Grab a pencil and a piece of paper and let your imagination soar, no matter what your level.
Learn the basic rules of this fundamental art technique Perspective in drawing is the art of representing three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface, giving a realistic appearance to the items drawn in terms of their width, height, and depth. When drawing in perspective, we depict a scene where all objects are accurately placed in relation to each other, faithfully respecting their distance from the viewer.
Watch these expert illustrators draw iconic superheroes and villains Superheroes and villains are an eternal source of entertainment and inspiration on television, films, or in comic books. These seven incredible time-lapses reveal the work of comic masters and show how they illustrate iconic Marvel and DC characters. Watch how they use digital and analog techniques to capture the essence of these lovable characters. Joker: Procreate timelapse Graphic designer and illustrator, Germán González (@germangonzalez), creates digital portraits of characters from his favorite movies and series. This Procreate timelapse shows how he illustrates the Joker (as played by Joaquin Phoenix). Learn how to take your illustrations to the next level in Germán’s course, Adobe Photoshop for Brush Creation.
Discover the perfect technique for drawing with paint markers to create bright, colorful illustrations with James Chapman Posca pens are an industry classic. While often associated with graffiti, there is a lot more you can do with these mighty markers. James Chapman (@jameschapman) is a digital artist who began using Posca pens to get a break from the screen, and in the process his charming illustrations have drawn him an impressive following. In this tutorial, he shares some basic techniques that he has developed for using Posca pens.
Learn to create your own manga and anime characters with Domestika experts Manga character drawing is a creative discipline inspired by the aesthetic and anatomical features of traditional Japanese comics. The following courses teach you how to illustrate manga and anime-style facial expressions and create kawaii characters. You can also learn coloring techniques and how to animate your creations. If you want to perfect your technique, you may want to check your progress with a little help from these illustrators, whatever your level of experience. They will inspire you with their work and reference material, and they'll share their methods so you can develop your own manga-style characters. Creation of Manga Characters, a course by Andrea Jen Andrea is one of the leading manga design figures in the Spanish-speaking world. She will teach you to create your own characters from the concept idea to the character sheet. You'll get to draw male and female figures in different poses, conveying emotions of various intensity.
Discover more about this format and the key characteristics of Japanese illustration The word “manga” refers to Japanese comics and graphic novels. The manga industry is huge and a key part of Japanese culture: its reach goes way beyond the country’s borders. In this blog post, we explore the history and main features of this genre.
We select 10 projects that will help you to fill your sketchbook, whatever your drawing level Drawing is one of life’s greatest creative pleasures. However, many people are held back by self-doubt, under the impression that the quality of their sketches isn't good enough, or feeling like they’ve run out of ideas for a new project. Below, 10 Domestika teachers share easy and fun ideas for sketching projects. While our recommendation is to start them in a sketchbook, you only really need a piece of paper and a pencil to try them out. You'll see that you don't need to be an expert to get your hand moving and unleash your creativity. A love for silhouettes Find a couple of reference images. You can look them up on the internet, or better yet, find them in books, magazines, on postcards, or whatever you have around the house. They can be works of art or photographs; what’s important is that you feel a connection with the image. Now, look at the image. What shapes do you see? How are they distributed within the composition? Once you have a basic understanding of the shape of the image, draw its silhouette. In other words, draw the outline of the image first, then color in the space inside your shape. Learn more creative techniques with illustrator and designer Manuel Vargas in his course, Creative Sketchbooks for Illustration Projects.
Karishma Chugani answers, and illustrates, questions about her creative life Karishma Chugani (@karishma_chugani) is an illustrator and paper artist who has authored and illustrated multiple books. Fascinated by storytelling, her work often plays with ancient and immersive narrative formats like theater books and story boxes. In this Draw Yourself, Chugani illustrates her journey with a pen, paper, and a pair of scissors, answering questions about her life and loves. From what inspires her and the places she’s from, to how she represents herself as a multi-armed goddess, Chugani demonstrates her talent for storytelling and narrative illustration.
This glossary explains the different terms related to Japanese animation and comic genres If you're looking to venture into the world of Japanese manga and anime but don't quite know where to begin, this guide is for you! Whether you’re on the hunt for a new favorite series or movie, or you want to learn how to illustrate your own comics inspired by these styles, getting to grips with some of the most commonly used terms is sure to help you discover what suits your tastes and needs. Anime vs. Manga Manga is the name given to graphic novels and comics from Japan, or those that adhere to this school of illustration. The term means "improvised images.”
We look back on the most important moments from Carlos’ professional career, such as winning a gold medal at the ÑH 2020 Awards The achievements of Carlos Rodríguez Casado (@carlosrodriguezcasado) will make your jaw drop. His cartoons have been published in magazines such as Interviú, Jot Down, El Jueves, and Líbero, as well as other international publications. His work can often be spotted in the Spanish national newspaper, El Mundo, portraying personalities from the world of politics, with his drawings often appearing on front pages. Recently, he won the gold medal at the ÑH 2020 Awards, which celebrates journalistic design across media titles in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. We caught up with Carlos, who is also a Domestika teacher, to discuss his profession, his favorite projects, and the path he took to become a professional illustrator. He also talks about his dreams, such as getting to illustrate one of The New Yorker’s legendary covers and the determination it takes to keep making a living doing what he loves. That, he insists, he discovered very early on.
Architect and illustrator Héctor López shares a useful guide to understand the technique for drawing architectural objects and perspective In drawing, perspective is used to represent spatial depth. It is a way of looking at three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional plane or surface. This representation helps us understand the proportions and depths of the elements we are drawing and is extremely useful to understand the shape of an object. Both architects and illustrators know perfectly the power of perspective: it creates depth through drawing and therefore realism.
Illustrator James Chapman on why he chose a career in art after completing a PhD in physics Over the last five years, illustrator designer James Chapman (@jameschapman) has written and illustrated his own books; worked on projects for Disney, Nickelodeon, and Universal as a 2D designer at the animation studio, Brown Bag Films; created viral content for Buzzfeed; and seen his POSCA pen sketchbook series evolve, attracting tens of thousands of followers to his Instagram account. James describes his specialty as “making art that’s cute and colorful and overall entertaining.” James grew up in an artistic household in the West Midlands in England. “My dad was an architect, and my brother was very good at drawing.” Inspired by the talents in the family, he set about practicing his drawing skills at a very young age, producing pictures of the things he liked most (namely Sonic the Hedgehog). Aged 16, he came to a crossroads when picking the subjects he would study at A-level–a decision that would determine what he could go on to study at university. Forced to decide between science and art, he eventually chose science and went on to study physics, right up to PhD level.
Visual artist and business mentor Clauda Sahuquillo shares the four steps We all have dreams we’re working towards, but without commitment and consistency it’s all too easy for our big ideas to simply fade away. Not for Claudia Sahuquillo, however. Claudia first caught public attention with her #SkinIsTheNewCanvas campaign where she painted patterns and shapes on naked women’s bodies. Now, an owner of three businesses, a mentor for young creatives, and a thriving full time artist herself, she is living her constantly evolving dream and is determined to show others how they can do the same.
Learn how to draw using line work, dot work, and solid shading, to create a unique design, with Sophie Mo There is no one way to design a tattoo. In fact, most benefit from a variety of techniques. Understanding which ones to use and how to apply them will ensure you achieve the effect you want. Sophie Mo (@sophiemoillustration) is a tattoo artist whose designs have also been used by Squarespace, the BBC, and size? In this tutorial, she shares when, why, and how to use line work, dot work, and solid shading in your tattoo designs.
Did you know she can write backwards? This Draw Yourself reviews some of the key moments of her creative career.
Artist Annie Weir shares a guide to practice hand lettering and calligraphy
Use this beautiful sketch by Connie Lim to create your own fashion illustration of Audrey Hepburn during Connie’s Domestika Live Audrey Hepburn’s beautiful features have been the inspiration for countless drawings by professionals and amateurs the world over. To pay homage to the style icon on the anniversary of her death, multimedia fashion illustrator Connie Lim will be using her unique technique to illustrate a famous image of Audrey Hepburn on her Domestika Live. Connie has prepared this sketch from a photo for you to download and print out and follow along as she takes us through her process.
Learn where ideas come from when creating characters and worlds so you can draw your own, with Nathan Jurevicius It’s easy to think we are out of ideas but, with a little creativity, you will find that there are a lot more characters to be designed inside your head than you realize. Nathan Jurevicius is a creative director and designer who has created characters for video games, toys, virtual reality stories, and editorials. In this tutorial, he shares a simple way to tap into your creativity.
Laura McKendry shares tips and techniques for taking references from photos and videos to create art inspired by nature Laura McKendry (@laura_mckendry) is an educator and illustrator who has developed an approach founded on curiosity and experimentation. Her creations have been licensed worldwide for book covers, gift-wrap, homeware, fabric, greetings cards, and more, working with clients such as Waterstones, John Lewis, Laura Ashley, Woodmansterne, and Profile Books. Inspired by the natural world, she looks to what she says makes life fascinating, beautiful, and delicious: fruit, herbs, wild animals, the sea, the changing seasons, and much more. She works mostly in watercolor, ink, charcoal, and colored pencils.
Discover the materials you need to create Manga style drawings using marker pens, with illustrator Taniidraw
The Boston Public Library has digitized several dozens of Escher prints Enigmatic and brilliant, the work of M. C. Escher is worthy of admiration. That's why institutions that keep some of his engravings safe often exhibit them publicly so that we all can enjoy them. One of these institutions is the Boston Public Library — the largest municipal library in the United States — who has digitized almost a hundred of his engravings. Anyone who accesses its archives can explore them in great detail and get to know all the nooks and crannies of the impossible constructions that Escher devised and drew throughout his career.
Take a tour with Pepita Sandwich of her life in her new home, New York Pepita Sandwich is an illustrator known for her vibrant style full of color, movement, and personality. She has collaborated with international brands such as Adidas, Spotify, and Cartoon Network and even published two books. In this Domestika Diary, she takes us around her new home, New York, showing us where she finds inspiration and art supplies.
We ask three illustrators why they use a sketchbook and why you should too Sergio Bleda (@sergibleda) is a professional cartoonist and illustrator from Valencia (Spain). In his Domestika course Inking Techniques for Comics and Illustration, he explores the technical and creative possibilities of inking. He is also passionate about sketchbooks and always carries one around. He sees his job as quickly translating ideas into images so that they go from being an abstract concept to something readable. Sketchbooks, therefore, are handy tools. Here are his five reasons why you should use one as well: #1 Every drawing that starts in a sketchbook can be defined as a clumsy "graphic babbling": a small step that makes you lose your fear of the unknown. The first word of a new language. #2 It allows you to work without pressure. Sometimes you draw without knowing precisely what you are looking for, and a sketchbook is perfect for that.
You've probably heard a lot about this tool, but what exactly is the color wheel, and how does it work? The color wheel is an important tool to get to grips with when you begin a visual art. To put it simply: if colors were words, the color wheel would be the alphabet–it’s what you need to speak this language well.
Spanish Illustrator and Domestika teacher Puño introduces us to some inspiring illustrators with unique styles from around the world Earlier in the year, I wrote a post in the Domestika blog called ‘Puño recommends,’ in which I shared some of the illustrators whose work is a source of inspiration. Some of them are featured in this article to inspire you with their work, whichever your drawing or illustration style. Click on their name highlighted in red if you want to learn more about them. JooHee Yoon South Korea JooHee Yoon’s work is an exemplary demonstration that traditional and digital techniques can live together in harmony. They create a perfect symbiosis in which the digital evens out the rough side of the traditional processes, and at the same time, enhances their essence.
Artist Malika Favre transformed the 26 letters of the alphabet into a book of erotic writing and illustrations French artist Malika Favre has just published Kama Sutra A-Z, an audacious and original book. The 26 letters of the alphabet have been turned into artistic illustrations alluding to sexual freedom and expression. Individually laid out page by page, Malika’s illustrations are accompanied by handwritten erotic texts, focusing on poetry. Celebrated poets such as Sandra Cisneros, Yusef Komunyakaa, Stephanie Burt, Vanessa Kisuule, and Kyle Dargan have been included in the book–all of whom have inspired Malika over the years. Designed by Counter-Print, the book is the culmination of a project exhibited at London’s Somerset House in 2013, the year in which Favre was selected to take part in Pick Me Up. We interviewed the author to learn about her creative process and where she conceived the idea to combine the Kamasutra positions with the letters of the alphabet. She explains what the relationship between erotic writing and illustration is.
A compilation of fantastic graphic novels that were successfully adapted for the small screen Gone are the days in which graphic novels were considered lesser work. Art Spiegelman’s Maus, the first-ever comic to receive the Pulitzer Prize, Joe Sacco’s comics journalism, and Alan Moore, possibly the greatest artist in this genre’s history, are brilliant proof that a great story can be told in all sorts of formats. Over the last few years, to confirm comic books’ growing standing, we have seen many characters leave the pages and come to life in cinema, TV, and other platforms. The most significant success in the history of cinema, Endgame, earning 2798 million dollars at the box office, is based on the superhero comic book, The Avengers.
Discover 5 amazing facts about the history and industry of Manga
Learn how to draw plants through observation with this practical exercise by Lucía Coz
This anatomical drawing guide, created by Leonardo Gauna, uses some of his favorite illustrations to show the human musculature As an illustrator, an extensive study of the human figure makes your works enrich and gain in realism and naturalness. To make good illustrations it is not essential to make exact reproductions of reality or the human body, but knowing the specific proportions of things will allow you to work with a greater knowledge of how forms work and obtain better results. To facilitate this task, the Argentine illustrator Leonardo Gauna (@capocosmico) has made a complete anatomical guide of human musculature for drawing that you can download and use as a reference.
These are Ed Vill's tips for illustrating characters full of personality In the history of illustration and advertising, there are countless examples of characters and mascots designed initially to be used in branding that have become a resounding success, an indissoluble part of a company's image, or, in some cases, even part of popular culture. Sometimes, the opposite happens. Characters fall into oblivion for their lack of charisma and personality. Such is the case of Speedee, the little-known predecessor of Ronald McDonald. With his big hamburger-shaped head, he failed in his mission to become the official mascot of McDonald's. This is just one of the many examples that underscore the importance of creating characters with personality. Ed Vill (@edvill) has some tips that you should keep in mind when drawing your own.
