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    Visual Development: Illustrate Imaginary Settings

    A course by Lara PickleVisual Development Artist

    Visual Development: Illustrate Imaginary Settings

    Visual development involves building the aesthetic and atmosphere of imaginary worlds for media projects, from video games to animation. Larisa Bumb, better known as Lara Pickle on social media, is an illustrator specializing in this form of story-driven art. Her quirky, cartoon-style designs can be seen in animated shows like Nickelodeon’s Pony and Netflix’s Dead End: Paranormal Park.

    In this online course, discover the creative process behind illustrating visual environments. Lara teaches you how to develop concept-based compositions from start to finish and convey ideas through lines, colors, and texture. Explore your imagination and design artwork that sets the tone for a story.

    What will you learn in this online course?

    19 lessons & 27 downloads

    View all lessons ↓

    What's included in this course?

    Get to know Lara Pickle as she tells you about her creative journey through many roles in the animation industry, along with the artists that have influenced her work.

    Discover what visual development is, what it entails, and how it differs from similar art forms. Then dive into your project by reading the brief and brainstorming some initial ideas.

    Gather inspiration in a mood board and sketch a set of thumbnails, trying out different compositions. Once you’ve landed on the definitive design, layer in details to give your space personality before enriching it with lighting and color.

    To wrap up, Lara gives you some advice on how to present your work professionally and get started in the industry.

    Recommended software & tools for this course

    What is this course's project?

    Illustrate a room based on a character concept and prompt.

    Visual Development: Illustrate Imaginary Settings

    Projects by course students

    Who is this online course for?

    Artists, illustrators, designers, animators, and anyone who wants to learn more about visual development for storytelling.

    Requirements and materials

    Basic drawing skills and familiarity with Photoshop are required.

    In terms of materials, you need a computer with access to Photoshop. A graphics tablet and stylus are also recommended.

    Visual Development: Illustrate Imaginary Settings

    Reviews

    6,329
    Students
    74
    Reviews
    100%
    Positive ratings
    • paulapolosanez
      3 months ago

      Ame el curso <3 explica muy bien e inspira un monton !

    • kevin_j_sandoval_m
      5 months ago

      muy bueno! explica bastante bien

    • stefluvv
      8 months ago

      Well written course and a lot of extra material that's been incredibly useful (like the Marco Bucci youtube series). Highly recommended!

    • amaury_arenas
      10 months ago

      ¡Muy buen curso!

    • windows_xp
      PLUS
      1 year ago

      Este curso es grandioso.

    More reviews
    Lara Pickle

    Lara Pickle

    Teacher
    Plus

    Visual Development Artist

    Joined September 2021

    Larisa Bumb, better known as Lara Pickle, is a Spanish-Romanian visual development artist based in the UK. Inspired by the cartoons of her childhood, she always knew she wanted to draw for a living. Although she studied animation, she found that her passion lay elsewhere in the industry. She loves the behind-the-scenes work of developing characters and the environments they live in, as it gives her the freedom to explore her imagination and tell stories through her art.


    Over the course of her career, Lara has developed designs for animated shows like Nickelodeon’s Pony, Netflix’s Dead End: Paranormal Park, Nella the Princess Knight, and Powerbirds, as well as the musical P.S. I’m a Terrible Person and the comic Kajko and Kokosz. She has also published her own graphic novel Estoy fatal, gracias.

    Content

    • U1

      Introduction

      • About Me
      • Influences
    • U2

      Preparing the Project

      • What is Visual Development?
      • Key Elements of Visual Development
      • The Brief
    • U3

      Creating the Room

      • Initial Research and Inspiration 1
      • Initial Research and Inspiration 2
      • Thumbnails and Sketches 1
      • Thumbnails and Sketches 2
      • Thumbnails and Sketches 3
      • The Design 1
      • The Design 2
      • The Design 3
      • Painting and Lighting 1
      • Painting and Lighting 2
      • Painting and Lighting 3
      • Painting and Lighting 4
    • U4

      Additional Tips

      • Presenting Your Work
      • Final Advice
    • FP

      Final project

      • Visual Development: Illustrate Imaginary Settings

    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

      PLUS

      If 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

    Visual development for animation focuses on creating the overall look, feel, and mood of animated projects, including backgrounds, environments, and color schemes, while concept art is more about quickly visualizing key ideas for characters, props, or settings. Both support storytelling but serve distinct roles.

    Yes, this course is designed for intermediate-level artists who want to expand their skills in visual storytelling, background painting, and environment design for animation, games, and theatre.

    You should have a basic understanding of digital art tools like Photoshop or Procreate, and some experience with drawing or painting. Familiarity with layers and digital brushwork will help you get the most from the lessons.

    You’ll learn visual development workflows, color theory, composition, mood board creation, digital painting techniques, storytelling with light and color, and how to design environments that reflect character and narrative for animation, games, and theatre.

    Storytelling shapes every aspect of background and environment design, guiding choices in color, composition, lighting, and props to support narrative, evoke emotion, and reveal character traits visually.

    Yes, you’ll learn how to curate, annotate, and structure mood boards and reference images in Photoshop or Procreate to inform and inspire your visual development projects.

    The course explores both texturized digital painting and clean vector illustration methods, teaching how to choose and apply each style for different visual storytelling needs.

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