Accessibility Statement
    Specialization

    Specialization in Illustration of Female Characters

    Specialization in Illustration of Female Characters

    What will you learn in this specialization?

    A total of 6 modules and 82 lessons
    A total of 16h 51m of vídeo lessons
    Taught by 5 selected expert teachers

    Introduction to Procreate 13

    Introduction to Procreate 1

    Let's start this lesson by seeing what the final project consists of. Then I will show you the main tools I use within Procreate that you will need for the development of the project. I will also explain their properties and peculiarities.

    13m

    Introduction to Procreate 24

    Introduction to Procreate 2

    We continue to discover Procreate's features and tools.

    12m

    Brushes and their effects on the drawing5

    Brushes and their effects on the drawing

    Now, I show you all the brushes I will use for the final project and the different effects they generate on the drawing pad.

    14m

    Characteristics of the cartoon style6

    Characteristics of the cartoon style

    Let's see the basic characteristics of a cartoon style drawing.

    10m

    Anatomy and course of action: fundamental concepts7

    Anatomy and course of action: fundamental concepts

    In this lesson, we start making our first sketch following what we have learned so far. I will also explain some fundamental concepts of female anatomy.

    6m

    Expression study for your illustration8

    Expression study for your illustration

    In this last lesson, I show you how to reproduce facial expressions from photos. We will then do an expression study from scratch to prepare for our final project.

    8m

    Reference photo for the construction of the scene9

    Reference photo for the construction of the scene

    Now I'll show you how to search and select all the images to be taken as a reference for the development of the final project.

    4m

    The sketches10

    The sketches

    In this lesson, we will see how to create the sketches of our character starting from all the images collected as a reference in the previous lesson.

    19m

    Choice of palette11

    Choice of palette

    Now that we've finished perfecting our character sketch, let's do some color tests by creating some palettes. We will then go to choose one to use to color the drawing.

    19m

    Coloring the drawing 112

    Coloring the drawing 1

    Let's move on to add the flat colors, first to the background and then to our character, using the previously chosen color palette.

    13m

    Coloring the drawing 213

    Coloring the drawing 2

    Let's finish the color part by adding details such as the whites of the eyes and shades of the hair.

    11m

    Lights and shadows 114

    Lights and shadows 1

    Now, I'll show you all the steps to follow to add shadows and highlights to the drawing and add volume to the illustration.

    13m

    Lights and shadows 215

    Lights and shadows 2

    Let's move on to add the background lights and finish our illustration from the point of view of lights and shadows.

    14m

    Details to give vitality to the image16

    Details to give vitality to the image

    In this lesson, I'll tell you what details to add to the illustration to make it even more alive and unique.

    16m

    Final changes17

    Final changes

    Now, I'll show you how to apply the latest changes to the illustration to prepare it for sharing. Let's see how to adjust the colors and how to have fun with the tools that Procreate offers.

    6m

    Signature and export18

    Signature and export

    Finally, let's see a quick way to add your signature to the drawing. I'll also explain some ways to export the file based on the use you want to make of it.

    3m

    Creating an Original Character3

    Creating an Original Character

    In this lesson, I’ll give examples of great character design from tv shows and also provide a live demonstration of how you can create a strong appealing character design of your own.

    16m

    Searching for Inspiration4

    Searching for Inspiration

    Here we will be going through my process when searching for references and where I search for them.

    15m

    Creating a Mood Board and Colour Scheme5

    Creating a Mood Board and Colour Scheme

    In this lesson, I will explain to you how to use your character to develop a theme or vice-versa.

    7m

    Composition6

    Composition

    I’ll give an explanation of what composition is and how it can be used to effectively communicate a story or mood in your portraits.

    15m

    Sketching Ideas and Refining7

    Sketching Ideas and Refining

    This lesson will show the sketching stage.

    14m

    Basic Fundamentals and Laying Down Colour8

    Basic Fundamentals and Laying Down Colour

    In this lesson, I’ll add the base colours and discuss key fundamentals to know when trying to create realistic rendering.

    18m

    Rendering Hair and Skin 19

    Rendering Hair and Skin 1

    Using the knowledge we have gathered from previous lessons, in this lesson we go through the rendering process.

    17m

    Rendering Hair and Skin 210

    Rendering Hair and Skin 2

    We will work on the values of the skin of our portrait.

    20m

    Rendering Hair and Skin 311

    Rendering Hair and Skin 3

    Third part of the lesson. Here we will add more detail to the eyes and start working on the layer for the vitiligo.

    8m

    Rendering Hair and Skin 412

    Rendering Hair and Skin 4

    Let's continue to add more details to the portrait and the white strand of hair.

    15m

    Butterflies and Background 113

    Butterflies and Background 1

    In this lesson, the portrait would be about 90% finished at this point, and I would be reviewing my composition sketch to know where to place all the props.

    18m

    Butterflies and Background 214

    Butterflies and Background 2

    Here I will focus on applying shadows to the portrait.

    8m

    Final Details15

    Final Details

    Now that the full illustration is complete, in this lesson, I’ll share some things i like to do to make my art to make it look even better.

    20m

    Using Social Media16

    Using Social Media

    In this lesson, i will discuss how to use social media as a means of promoting yourself.

    6m

    Getting Work17

    Getting Work

    In this lesson, I will discuss different ways to get work with your skills.

    4m

    Observation of the Female Body from Illustrations and Selected Works3

    Observation of the Female Body from Illustrations and Selected Works

    In this lesson I will analyze some iconic works that have women as their central theme and what they transmit from there to integrate these narrative forms into our own illustration.

    14m

    Integration of Symbols and Dream Environments in the Illustration4

    Integration of Symbols and Dream Environments in the Illustration

    Next, you will learn to identify and create dream environments from a metaphorical and symbolic language.

    7m

    The Materials I Work With5

    The Materials I Work With

    Now that we have already covered the most theoretical part, I will talk about the importance of choosing a technique that helps to transmit our message and the possibilities of some of the techniques that I work with.

    7m

    Integrating the Elements6

    Integrating the Elements

    As an example, I will return to the sketch that I made earlier to develop the illustration integrating the visual elements that I have talked about so far.

    5m

    Working with References, Making a Mood Board7

    Working with References, Making a Mood Board

    To start, I would like to talk about the importance of having good visual references and how to use them in the construction of the illustration.

    6m

    The Sketch8

    The Sketch

    To develop the illustration we will start with a sketch, which will be the basis on which we will work and integrate the different elements. Here I show you how I do it!

    7m

    The Color Palette9

    The Color Palette

    Color is fundamental, since it determines the general atmosphere of a graphic work. In this lesson I will show you my process to choose the colors and tones that will make up the color palette of my illustration.

    5m

    Starting to Digitize10

    Starting to Digitize

    Using the original sketch in Procreate, I'll show you which brushes to choose and their characteristics. Then you will see how to digitize the sketch from tracing and simple lines.

    20m

    Shadows and First Textures11

    Shadows and First Textures

    The next step will be to apply shadows and textures to illuminate and give volume to the illustration. You will see how it is acquiring depth!

    13m

    Color Application12

    Color Application

    In this lesson I'll talk about the characteristics of color and show you how I apply base tones to the whole illustration.

    12m

    Color Is Also Texture13

    Color Is Also Texture

    Now you'll learn how to layer color for deeper ambiance and more effective contrast.

    15m

    Details and Final Lights 114

    Details and Final Lights 1

    The next step will be to add the final details of color and light to emphasize shadows and contrasts. It is important to pay close attention to details, since, although they are not the protagonists of the illustration, they do determine the tone of the scene and the story we are telling.

    19m

    Details and Final Lights 215

    Details and Final Lights 2

    I'll keep adding some strokes and details to define the narrative of the scene. Keep in mind that the final illustration will not be exactly as you planned because during the process we are changing elements, shapes and colors depending on how the image develops. This is part of this wonderful process!

    14m

    Sharing Your Work16

    Sharing Your Work

    What can you do with your finished work? You have several possibilities to share your work with the world. I will show you some types of formats to print your illustrations, as well as online platforms in which you can present them.

    5m

    Creation of a Mood Board3

    Creation of a Mood Board

    Every portrait starts with an idea. In this lesson, we will look at creating a mood board to put together a collection of reference images for the course project.

    3m

    Introduction to ArtRage4

    Introduction to ArtRage

    In order for you to become familiar with the software that I will use in this course, I will now show you the most important basic settings and brushes in ArtRage. If you should use another program, feel free to browse for similar brushes.

    12m

    Anatomy of the Face5

    Anatomy of the Face

    To draw a good portrait, you need a basic knowledge of anatomy. In this lesson, I will therefore provide you with a few basic rules that you should follow when drawing your portraits. You will also see how I draw a portrait based on a reference.

    9m

    Basic Colors: Adding Colors to the Face6

    Basic Colors: Adding Colors to the Face

    Now let's look at the base colors on the face. I'm going to show you how I choose and apply subtle shadow and highlight colors.

    15m

    Shadows and Highlights7

    Shadows and Highlights

    To give more life to the portrait, I'm going to show you what blending modes you can use to add an interesting pattern of light to your drawing.

    9m

    Sketching: Composition and Light Source8

    Sketching: Composition and Light Source

    After you have dealt with the basic knowledge, you are now ready for your project! For this we start with a rough sketch, which we will color.

    11m

    Making the Sketch9

    Making the Sketch

    Now I'll show you how to use the quick sketch from the previous lesson as a reference to create clean line art based on it.

    3m

    Base Colors, Shadows, and Highlights10

    Base Colors, Shadows, and Highlights

    In this lesson you will learn how to colorize the line art of your portrait and which brushes and settings work best for the highlights and shadows.

    5m

    Elaborate and Render Individual Elements of the Face11

    Elaborate and Render Individual Elements of the Face

    Now that the base of the portrait is complete, the individual elements can be fleshed out! Here you will see the tools I use to slowly paint over the sketch and add contrast. Take a good look at how I work out the eyes, for example, to make them look relatively real.

    12m

    Light and Textures12

    Light and Textures

    This lesson is about the glow effect! For this I will show you how I add an organic sunlight pattern on the face and suggest a fabric pattern in the clothes. I will also rework individual elements.

    10m

    Color Editing with Photoshop13

    Color Editing with Photoshop

    In this lesson I will show you how I color edit my drawing in Photoshop so that the colors in your portrait come out better.

    5m

    Final Effects and Details14

    Final Effects and Details

    To complete the drawing I will show you here how I add final details like small strands of hair or pores in my portrait.

    4m

    Export for Social Media15

    Export for Social Media

    As an artist, it is important to share your work with the public. So, to finish, I'll show you how to export your portrait for your social networks. I will also give you some general tips about social media.

    4m

    Create the atmosphere of a portrait3

    Create the atmosphere of a portrait

    In this lesson I will tell you about the course project and, in addition, you will learn about how composition and colors influence the atmosphere of a work.

    17m

    Illuminate the face 14

    Illuminate the face 1

    Now I will tell you about how lighting affects faces, keeping in mind the observation and studies of different anatomical elements. Then I'll show you some quick lighting exercises from three different portraits.

    21m

    Illuminate the face 25

    Illuminate the face 2

    I have already shown you different exercises to exemplify three different types of lighting of the face. Now I will continue delving into this same topic, but in this case I will teach you separately and step by step how to illuminate parts of the face such as the ears, mouth, nose and hands.

    17m

    Brushes, patterns and textures 16

    Brushes, patterns and textures 1

    In this lesson, I'll show you a quick way to create brushes with custom settings in Photoshop. I will also show you how to create patterns that will be very useful when working on your illustrations.

    17m

    Brushes, patterns and textures 27

    Brushes, patterns and textures 2

    Now I will show you some exercises to simulate and create various types of textures such as skin tones and hair.

    16m

    Brushes, patterns and textures 38

    Brushes, patterns and textures 3

    Here I will continue to show you how to generate different textures like metal, gold, and grass. I remind you that these are just examples that I have created and that you can use as a reference, but I encourage you to do your research, obtain your own references and create new textures.

    14m

    References, mood board and collage creation9

    References, mood board and collage creation

    For this lesson, I will look for images and color palettes that will help me create my course project, and then use them in a collage that will be the basis of my composition.

    20m

    The skit10

    The skit

    Now I will leave the sketch of the course project ready, making use of the tracing to make the process faster. Go for it.

    13m

    Make the baselines11

    Make the baselines

    In this lesson, I will polish the lines generated in the sketch, to give a cleaner finish to the base of my project.

    21m

    Start with color12

    Start with color

    It's time to color the portrait! In this lesson, I'll separate the flat color fills from the various layered elements, as a base for later detailing.

    15m

    Give character detail 113

    Give character detail 1

    In this lesson, I'll start with the most important part of the project: my character's face. Making use of what I have learned previously, I will detail the features of the portrait. Also, I will work on extra details of the rest of the character.

    19m

    Give character detail 214

    Give character detail 2

    I have finished giving detail to the face of the female protagonist of my portrait, so now I will continue with the painting of the neck and the rest of the body. I will also add some fantastic elements and give the hair more shape.

    18m

    Funds 115

    Funds 1

    Now I'll start working on the hummingbirds which, while not strictly in the background, are external to the character. I will use the references from the mood board, but I will go further and experiment until I achieve the desired effect.

    18m

    Funds 216

    Funds 2

    In this lesson, I'll show you how to detail the background to make your character pop. You will need to make use of what you previously learned about creating patterns and textures. Finally, I will also explain the concept of hierarchy and how to apply it.

    16m

    Corrections and finishes17

    Corrections and finishes

    In this lesson, I'll refine the details and make corrections to the structure of my course project. Additionally, I will think about the extra elements that I would like to add.

    20m

    Settings and filters18

    Settings and filters

    As a close to this unit, I'll put the finishing touches with adjustment masks or Camera Raw filters to balance colors and add vignetting or grain to my project.

    18m

    Export the file for digital or printed version19

    Export the file for digital or printed version

    In this lesson, I will teach you how to choose the appropriate file profile for a digital and print publication. I will also show you the settings and details that you should take into account.

    7m

    Pro Tips20

    Pro Tips

    Now I would like to give you some tips from my experience working as an illustrator that will help you communicate better with potential clients.

    14m

    Recommended software & tools for this course

    What is this course's project?

    Who is this specialization for?

    Requirements and materials

    Select to get to know your teachers in this specialization course

    Valeria Hipocampo

    Valeria Hipocampo

    Illustrator, muralist and tattoo artist

    Fernanda Maya

    Fernanda Maya

    Designer

    Eunice Adeyi

    Eunice Adeyi

    Digital Illustrator

    Isabella Agosti

    Isabella Agosti

    Illustrator and Programmer

    RaidesArt

    RaidesArt

    Illustrator

    See all 5 teachers

    What to expect from this specialization 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

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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.

    • 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

    Yes, this course is designed for intermediate artists who want to enhance their character design, shading, and rendering skills, especially in combining anime and realism with a feminine illustration style.

    You’ll need a digital drawing tablet and software like Procreate or Photoshop. The course focuses on digital techniques such as using layers, alpha lock, lasso tool, and custom brushes.

    Basic experience in digital drawing is recommended, but you don’t need prior expertise in anime or realistic rendering. The course covers techniques for blending both styles.

    You’ll learn how to design original characters, use soft shading and color for feminine styles, combine anime and realism, create expressive poses, organize references, and develop unique character features.

    The course teaches you to analyze references, exaggerate expressions, experiment with features and hairstyles, and use color and composition for visually striking, emotionally engaging female characters.

    Yes, you’ll learn to collect references from Pinterest, create mood boards in Procreate, extract color palettes, and organize inspiration for effective character design workflows.

    You’ll explore techniques from animation, like exaggerating poses and expressions, and composition strategies to create dynamic, expressive illustrations.

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