Vintage Illustration for Engaging Children’s Books
A course by Ingela P Arrhenius , Illustrator and graphic designer

Create a visual universe that inspires young readers by exploring illustration techniques, playful typography, and book design
Children’s illustration gives us the opportunity to pique curiosity in the minds of young readers from an early age through words and images. Illustrator Ingela P Arrhenius specializes in doing just that through her bold and colorful artwork. She has illustrated and published multiple children’s books, one of which has been translated into over 20 languages worldwide.
In this course, Ingela teaches you how to design a children’s book filled with joyful drawings from scratch. Discover how to illustrate cheerful images that kids engage with using a combination of digital and analog tools. Brighten up your own children’s book with a vintage twist.
What will you learn in this online course?
13 lessons & 17 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (237)
- 5,316 students
- 13 lessons (2h 20m)
- 17 additional resources (5 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?
Design your own accordion-style Leporello children’s book and box filled with vintage illustrations.

Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone interested in vintage illustration and creating their own children’s books.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is needed.
In terms of materials, Ingela uses Adobe Illustrator and Procreate, but you can use traditional tools like colored paper and pencils if you prefer. If you decide to work digitally, you will also need access to a printer. Glue is required to put your book and box together.

Reviews

Ingela P Arrhenius
A course by Ingela P Arrhenius
Ingela P Arrhenius is an accomplished and award-winning illustrator and graphic designer with a diverse portfolio spanning posters, clothing, toys, and children's books. Her distinctive style, influenced by her childhood in the 60s, has garnered international acclaim, and her illustrated books have sold millions of copies.
With over 30 years of experience as a freelancer, Ingela's work is characterized by telling visual stories and staying true to her unique artistic voice. Her approach to illustration, featuring nostalgic compositions and vintage color palettes, creates captivating visual worlds that resonate with viewers.
Join Ingela P Arrhenius in this course to gain invaluable insights and guidance from her illustrious career. Discover your personal aesthetic, refine your illustration skills, and unlock your creative potential under Ingela's mentorship.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Books, Inspiration and Sketching
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The Different Shapes of Books
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Finding Your Universe
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Tiny Sketches
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Refining the Best Sketches 1
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Refining the Best Sketches 2
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U3
Making Our Leporello
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The Illustration 1
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The Illustration 2
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The Typography
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The Dummy
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U4
How to Continue
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A Series of Books
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A Collaboration That Is Right for You
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FP
Final project
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Vintage Illustration for Engaging Children’s Books
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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.
kevork_arts
Plusvery inspiring form Ingela. im looking forward making my project and posting it here.
virtusm26
Ingela es una ilustradora fantástica, en este curso comparte su estilo tan propio y que me encanta y nos ayuda a desarrollar ideas para ilustrar un cuento infantil con estética vintage. Lo estoy disfrutando mucho.
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carmela_bower
Ingela inspired me to get back into illustration! And reawakened in me my forgotten dream of making my own children's book. I'm in a point in my life wondering if I'm getting too old to be a graphic designer but seeing her as a seasoned illustrator gave me hope to continue doing what I love. i love that her course includes both analog and digital techniques. So happy to have taken this course.
tk_chicago
PlusIngela is a talented artist and book maker for children. She is very comfortable with her skills and effortless in her teaching style. I highly recommend her course to all who are interested in designing books for children
5 stars!
zanemich
O estilo da artista é lindo e o resultado final é maravilhoso. É um curso bem interessante para treinar no Illustrator, já que a artista usa bastante formas geométricas.
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