Realistic illustration with coloured pens

A course by Javi al Cuadrado , Painter, illustrator and graphic designer

Painter, illustrator and graphic designer. Madrid, Spain.
Joined December 2015

Discover new techniques to create great figurative drawings

93% positive reviews (131)
2,032 students
Audio: Spanish
Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Discover new techniques to create great figurative drawings

Javi al Cuadrado -painter, illustrator and graphic designer with an impeccable technique, who knows how to fuse the best of traditional art with modern themes and styles- has adopted a material as everyday as pens and has developed, with them, an impressive style of illustration realistic.

In this course you will learn to use colored pens to make incredible drawings with strokes that could be compared to a classic engraving. To do this, you will start from a photograph and using analog and digital techniques, you will discover, in an intuitive and simple way, how to turn it into an illustration that, later, you will transform into a final editorial art.

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What will you learn in this online course?

12 lessons & 10 downloads

Things to know before you start
6 minutes, 38 seconds
Staining color
10 minutes, 26 seconds
Intense colours
18 minutes, 49 seconds
Last retouches
9 minutes, 36 seconds
  • 93% positive reviews (131)
  • 2,032 students
  • 12 lessons (1h 44m)
  • 10 additional resources (3 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: Spanish
  • Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

You will make a figurative drawing with a ballpoint pen, learning to overcome the drawbacks of the chromatic range limitation thanks to the screening work that will bring lights and shadows to your illustration.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

Illustrators, designers and anyone interested in learning simple techniques to draw with everyday materials such as colored pens.

Requirements and materials

It is not essential to have previous knowledge of drawing, since to make the illustration you will start from a photograph.

With regard to materials, you will need colored pens and paper. It is also advisable to have a computer with Photoshop, a graphic tablet and scanner for the process of digitizing the project.


Reviews

2,032 Students
131 Reviews
93% Positive ratings

Javi al Cuadrado

A course by Javi al Cuadrado

Teacher Plus
Painter, illustrator and graphic designer

Although the technique and aesthetics of the works of Javi al Cuadrado leans towards a more classical side, his tools and the themes he immortalizes are more typical of the modern world. His career as a graphic designer, has allowed him to be in contact with the world of contemporary art, which has opened the doors to experiment with unusual materials when making realistic illustrations.

The pen is your favorite tool, a tool that uses to imitate strokes and nineteenth-century engraving ways. And, as he himself confesses, he would never have dared to draw if social networks had not existed, since his inspiration is almost only what he sees through his computer screen.

In addition, he is the creator of projects such as the Mutant Books publishing fair, the 200 publishing house or the New-papers publication.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • Presentation
    • Influences
  • U2

    Preparation

    • Things to know before you start
    • Documentation and sketch: digital I
    • Documentation and sketch: digital II
  • U3

    Drawing

    • Staining color
    • Intense colours
    • Last retouches
  • U4

    Ready to print

    • Technical characteristics of the final art for printing
    • Scanning: color adjustment and retouching
    • Definitive format
    • Proposal of layout
  • FP

    Final project

    • Realistic illustration with colored pens

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • 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.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Realistic illustration with coloured pens. Illustration course by Javi al Cuadrado

Realistic illustration with coloured pens

A course by Javi al Cuadrado
Painter, illustrator and graphic designer. Madrid, Spain.
Joined December 2015
  • 93% positive reviews (131)
  • 2,032 students