Creation of Embroidered Portraits
A course by Bugambilo , Visual Artist
Learn to illustrate portraits by combining embroidery techniques
Whenever diverse artistic disciplines come together, beauty and innovation abound. Artist Sol Kesseler, also known as Bugambilo, takes her illustrations to another level by capturing them on canvas with a needle and thread, creating and embroidering truly expressive and unique pieces.
In this online course, join her as she guides you through her creative process to create an image with thread, combining traditional techniques and a contemporary embroidery style.
What will you learn in this online course?
21 lessons & 28 downloads
- 98% positive reviews (909)
- 18,049 students
- 21 lessons (4h 14m)
- 28 additional resources (17 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?
Make an embroidered portrait using the photograph of your choice. Craft a portrait drawn with a needle and thread.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Craft enthusiasts and anyone who wants to learn to draw with embroidery by working with a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques to create a unique portrait.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience in embroidery or drawing is needed. Bugambilo shows you a step-by-step approach to creating an expressive portrait.
As for materials, you'll need a photograph, fabric, some thread (e.g. Mouliné and Perlé sewing thread), scissors, an embroidery hoop, carbon paper, pencil, and paper.
Reviews
Bugambilo
A course by Bugambilo
Sol Kesseler, better known as Bugambilo, is a visual artist and drawer who uses embroidery as a form of plastic art. Although she is trained in visual arts she stumbled across embroidery by chance. Her work has appeared in specialized magazines, private collections, and national as well as international exhibitions.
She currently has her own studio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she embroiders her illustrations and teaches others to discover their passion for thread.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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What are we going to do?
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U2
Embroider as drawing
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Let's assemble the seamstress
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What do we talk about when we say portrait?
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Let's look for the reference
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U3
Let's think about colors
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Let's choose the palette
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Light matters, we make up with grays
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U4
The line guides us
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Sketch and tracing
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Transfer to the web
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To embroider line I
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To embroider line II
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The look I
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The look II
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Nose and mouth
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Hair I
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Hair II
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U5
The structures: weft and warp
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Dressing the character
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Background I
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Background II
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Closing and conclusions
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FP
Final project
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Creation of embroidered portraits
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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
Embroidered portraiture is an art form that blends textile embroidery with the depiction of faces. This course covers everything from selecting materials to crafting detailed, expressive, and realistic portraits on fabric, incorporating drawing, color, and composition techniques.
No prior embroidery experience is required, but basic sewing or drawing skills are recommended. This is an intermediate-level course offering step-by-step guidance and resources for those looking to deepen their skills in textile portraiture.
To get started, you'll need fabric, embroidery threads, specialized needles, an embroidery hoop, scissors, an HB pencil, carbon paper, and a reference photo. Having scissors sharpeners and an organized sewing kit is also recommended to streamline your work.
You’ll learn how to analyze photo references, transfer drawings to fabric, choose color palettes, create simplified sketches, build volume, apply stitch and applique techniques, and finish embroidered portraits with realism and artistic expression.
The course teaches image transfer methods like tracing with carbon paper and sketch simplification. You’ll master precise techniques to maintain proportions and make the embroidery process easier.
Techniques such as shading stitches, satin stitch, and layering threads in varying tones are used to create volume, gradients, and realistic textures for embroidered hair, beards, and eyebrows.
The course guides you through using the color wheel, tonal keys, and harmony principles to select color palettes that create expressive, cohesive combinations matching your reference photo.
Adorei o curso! Recomendo.
Estou fazendo o curso, estou amando cada detalhe, eu recomendo, em breve deixarei meu trabalho.
Excelente curso!!! Me encanto!!! Ya estoy pensando en el proximo de bordado
I was looking for that special technique that make portraits look alive without the heavily threaded faces, and I have finally found it. Realistic portrait embroidery. I never knew embroidered portraits could have looked so natural and real. I love the way this tutor uses different weights of thread for realistic definitions. I really learned a lot and is enjoying this course, it has opened up my senses to a new and useful form of creating portraits.
Very artistic approach to embroidery. I loved how this course opened up the way I viewed embroidery.