?
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Portfolio-Building
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The Illustration Business
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How to Overcome Creative Blocks
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FP
Final project
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Atmospheric Painting in Procreate: From Concept to Color
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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
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
tinycharis
Amazing help on my artistic journey!
vkernweis
very helpful!
roxy_spaniel
Cool illustrations!
zimbrowski
nice stuff:)