Creative Illustration for Brands
A course by IlustronautaIllustrator, graphic designer and muralist
A course by Ilustronauta, Illustrator, graphic designer and muralist
Learn techniques and resources to create stylish commercial illustrations in Photoshop
Basing your illustrations on some usual themes or concepts, or resorting to specific elements, can help you achieve your own style and be recognizable from the rest of the illustrators. The Ilustronaut resorts to political, satirical and mocking themes in his compositions with character and full of personality, which have made him stand out and work for clients such as 7up, Sprayground, Merrell, Interbank, among others.
In this course, Ilustronauta will teach you to create characters and their universes from the concept of a brand, expressing everything in the composition of a digitally illustrated poster, while you find your own style. You will start with the mood board and the concept, you will go to the sketch and outline, you will do the coloring and shading, until the final finish.
What will you learn in this online course?
20 lessons & 19 downloads
What will we do during the course?
38 seconds
Recurring concepts and themes in my illustration
3 minutes, 23 seconds
Visual elements to build my style of illustration
5 minutes, 32 seconds
Recognize and analyze your weaknesses as an illustrator
1 minute, 53 seconds
How do I approach a real project?
3 minutes, 42 seconds
Conceptualization
4 minutes, 33 seconds
What's included in this course?
You will meet Aldo Estrada, better known as Ilustronauta. He will tell you about his beginnings as a graphic designer and, in parallel, about his career as an illustrator and muralist. He will also share some of his artistic influences.
It will begin by introducing you to recurring themes of his illustrations such as politics or mockery, as well as the usual resources he uses. It will give you some tips to find your own style and resources to illustrate.
You will practice sketching these resources and you will play with several possibilities under the same idea. You will learn to polish aspects such as forced perspectives, hands, complex compositions and more.
You will start your project, you will choose a brand that you like to build on it and create the illustration. You will create a board of references and visual resources. Then you will learn to raise a concept and starting point to create a character and its universe in a creative way.
You will do the sketching: it can be in digital or with pencil and paper if you feel more comfortable. Aldo will show you some Adobe Photoshop resources that he usually uses to speed up the sketching process.
You will proceed to delineate the shapes and then color. You will enter to give detail to your character, his universe and the other elements using Photoshop tools. You will work light, shadow, color and other effects that you will learn, to enhance the illustration.
Finally, Aldo will teach you to search and apply your illustration on a mockup , so the impact of the presentation will be greater and more realistic.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
You will create a poster or poster illustrated with characters inspired by a brand, but also containing your personal style.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
To designers, illustrators or artists who want to refine graphic resources for their personal style and apply them together to the idea of a brand.
Requirements and materials
You will need basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop. Of materials, you will need a computer with the software installed, a graphics tablet (not essential but it will be very helpful), a camera or a cell phone with a camera and, above all, eager to illustrate !
Reviews
- 4 months ago
excelente curso, me encanto
- 8 months ago
Excelente curso
- 1 year ago
Recomiendo firmemente este curso. Me hizo recordar a cuando estaba en el colegio y aún le daba ganas a todos mis ilustraciones libres. Gracias, profe. Aun no aplico pero super enganchada 👍👍 Gracias 👏🏻
- 2 years ago
Awesome course . Very easy and intuitive to use . I totally recomended it
- 3 years ago
Excelente curso, muy bueno para empezar a trabajar y colaborar de manera profesional con las marcas, como ilustrador.
He always felt passion for drawing, art and illustration, which led him to study graphic design. He has had the opportunity to work on branding , visual identity design, game design, posters and more. In parallel he was developing his career as an illustrator and muralist; He is also an illustration teacher at La Cochera Escuela, teaching different workshops on digital, traditional and object intervention both in Peru and abroad.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- What will we do during the course?
- U2
Introduction to illustration and style
- Recurring concepts and themes in my illustration
- Visual elements to build my style of illustration
- Recognize and analyze your weaknesses as an illustrator
- U3
Let's sketch
- How do I approach a real project?
- Conceptualization
- Referral Board
- Let's start sketching!
- U4
To illustrate
- Border
- Colored
- Complementary color exercise
- Shadows and lights I
- Complementary exercise of lights and shadows
- Shadows and Lights II
- Complementary exercise on lights and shadows II
- Effects and background
- Complementary exercise on effects and background
- Final finish
- FP
Final project
- Creative illustration for brands
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
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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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FAQs
You’ll learn digital illustration techniques, poster and packaging design, character creation, visual conceptualization, and how to apply your art to real branding projects and collaborations with brands.
This course is designed for intermediate learners—perfect if you already have basic illustration or graphic design skills and want to boost your abilities for professional projects.
You’ll need a computer with digital illustration software (like Photoshop or Illustrator) and optionally a graphics tablet. Traditional sketching materials like pencil and paper are also recommended.
The course will teach you how to analyze brands, create cohesive visual worlds, and tailor your illustrations to client needs, preparing you to work professionally with brands and agencies.
You’ll learn digital sketching techniques, working with layers, color theory, texturing, symmetry, composition, light and shadow effects, and how to streamline your workflow using tools and shortcuts.
Yes, the course covers creating original characters, fanart, mixing styles, and adding recognizable elements and unique details to your illustrations.
It will guide you in finding references, conceptualizing ideas, analyzing influences, and experimenting with techniques to strengthen your unique style and stand out in the industry.