Realistic Portrait with Coloured Pencils
A course by Néstor CanavarroIllustrator and Graphic Designer
A course by Néstor Canavarro, Illustrator and Graphic Designer
Learn to illustrate by mastering volume, light, and shadows using a photograph
With a career spanning more than 30 years as a graphic designer and making his debut as an illustrator the moment he learned to hold a pencil, Néstor Canavarro is a true master of realistic illustration with colored pencils.
Throughout his career his work has been featured in fields as diverse as publishing, advertising, and the textile industry. Nowadays, he observes the world and all its tiniest details, then recreates it on paper using a technique that, while imitating photography, is much more artisanal in style.
In this course, Néstor teaches you how to use colored pencils to draw hyperrealistic portraits in stunning detail. Discover some of the technical aspects of this type of illustration, learning to work with different materials and applications and paying special attention to the volume, light, and shadow of the human anatomy.
What will you learn in this online course?
17 lessons & 13 downloads
Colored pencils
9 minutes, 49 seconds
Color pencil application techniques - Part 1
9 minutes, 43 seconds
Application techniques of the color pencil - Part 2
9 minutes, 40 seconds
The eye
18 minutes, 12 seconds
Mouth
9 minutes, 20 seconds
The skin
15 minutes, 38 seconds
The hair
13 minutes, 27 seconds
Mouth and cheek
8 minutes, 2 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start by getting to know Néstor and his work, as well as his influences and the artists who inspire him the most.
He then talks about the materials, types of pencils, and paper, and introduces you to the technique of illustrating with colored pencils, explaining how he usually goes about it in order to get a huge array of results.
Learn how to tackle the typical shapes and folds of the face and how to observe each of these parts to replicate them with complete accuracy and detail on paper. Néstor explains how to draw all the components of a face: lips, eyes, skin, hair... respecting and imitating the texture of each element.
Finally, put everything you've learned to the test and take on your first full, realistic portrait with colored pencils. Néstor has chosen a photo of Robert De Niro as his inspiration, but you can choose the image of whomever you feel most comfortable portraying.
What is this course's project?
Create a realistic portrait using only colored pencils and a photograph as a reference.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Illustrators, cartoonists, designers, and anyone interested in advancing their illustration style with a more realistic technique.
Requirements and materials
A basic understanding of drawing is recommended. As for materials, you need colored pencils, fine-grain drawing paper (at least 150G/M), a kneaded eraser, and a graphite pencil.
Reviews
- 9 days ago
Daha iyi nasıl portre yaparım sorusuna bir cevaptı bu kurs Çok teşekkür ederim
- 17 days ago
lo recomiendo
- 1 month ago
Néstor es un gran artista. me gustó mucho el curso y todas las técnicas me ayudaron bastante a entender de mejor manera el dibujo realista.
- 1 month ago
Me ha parecido un muy buen curso. Las explicaciones son muy claras, el contenido es muy interesante.
- 2 months ago
Excelente curso de dibujo, fue una excelente introduccion al dibujo realista a lapices de colores :)
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
Tools and techniques
- Colored pencils
- Papers
- Other tools
- Color pencil application techniques - Part 1
- Application techniques of the color pencil - Part 2
- U3
Areas of the face. Road to portrait
- The eye
- Mouth
- The skin
- The hair
- U4
The portrait
- Choice of the image
- The look
- Nose
- Mouth and cheek
- Face
- Hair and background
- FP
Final project
- Realistic portrait with colored pencils
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
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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.
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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FAQs
You’ll learn observation techniques, how to choose materials, blending and layering colors, and how to create realistic volume and textures in skin, hair, and facial features to achieve hyperrealistic portraits with colored pencils.
This is an intermediate-level course, perfect for those who already have basic drawing skills and want to deepen their knowledge of realistic and hyperrealistic techniques using colored pencils.
You’ll need quality colored pencils, special drawing papers (like Fabriano or similar), kneaded erasers, a white pencil, blending tools, and precise sharpening tools.
The course teaches critical observation, layering, use of white pencil, gradients, pressure control, and methods for creating natural textures and volume in eyes, lips, and hair.
Yes, you’ll learn image transfer techniques to ensure accurate proportions and placement of facial features when starting your realistic portrait.
The course explains the differences between pencil types (wax, oil, watercolor) and papers (smooth, rough, white, colored) so you can pick the best materials for your project and desired effect.
They’re essential; mastering light and volume lets you create depth, realism, and three-dimensionality in your colored pencil portraits.