Artist's Notebook: Explore Illustration Techniques
A course by Jesús Cisneros, Drawing Artist, Illustrator, and Teacher
Spark your imagination and transform the experience of drawing into a source of inspiration and learning
An artist's notebook is the perfect way to experiment and explore the art of drawing. Artist, illustrator, and teacher Jesús Cisneros uses them to play with different techniques jumping from pencil to paint brush and switching from black and white to color while covering a range of topics like nature, animals, and the human body.
In this course, learn how to transform the experience of drawing into a source of inspiration and learning with your artist's notebook. Try out different inspirational exercises and discover new ways to spark your imagination and original approaches to creating art.
What will you learn in this online course?
13 lessons & 18 downloads
What's included in this course?
Start the course by getting to know your teacher, Jesús Cisneros, and hear about his versatile professional career as a drawing artist, illustrator, and instructor. He also shares some of his sources of inspiration and artists whose work speaks to him on a creative level.
Before you open your notebook, explore the different materials you will be using during the course. Jesús then shows you a series of techniques you can combine them with, including papercut with painted paper, calligraphy drawing with India Ink, and painting with oil pastels.
Next, embark on a journey through nature from seed to plant, from plant to garden, and from garden to forest and experiment depicting natural elements, animals, and the human figure. As you travel from one environment to another, practice the techniques introduced earlier in the course to compile a broad collection of graphics ideas.
Bring the process full circle by learning how to connect your drawings with one another to create images that defy real-world possibilities but exist perfectly on paper. Use these diverse compositions to express your ideas and create art for posters, book covers, print illustrations, and much more.
- 99% positive reviews (468)
- 8,990 students
- 13 lessons (2h 11m)
- 18 additional resources (7 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Follow a series of exercises to create an artist's notebook where you can experiment with creative techniques and explore your imagination.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in drawing and illustration regardless of your skill level.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is needed, just come ready to draw and learn something new.
The materials for this course include drawing notebooks, oil pastels, pencils, oil paints, watercolors, India ink, and paint brushes.
Reviews
Jesús Cisneros
A course by Jesús Cisneros
Jesús Cisneros is a Spanish artist, illustrator, and teacher who has spent most of his career in Spain and several years in Mexico. As a drawing artist, he fills notebooks with his creations and then transforms them into graphic works of art and expositions, some of which have gone on display in Mexico City, Seoul, and Marseille. As an illustrator, he has published books in Spain, Mexico, Colombia, France, and the United Kingdom and has created illustrations for book covers, magazines, posters, and other related projects. He also travels the world sharing his knowledge in workshops and teaching courses for the International School of Illustration as part of the Štĕpán Zavřel Foundation in Sàrmede, Italy.
Over the course of his career, his work has been featured three times at the Bologna Children's Book Fair and recognized on numerous occasions including honorable mention at the biennial Ilustrarte exposition, the Honorable Mention Prize at Sharjah, the I colori del Sacro Award, and the Lazarillo Illustration Award.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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U2
Techniques and materials
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Necessary materials
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Techniques
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U3
A walk through nature and imagination
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Seed and origin 1
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Seed and origin 2
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Garden and forest 1
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Garden and forest 2
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Animals and masks 1
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Animals and masks 2
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Humans and fabulous beings
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U4
The notebook is your archive and source of learning
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Building images
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Relationship and usefulness with our notebook
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FP
Final project
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Artist's Notebook: Explore Illustration Techniques
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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
Yes, this course is designed for those with prior drawing or illustration experience who want to deepen their skills in mixed media techniques, creative processes, and artistic experimentation.
You'll need art sketchbooks, graphite pencils, colored pencils, India ink, brushes, liquid watercolor, oil paint, oil pastels, scissors, a craft knife, paper towels, and materials for techniques like screen printing or risograph.
You'll learn techniques including graphite, India ink, liquid watercolor, oil paint, oil pastels, monotype, image transfer, blending, stenciling, paper cutting, and screen printing applied to illustration.
By the end, you'll be able to combine mixed media techniques, create original sketchbook illustrations, develop your personal style, and prepare your work for exhibitions or sharing online.
The sketchbook serves as the main space for experimenting, developing ideas, recording sketches, exploring themes, and practicing a variety of illustration techniques.
It's not mandatory, but having basic drawing and painting skills will help you understand and make the most of the advanced techniques offered.
This course focuses on experimenting with different techniques, mixing materials, and developing your personal creative process through the art sketchbook.
Great inspirations!
It wasn't quite what I was expecting but there were some fun techniques I've never tried before so good if you are looking for new ideas. The drawing was all very simple style line drawings tho.
Excelente
Un curso muy interesante por la variedad de técnicas, el profesor transmite muy bien sus conocimientos.
Professor trouxe boas idéias, apresentado de forma didática e completa!