Surreal Illustration with Watercolor and Ink
A course by Marija Tiurina, Artist and Illustrator
Explore your inner universe by combining drawing techniques and watercolors to create a playful self-portrait filled with colorful detail
Want to create artwork that pushes boundaries and has a deeper meaning? By combining watercolor, ink, and Photoshop, artist and illustrator Marija Tiurina creates detailed illustrations that explore her imagination and uncover what’s beyond the surface. Her introspective and mixed-media approach has led to collaborations with the likes of Apple, Wacom, Netflix, Adobe, and Saatchi & Saatchi.
In this online course, she teaches you how to mix drawing and watercolor techniques with digital tools to convey your thoughts as surreal illustrations. Learn to look inwards for inspiration and find a more profound form of expression.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 23 downloads
What's included in this course?
Meet Marija Tiurina, artist, illustrator, and your teacher for the course. Hear about her creative journey that led her from Lithuania to London, along with the influences that have shaped her style.
First, Marija introduces you to the course materials and guides you through a couple of exercises to practice using them. Explore watercolors, brushes, and how they behave on paper before experimenting with color combinations by painting a few flowers. Then, gather inspiration and elaborate on your ideas through a mind map.
Learn about shapes, proportions, and composition, and apply these concepts by drawing a sketch in Photoshop. Transfer the design to paper and start filling it in with several layers of watercolor, followed by shadows and details to give it definition.
Finally, bring your illustration to life with a touch of glitter and gloss. Marija wraps up by showing you how to scan and refine your artwork digitally to print or share on social media.
- 99% positive reviews (138)
- 5,941 students
- 15 lessons (3h 28m)
- 23 additional resources (5 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish (Latam), French, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Illustrate a surreal self-portrait with watercolors and ink, depicting your head as a home for your thoughts.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Artists, illustrators, painters, and anyone who’s interested in exploring their inner universe through art.
Requirements and materials
Basic drawing skills and notions of Photoshop are recommended for this course.
As for materials, you need paper and standard drawing and watercolor supplies, as well as a computer with Photoshop and access to a scanner or digital camera. A digital tablet is also recommended, but not essential.
Reviews
Marija Tiurina
A course by Marija Tiurina
Marija Tiurina is a Lithuanian artist and illustrator based in the Netherlands. She knew from a young age she wanted to pursue art as a career and moved to London to study multimedia design, building her portfolio along the way. After gaining some experience as a junior designer, she decided to try her luck as a freelancer and quickly found success, illustrating for the likes of Apple, Wacom, Netflix, Adobe, and Saatchi & Saatchi. She currently works as an in-house illustrator for the children’s book publisher Wonderbly.
When she’s not creating for clients, she loves to experiment with personal projects and explore new techniques and styles. Each project is an opportunity to step outside of her comfort zone and push the boundaries of her creativity to grow as an artist. A prime example was The Lockdown Project, where she asked her followers to submit their dreams, thoughts, ideas, fears, and passions, which she then transformed into a large, surreal watercolor painting.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
The First Steps
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The Materials
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Watercolour Techniques
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Experimenting with Colour
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Surreal Inspiration
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U3
Developing and Refining the Project
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Sketching Forms
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Rough Sketches: Concept and Composition
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Tracing on Watercolour Paper
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The First Watercolour Layer 1
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The First Watercolour Layer 2
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Additional Watercolour Details 1
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Additional Watercolour Details 2
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U4
The Finishing Touches
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The Glitter and Gloss
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Scanning and Preparing for Print
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FP
Final project
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Surreal Illustration with Watercolor and Ink
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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 with no prior experience in watercolor or illustration. It covers foundational techniques and gradually introduces more advanced concepts.
You'll need basic watercolor supplies, watercolor paper, brushes, fine-tip pens, a digital tablet (optional), a scanner, and access to Photoshop or similar editing software. A light box is helpful for sketch transfers.
You will learn watercolor painting techniques, portfolio building, combining traditional and digital media, creating surreal and figurative illustrations, and digitizing artwork for professional presentation.
The course guides you through personal and professional projects, helping you create a diverse, high-quality portfolio that showcases your unique style and technical skills to potential clients or employers.
Yes, the course covers both traditional watercolor and digital illustration techniques, including how to blend traditional textures with digital tools for unique results.
Absolutely. The course includes practical workflows, portfolio advice, and real-world tips tailored to aspiring freelance illustrators and artists.
The course focuses on creative portfolio development using watercolor, traditional and digital media, and surrealist approaches to figurative illustration, with an emphasis on personal expression and technical skill.
I would have liked to learn a bit more about her creative process and style—the reasoning behind certain decisions regarding drawing, composition, colors, and so on. At times, I felt like she already had a clear idea of what she wanted to show us, and we simply watched her carry it out, without some needed and more detailed (and maybe more "technical"?) explanations. Still, there’s no denying that Marija is incredibly talented, and I’m really enjoying this course anyway. It's such an inspiration
Mi è stato molto utile per capire come gestire gli acquerelli nelle illustrazioni, consigliato!
¡Me encantó! El estilo de la profesora y la idea de proyecto son perfectos para aprender. El paso a paso te permite entender todo el proceso y te inspira para crear tus propias obras. Me desbloqueo para poder crear ilustraciones con detalles pequeños. Muy buen curso.
This is a wonderful course, I learned so much. Such an inspiration and I love her art.
What an inspiring artist, I really loved this course!