Guided Course: Create a Balanced and Visually Appealing Sketchbook
Course final project
A guided course by Mattias Adolfsson , Illustrator
About the final project for: Guided Course: Create a Balanced and Visually Appealing Sketchbook
Guided Course: Create a Balanced and Visually Appealing Sketchbook
“Final Project: Everyday Things, Illustrated Now it’s your turn to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary. In this project, you’ll bring everyday objects to life by transforming them into expressive characters, placing them in perspective, and adding color and personality. Whether you follow one of the ideas below or create your own, the key is to play, explore, and have fun with your sketchbook. Let your imagination take the lead and enjoy the process of building your own illustrated world. 1. Object to Character: Bring the Everyday to Life Pick three common objects — like a cup, a chair, or a toothbrush — and turn them into characters with faces, gestures, and personality. Project example: A sleepy alarm clock chatting with a wide-eyed coffee pot on a Monday morning. 2. Mini Scene in Perspective: Characters in Their World Draw your object-characters in a simple environment using basic perspective. Build a space where they live, work, or play. Project example: An office scene in two-point perspective, where pens, clips, and staplers act out their daily routine. 3. Isometric Layout: Structure with Style Use isometric perspective to create a more technical or organized scene, ideal for showing action across a grid. Project example: A miniature kitchen where each appliance-character is preparing something on a different platform. 4. Add Color: Make Your Characters Pop Use watercolor, markers, or pencils to bring vibrancy and depth to your characters. Experiment with contrast and mood. Project example: A character made from a fan colored in cool blues, standing next to a toaster glowing with warm reds. 5. Personal Touch: Let Your Style Shine Use your favorite techniques — bold ink lines, textures, or exaggeration — to make the final piece uniquely yours. Project example: A spread of object-characters each drawn with different shading styles or exaggerated proportions. Once your project is ready, share it in the forum along with your creative process. Show your initial sketches, perspective tests, color choices, and final artwork. Whether your piece is playful, strange, or poetic, it’s a reflection of your imagination — and your take on the world around you. Keep drawing, keep observing, and most of all, keep having fun.”
Course summary for: Guided Course: Create a Balanced and Visually Appealing Sketchbook
-
Category
Illustration -
Areas
Drawing, Pencil Drawing, Sketchbook, Traditional illustration
Mattias Adolfsson
A guided course by Mattias Adolfsson
Mattias Adolfsson has been working as a freelance illustrator for over eleven years. While working as a graphic designer in the computer games industry, he started sharing his work on social media, where he began his successful career in illustration.
His long list of clients includes Nickelodeon, Disney, Dreamworks, Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers, and other important animation studios. He has also illustrated for magazines including The New Yorker, The Hollywood Reporter, and The New York Times.
Mattias has created a variety of illustration work in areas like product design, for baby clothes brand Atelier Choux Paris, record sleeves, as well as an art commission for the largest hospital in Sweden.
- 48 students
- 9 lessons (1h 43m)
- 8 additional resources (2 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, German, Spanish, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Category
Areas
