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
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 (225)
- 3,429 students
- 21 lessons (3h 53m)
- 28 additional resources (11 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
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
A course by Catarina Sobral
Catarina Sobral is a Portuguese illustrator, author, and director for 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 sixteen 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. She is a teacher and writer, produces her own radio show for children, and is currently directing her second animated film.
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
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.
marioneta
Muy lindo curso. La profe muy buena.
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lyanaecheverria
Ha sido un curso muy práctico . La metodología me ha parecido muy adecuada, así como los contenidos . Técnicas y estrategias muy buenas.
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miss_arty
Es ist ein sehr angenehmer, lehrreicher Kurs. Er hat mir sehr bei meiner Arbeit geholfen. Ich mag ihre Illustrationstechnik und Stil.
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gun
This course opens up a world of creativity by using various techniques to create interesting illustrations. I'm truly impressed.
berubyvinami
Such simple techniques but the impactful. Very good course for the children’s book narratives and ideas.