Botanical Illustration with Watercolors
A course by Paulina Maciel · Canela , Designer and illustrator
Joined June 2015
Discover the techniques to create illustrated compositions with plants and flowers
Discover the techniques to create illustrated compositions with plants and flowers
Joined June 2015
When two passions come together, the results can transform a creative project into something exceptional. The work of designer and illustrator Paulina Maciel is a clear example. She seamlessly combines the unpredictable results of watercolor with her love for nature. According to Paulina, by making the act of observation a part of our daily lives, we can learn to value it. And, perhaps more importantly, understand the importance of holding onto it.
In this course, Paulina teaches you each step of her creative process for making botanical illustrations with watercolors. Using real flowers and plants as a model, learn how to digitize your work, make edits, and apply your creativity to any product. And if you decide to further your learning path, discover Paulina’s other course Botanical Watercolor Sketchbook, where you learn how to combine watercolor with other techniques.
Featured review
I enjoyed this course and I really recommend Paulina. You can see she has the experience and lots of patience to create her art. I will definitely use her tips for my next project!
What will you learn in this online course?
17 lessons & 13 downloads
- 96% positive reviews (4.3K)
- 149,964 students
- 17 lessons (2h 32m)
- 13 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · Italian · French · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create an illustration of a botanical arrangement, based on a real flower, as a starting point for designing a stationery set.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Designers, illustrators, cartoonists, or anyone interested in exploring the botanical world using watercolor illustration.
Requirements and materials
No prior knowledge is necessary, but basic skills in Adobe Photoshop are useful for digitizing and applying your final illustration.
Materials include: watercolor paint in tubes, tablets, or liquids, watercolor paper, some round brushes, and a selection of leaves, plants, and flowers that will serve as models.
Reviews
A course by Paulina Maciel · Canela
Paulina Maciel discovered her passion for watercolor at university where she studied graphic design. Some years later, she decided to deepen her exploration of the technique and began training at a wide range of academies throughout Mexico, Spain, and the UK.
Her illustrations for branding, packaging, and covers are combined with her work for national and international brands like Palacio de Hierro, Editorial Paraíso, and Geografía Café. She designs stationery sets and other household products from Canela Estudio, her own design studio.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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Materials
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U2
Painting the water
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Introduction to watercolor
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Volume
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Opaque textures
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Bright textures
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Textures with hairs and spines
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Rough and dry textures
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U3
Looking for style
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Botanical illustration
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Botanical illustration styles I
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Botanical illustration styles II
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U4
The botanical composition
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Plant morphology
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Botanical composition
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U5
Digital finish
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Digitalize watercolor
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Cutout
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Composition
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FP
Final project
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Illustrating botanicals
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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.
checheyeah
very informative course
pcmickelsen
Plusfantática como profesora, muy clara, sabe mucho y comparte sus conocimientos. Está muy a caballo de todas las técnicas.
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katep70954
PlusI chose this course as I was particularly interested in the digital elements which, for anyone wishing to become a commercial illustrator, are an essential part of the work flow. The course was well structured and interesting. I am experienced in using watercolour but the exercises were fun to do and it’s always good to learn how others use the medium. I enjoyed looking through the recommended artists too. It was great to see how the paintings can be turned into professional products. Thanks!
enesztiwebdesign
Excelente curso, gracias
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andrea_riera2014
Excelente curso, muy didáctico. Realmente la profe transmite sus conocimientos de tal manera que lo hace muy llevadero. La opción de ver los videos cada vez que necesito...genial!!!
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