Experimental Techniques for Picturebooks
A course by Catarina Sobral , Author, Illustrator, and Director
Tell an original story using tempo, tension, and plot to create a wordless visual narrative from scratch
Picturebooks are a form of visual storytelling that act as an exercise in synthesis. Oftentimes, what you do see is as important as what you don’t. By considering each and every visual element of a picturebook, you can tell a memorable story that captures a reader’s attention and reflects on some of life’s most interesting moments. Discover the art of picturebooks and learn how to use color, texture, and composition to add plot and tension to your next visual narrative.
In this course, illustrator and author Catarina Sobral teaches you the fundamentals of visual storytelling for editorial projects like picturebooks. From conceptualizing your narrative to making first contact with a publisher, learn the essential steps for creating your own wordless picturebook. Continue to grow as an illustrator or author by exploring tempo and tension, experimenting with new techniques, and producing a printed mock-up of your final project.
What will you learn in this online course?
21 lessons & 28 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (233)
- 3,711 students
- 21 lessons (3h 53m)
- 28 additional resources (11 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create an entire storyboard and complete a final illustration for a wordless picturebook using mixed media techniques.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone who wants to draw to communicate meaning, including visual artists, illustrators, designers, art students, and other creatives who are passionate about reading, watching, or telling stories through images.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, you should be comfortable with sketching your ideas. You don’t need to be a professional illustrator, but having some basic drawing skills will be helpful.
You will need a spacious and comfortable workspace, sketching paper (or a sketchbook), mixed media paper, wax oil crayons, markers, colored pencils, a graphite or an oil-based pencil, a low odor solvent suitable for oil, ink, brushes, tape, a scanner and a computer with your image editing software of choice.
Reviews
Catarina Sobral
A course by Catarina Sobral
Catarina Sobral is a Portuguese illustrator, author, and director of animated films. Before launching her career as a freelance illustrator, she studied graphic design and illustration, developing a unique style blending her eye-catching illustrations and strong narrative voice.
Catarina’s work can be seen regularly in illustrations for press, album covers, posters, and of course, picturebooks. Her award-winning picturebooks have been published in 16 different languages and exhibited around the world, gaining recognition from the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the Portuguese National Illustration Award, the Portuguese Authors’ Society, the White Ravens catalog, and 3x3 magazine.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Introduction
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Influences
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What Will We Do in This Course?
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U2
The Stair - Starting From the Ground, Before Moving Up
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Picture Books: Definition and Mechanics
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Colour Theory
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Composition: Theory and Practice
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Text and Image Interplay
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Materials and Techniques 1
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Materials and Techniques 2
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U3
The Diving Board and The Trapeze - From Above, Before the Jump
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Problem, Solution, Catharsis 1
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Problem, Solution, Catharsis 2
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Storyboard 1
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Storyboard 2
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Vocabulary and Grammar 1
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Vocabulary and Grammar 2
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Final Illustration 1
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Final Illustration 2
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Final Illustration 3
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U4
The Jump... and The Safety Net
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Scanning and Retouching
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Mocking-up
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Children's Book Industry and Final Tips
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FP
Final project
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Experimental Techniques for Picturebooks
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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
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FAQs
What are Domestika's online courses?
Domestika courses are online classes that allow you to learn new skills and create incredible projects. All our courses include the opportunity to share your work with other students and/or teachers, creating an active learning community. We offer different formats:
Original Courses: Complete classes that combine videos, texts, and educational materials to complete a specific project from start to finish.
Basics Courses: Specialized training where you master specific software tools step by step.
Specialization Courses: Learning paths with various expert teachers on the same topic, perfect for becoming a specialist by learning from different approaches.
Guided Courses: Practical experiences ideal for directly acquiring specific skills.
Intensive Courses (Deep Dives): New creative processes based on artificial intelligence tools in an accessible format for in-depth and dynamic understanding.
When do the courses start and when do they finish?
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.
What do Domestika's courses include?
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.
Have you been given a course?
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
Me encanto, la teoría y practica se complementan. Explica muy bien e inspira a seguir creando!
Super fun and insightful techniques with new materials!
I really enjoyed the playful freedom of this course - the methods shown are useful way to develop skills. Catarina's teaching style was engaging.
El curso es precioso. Catarina explica muy bien, enseña varias técnicas sin dejar de ser inspirador. Incluye mucho material de complemento. Súper recomendado!.
experimental