Naturalist Illustration with Ballpoint Pen
A course by Ricardo Macía Lalinde , Graphic Designer and Illustrator
Joined January 2016
Explore ink techniques using a ballpoint pen and learn to master line work to create eye-catching shadow, light and texture
Explore ink techniques using a ballpoint pen and learn to master line work to create eye-catching shadow, light and texture
Joined January 2016
Can you imagine creating highly detailed illustrations full of textures with just a ballpoint pen? Graphic designer and illustrator Ricardo Macía has mastered ink techniques to the point where, by simply changing the amount of pressure, he can create different patterns that transform into light and shadow and produce incredibly realistic results.
In this course, learn basic ballpoint pen drawing techniques applied to naturalist illustration. Work through a series of exercises and practice creating gradients, volume, and contrasts by controlling the force you apply in your line work. Then, create a composition with elements of flora and fauna and combine the realistic texture of ink with digital color in Photoshop to produce an original illustration.
What will you learn in this online course?
19 lessons & 21 downloads
- 98% positive reviews (277)
- 7,323 students
- 19 lessons (2h 53m)
- 21 additional resources (15 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software for this course
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Use ink techniques and ballpoint pen to create an illustrated composition that includes elements of flora and fauna and enhance it by adding color digitally.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Illustrators, designers, nature lovers, and anyone interested in drawing.
Requirements and materials
Basic notions of drawing will be helpful, but not necessary.
As for materials, you need a ballpoint pen, paper, 2H or 4H pencils, and a computer with Photoshop.
Reviews
A course by Ricardo Macía Lalinde
Born in Medellín, Colombia, Ricardo Macía is a graphic designer who recently made a professional detour to devote himself to the art of illustration. Throughout his career he has worked with brands like [i]Editorial Norma[i], the University of Antioquia, and the newspaper [i]El Colombiano[i]. His favorite tool is the ballpoint pen because it enables him to recreate virtually any texture and enrich his illustrations with realism.
In recent years, he's been working on a personal project where he creates dreamlike worlds that question society and individual identity. Animals and organic shapes can be found in most of his work as symbols of protest against mankind's destruction of nature and threat to the very existence of the human race.
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
Knowing the pen
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Materials
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Release hand
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Gradients and volume
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Search and collection of references
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Composition, thumbnails and visual weight
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U3
Starting to ink
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Digital sketch and transfer to paper 1
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Digital sketch and transfer to paper 2
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How to simplify the form
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The face of the bird
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The body of the bird
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The environment
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Final details
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U4
Digitization
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Scan and edit
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Digital colorization 1
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Digital colorization 2
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How to export the file
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FP
Final project
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Naturalistic ink 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
inna_dinova
This is the first course I've bought on Domestica, so I cannot compare it to others but. I've bought it for my 11 y/o daughter, who had lots of courses before. All of them were a kind of "watch and draw like me". Here Ricardo explained the laws of composition which was very useful. Also, she always worried "Im not a real artist", but when she saw how the teacher uses real photos of birds, she felt very confident.
Totally recommend and thanks to a great teacher!
laureanne
PlusCours très intéressant, très bien illustré et expliqué. N'utilisant pas de logiciel de dessin, j'ai peint à l'aquarelle. Merci pour ce partage.
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catherineprmoore
PlusThis seems a great course with very helpful information. I am an English speaker and am having to watch without sound due to the distracting background music and poor quality dubbing. I would love it with just the captions and the author's actual voice please! Otherwise, thank you - I really appreciate all the useful and inspiring instruction!
marmenesesvegas
Me encantó para la composición y tener mejor noción de como armar una ilustración!
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mats11_rock
Muy buen curso, me sirvio mucho para trabajar los valores y texturas en mis dibujos a tinta a boligrafo.
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