From Autobiography to Illustrated Story
A course by Paloma ValdiviaIllustrator, Writer and Editor
A course by Paloma Valdivia, Illustrator, Writer and Editor
Learn how to create a picture book starting from a personal story and an object from your childhood
Through colors, lines, and words, it is possible to recreate a story that today only exists in your memory. To help you with this mission, there’s no one better than children’s book’s illustrator and writer Paloma Valdivia. Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages and she has been recognized with several international awards, including The Best Book Awards by UNESCO and the German Graphic Arts Foundation.
In this course, Paloma teaches illustration and writing techniques for you to learn how to create an autobiographical story based on an object from your childhood. See how to rescue the memories inside your head and bring them to life in a unique and intimate illustrated book.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 17 downloads
What will we do in the course?
2 minutes, 36 seconds
Autobiography as a resource
4 minutes, 0 seconds
The importance of registration
8 minutes, 0 seconds
The object and memory
4 minutes, 8 seconds
Materials and how to use them
6 minutes, 45 seconds
Getting to Know the Object
6 minutes, 26 seconds
What's included in this course?
Paloma begins the course by showing you her trajectory and sharing her main artistic references. She then tells the story of how she became an illustrator and how she published her first children's book.
In the next stage, learn some resources and storytelling tools like the autobiography to incorporate into your story. See the importance of creating a daily journal with your thoughts and ideas and how to explore your memories through an object.
In the third unit, find your object and approach it from different perspectives, transforming it into the thread that connects your story. Paloma shares her method for structuring text and shows you how to make the first sketches for your final illustration.
Then, give the final shape to your illustrated story, adjusting your sketches until you define your final drawing. Learn how to work with graphite and paint, applying different coloring techniques to achieve the desired atmosphere.
In the final stage, polish your text, paying special attention to the cover and the final sentence of your story. Finally, Paloma gives you some advice on promoting and sharing your creation.
What is this course's project?
Create a written and illustrated autobiographical story, based on an object from your childhood.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone who wishes to tell a personal story using illustration and writing techniques.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, it is recommended to have basic drawing skills.
Regarding materials, you will need a phone with a camera, an object from your childhood to base your story on, sheets of A3 drawing paper, pencils, erasers, ink, rulers, pens, and colored pencils.
Reviews
- 2 months ago
Curso muy explicativo y claro. Totalmente recomendable.
- 3 months ago
Excelente¡ Esta muy bien explicado¡
- razsuPLUS5 months ago
I loved the course. I’ve learned a lot. Thank you!
- 6 months ago
I really enjoyed the course and admire the artist. I learned a lot. The English dubbing jumps from one voice to another which makes it hard to listen to. But otherwise it is a fun and helpful class.
- 7 months ago
J’ai beaucoup aimé ce cours. Cette approche inédite de partir d’un objet, m’aide beaucoup tant dans mon écriture que dans l’illustration et évite de se trouver face à une page blanche.
With work translated into more than twenty languages, she has been recognized internationally with the New Horizon Award of the Bologna Children's Book Fair (Italy), the BIB PLAQUÉ of the Bratislava Biennial of Illustration (Slovakia), the Municipal Literature Award of Santiago (Chile), The Best Book Awards granted by UNESCO and the German Graphic Arts Foundation, and the Little Bird Award, among others.
Besides having her own publishing house dedicated exclusively to children’s books, Ediciones Liebre, Paloma has collaborated with publishers and entities including Amanuta (Chile), Fondo de Cultura Económica (Mexico), Kalandraka (Spain), La Joie de Lire (Switzerland), Fatatrac, (Italy), and Enchanted Lion Books (USA).
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Introduction
- Influences
- What will we do in the course?
- U2
Narrative theory
- Autobiography as a resource
- The importance of registration
- The object and memory
- Materials and how to use them
- U3
Let's Get to It
- Getting to Know the Object
- Building the Story
- Creating the First Sketches
- U4
Creating the Story
- Making a clean copy of the sketch
- Working with graphite and ink
- Use of color and final details
- Cover, text writing and closing
- Share the story
- FP
Final project
- From Autobiography to Illustrated Story
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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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 how to create illustrated autobiographical stories, exploring drawing techniques, personal journaling, visual storytelling, and editing to express your own experiences and emotions in books and creative projects.
No, this is an intermediate-level course, perfect for those who already have basic skills in illustration or storytelling and want to dive deeper into illustrated autobiography.
You’ll need sketchbooks, graphite pencils, ink, colored markers, sketching materials, and personal objects for the practical exercises.
The course teaches techniques for self-exploration, documenting and analyzing meaningful objects, and methods to connect emotions and memories with images and visual metaphors.
You’ll explore graphite, dry brush, ink, polychrome, shading, and layering techniques, along with how to use stains, textures, and details to enrich your illustrations.
Yes, the course includes strategies for creating illustrated books, especially aimed at children, covering format selection, storytelling, and building an emotional connection with readers.
You’ll learn how to capture ideas, choose relevant memories, structure your story, sketch scenes, and edit both text and illustrations to craft a coherent and moving personal comic.