Creative Techniques for Cover Illustration
A course by Julia Breckenreid , Illustrator
Learn to draw, paint, and retouch original illustrations filled with visual metaphors, from the initial sketch to the finished edit
Learn to draw, paint, and retouch original illustrations filled with visual metaphors, from the initial sketch to the finished edit
“I’m fascinated by the way a beautifully illustrated cover can grab my attention and speak to me—as though it were inviting me to escape into the world hidden within its pages.”
Illustrator Julia Breckenreid specializes in creating thoughtful illustrations that have seen her work with clients including The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, Random House, and CBC Television.
In this online course, Julia teaches you the creative process behind designing and painting artwork with a strong purpose and narrative intention. From mood boards to color palettes, learn how to use ink, watercolor, and photoshop to create an illustrated cover of a fairy tale from start to finish. Foster curiosity and engage viewers with unique and outstanding art.
What will you learn in this online course?
14 lessons & 23 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (32)
- 621 students
- 14 lessons (2h 15m)
- 23 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software for this course
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Illustrate an original front and back cover for a famous fairy tale in your own personal style.
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone who wants to improve their drawing and painting skills.
Requirements and materials
Previous experience with drawing and digital editing would be helpful but is not essential.
In terms of materials, you’ll need paper and ink, your choice of paint, and access to a graphic design program like Photoshop for rendering.
Reviews
A course by Julia Breckenreid
Julia Breckenreid is a professional illustrator based in Toronto, Canada. She graduated with a diploma in illustration from Sheridan College and has since gone on to illustrate books, and work on editorial projects for clients like The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, Random House, and CBC Television. Julia also taught the Illustration BA program at Sheridan College from 2003-2021.
Her work has been recognized and featured by the likes of The Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, and 3x3. A book she illustrated, Dorothy & Herbert, was also chosen for the Society of Illustrators 2021 Original Art Exhibit, showcasing the best picture books published in the US.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
The Visual Concept
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Illustration and Storytelling
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Ideas and Mind Mapping
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Thumbnail Sketches
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The Mood Board
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U3
Creating the Cover
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Developing the Idea and Refining the Sketch
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Colour Roughs
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Transferring the Drawing
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The Painting Process 1
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The Painting Process 2
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U4
Showcasing the Artwork
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Scanning and Retouching
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Formats for Sharing Online
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Social Media
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FP
Final project
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Creative Techniques for Cover Illustration
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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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.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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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.
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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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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.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
Adobe Photoshop
evrim
5 stars to Julia. this is one of the best course for me i have in domestika and Julia is one of the best teacher I had in domestika. she is funny, like to teach, gives inspire. i loved the course very much and enjoyed it a lot. i highly recommend it.
and thank you domestika so you made possible to me to reach teachers all around the world which are very talented and well-informed about their subject and share their knowledge in a very good way.
chloeaimedessiner
Un très chouette cours pendant lequel on apprend des techniques de réflexion autour de notre projet d'illustration qui sont très intéressantes. Je pense que ce cours va m'apporter beaucoup pour développer mes prochains projets.
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caroline.humb
Très bon cours si on aime le monde de l’imaginaire ! Les dessins sont magnifiques et les explications des diverses étapes sont intéressantes !
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s-postel
I really like this course. It is very informative and inspiring and the teacher dies a great job.
ellenwarwick19
Julia is SO inspiring and creative!! Highly recommend!!