Natural Illustration with Digital Painting
A course by Jessica Roux , Freelance Illustrator
Transform a botanical pencil sketch into a digital illustration using the storytelling properties of color
Transform a botanical pencil sketch into a digital illustration using the storytelling properties of color
Nature offers an endless supply of bountiful things to observe and record. Freelance illustrator Jessica Roux uses it as inspiration for the detailed botanical illustrations she creates. Using a mixture of digital and analog techniques, she creates beautiful compositions that have been featured by publications such as The New Yorker.
In this course, she guides you through creating original narrative illustrations using pencil and Photoshop. Imagine and draw engaging compositions, and discover how to incorporate the magic of nature into your creative practice.
What will you learn in this online course?
13 lessons & 21 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (290)
- 5,930 students
- 13 lessons (2h 10m)
- 21 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?
Create a striking illustration of an animal character surrounded by botanical decorations.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in learning botanical painting or expressing themselves through nature-inspired illustration.
Requirements and materials
Some knowledge of drawing is recommended,but not essential.
You will need pencils, paper, a lightbox, a printer, a computer with Photoshop installed, and a drawing tablet.
Reviews
A course by Jessica Roux
Jessica Roux is an American freelance illustrator and self-described plant and animal enthusiast. She has been drawing and painting since she was a child when her parents would set up easels in her backyard. She also spent a lot of time exploring the woods in North Carolina, which sparked her love of nature at an early age. Jessica went on to study illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design and, after graduating, began working as a freelance illustrator, combining her love of illustration and nature.
Since then, Jessica’s designs have been transformed into everything from prints to stickers and cards, and she has illustrated various books, including one of her own, Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers. Her work has also appeared in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as publications including The New Yorker and Taproot Magazine.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Developing Concepts and Sketches
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Creating a Story
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Researching Concepts and Ideas
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Finding Reference: Imagery, Mood Boards, and Color Palettes
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Graphite Techniques 1
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Graphite Techniques 2
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U3
Creating the Final Artwork
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Sketching
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Starting the Graphite Drawing
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Digital Painting: Blocking in Solid Color Shapes
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Digital Painting: Shading and Highlights
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U4
Taking Your Artwork to the Next Level
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Making Color Corrections Using Adjustment Layers
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Applying the Final Artwork for Various Print Purposes
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FP
Final project
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X Narrative illustration and botanical painting
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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
deborajtozze
PlusThis course was excellent. Jessica's clear explanations and effective brainstorming sessions provided valuable insights. The mix of traditional and digital methods was a highlight. Highly recommended!
9pcng6kdyc
I really enjoyed this course. Jessica has a great way of breaking the information down. I will be taking some of the things I learned and putting them into my own way of working from now on. Especially the idea brainstorming session! I also loved the mix of traditional and digital. I would highly recommend this course.
brittneyinbusiness
Loving this course! I love being able to watch the process in real time here and there to get a real sense of all the details. Highly recommend!
cbhallman
Wonderfully informative class. At times, it was difficult to see what area she was brushing or changing. Also, knowledge of Photoshop is necessary as she does not explain some of the features of the various tools she is using. She goes really fast when using some of the tools and it is hard to follow, especially if Photoshop experience level is not as proficient. Overall a good class.
lalou
Magnifique! Je suis impressionnée par le style graphique de Jessica. Quelle précision, quelle délicatesse dans le trait! Elle démontre aussi très bien sa manière de mettre en couleurs son image dans Photoshop. Voilà le cours que je cherchais.
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