Graphic Design Basics for Illustrators
A course by Silvio Díaz Labrador, Graphic designer
Learn the secrets of design and create a visual campaign with illustrations
In graphic communication, as in any discipline, to be able to break the rules it is necessary to know them first. In this course you will learn the secrets of graphic design that you always wanted to learn, in order to become a communicator of solid ideas and concepts through your drawings and illustrations.
From the hand of Silvio Díaz - graphic designer and collaborator of the Mariscal studio in Barcelona (Spain) - you will learn to create a communication campaign from an illustration. You will work the typography in great detail and color in an identity way, while discovering the power of graphic synthesis to generate effective and technically perfect communication pieces, adaptable to any medium.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 17 downloads
What's included in this course?
You will start knowing Silvio's work while reviewing his influences.
You will learn all the steps that good graphic communication has to go through; you will analyze the order and you will consider a concept from a briefing , you will review the basis of graphic design emphasizing the importance of color, typography and image synthesis.
Then you will learn to synthesize your illustrations through vector drawing, you will create a color palette that defines your project, at the same time that you give personality to the illustration and you will generate a graphic system through a previously chosen typeface.
You will know the most effective composition tricks so that your illustration, color and typography work as a masterpiece , while creating a reticle. Once this is done, you will make adaptations in different formats.
You will finally learn to make a final art, paying special attention to the color modes, so that your original can be reproduced in the desired medium without problems. As a last practice you will prepare an original, reducing the color to two flat inks, to be screen printed on a tote bag .
- 100% positive reviews (123)
- 2,268 students
- 16 lessons (2h 21m)
- 17 additional resources (2 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software & tools for this course
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
From your basic illustrations you will create a graphic campaign with a lot of identity for an NGO in defense of animals. You will make versions of posters in various formats.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
To illustrators, artists, designers and anyone interested in the foundations of graphic design and the exploration of illustration as a communicative language.
Requirements and materials
You will need basic knowledge of Adobe Illustrator.
As for the materials, you will only need a computer with the mentioned program installed and a few illustrations of the animals you like to draw.
Reviews
Silvio Díaz Labrador
A course by Silvio Díaz Labrador
Silvio Díaz is a graphic designer and art director based in Barcelona (Spain). He specializes in off and online art direction, corporate typography, packaging and editorial design, always establishing synergies with the best professionals.
He works at Estudio Mariscal, where he has been in the team of multidisciplinary illustrator and designer Javier Mariscal for the last six years. His role in the study is to complement and shape his illustrations to turn them into pieces of graphic communication.
He has worked for clients such as Desigual, Ajuntament de Barcelona, Movistar, La Casacend, Brugal, Roca, Louis Vuitton and Camper, among others. His work has been recognized by the National Design Awards Anuaria, published in books such as Selec C of Indexbook and exhibited at Typo_mad fest.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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What will we do in the course?
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U2
The ingredients of good graphic design
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Briefing: concept and needs of the project
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Color as adjective: Tone, harmony, contrast, vibration ...
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Typography
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Image Synthesis
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U3
Hands-on: to work the graphic
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From the original to the synthesis
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Create the color palette
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Give personality to your illustration
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Work the typography
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U4
Composition and format adaptations
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Let's make a grid
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Forms of Composition
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Format Adaptations
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U5
Color outings and final art
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Conversion and reduction of color samples
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Final art
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FP
Final project
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Basis of graphic design for illustrators
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
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Meet expert teachers
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FAQs
You’ll master the basics of graphic design, including grids, typography, color, and visual synthesis to create professional campaigns and illustrations for both print and digital media.
Yes, this course is designed for those with basic graphic design or illustration skills who want to deepen their knowledge of advanced techniques, tools, and concepts.
It’s recommended to have a basic understanding of Illustrator since most exercises and projects use this vector design software.
You’ll need a computer with Adobe Illustrator installed, internet access, and optionally a sketchbook or mood boards.
You’ll create visual communication campaigns, posters, vector illustrations, and graphic pieces tailored to various print and digital formats, working from briefing through to final art.
Graphic synthesis means simplifying images and visual ideas using shapes, lines, and colors to communicate messages clearly and directly in posters and campaigns.
Yes, you’ll learn how to extract, create, and apply coherent color palettes, managing color to achieve harmony, contrast, and visual consistency in your projects.
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Es un curso muy práctico y útil, también se muestran caminos para profundizar.
Este curso es genial, entendi perfectamente todo desde el inicio al final
This course was just what I was hoping to find, to give me new tools for improving my illustration practice. Thank you!
Es un excelente curso, muy claro y practico ideal para ayudarte a experimentar en el diseño
Me ha encantado!!!! he aprendido muchísimos atajos, herramientas, recursos... está genial, lo recomiendo muchísimo :)