Naturalistic Illustration for Design Collections
A course by Pascale Marie Sabelle , Artist and Designer
Joined January 2019

Discover the beauty of naturalistic illustration and how it can be applied to product collections. Create illustrations using ink and watercolor.
Every species requires another to exist. In this course, the illustrator Pascale-Marie will teach you to investigate the relationships that exist between the species of an ecosystem and then translate them on paper using ink and watercolor.
You will focus on the colors, textures, and shapes of the flora and fauna, which you will end up applying to a collection of products you have created. You will use scientific information in order to create works with a solid foundation and you will have fun composing naturalistic illustrations.
What will you learn in this online course?
20 lessons & 32 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (81)
- 2,447 students
- 20 lessons (4h 16m)
- 32 additional resources (10 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
You will make a naturalistic illustration of fauna and flora, and you will creatively capture it in a collection of products.

Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
To all those curious about nature, who want to develop creativity through art and observation.
Requirements and materials
It is ideal if you have basic knowledge of drawing, although they are not exclusively necessary. You will use a computer with Adobe Photoshop, Procreate (optional) or graphite pencil and paper to draw.

Reviews

Pascale Marie Sabelle
A course by Pascale Marie Sabelle
Pascale-Marie is inspired by the work of ancient scientific illustrators. He has collaborated with different clients, portraying fauna and flora from scientific observation and promoting their knowledge from a visual language.
His most recent work is dedicated to studying and delving into families of species that inhabit Chile and raising informative and illustrated material that speaks of ecosystem imaginaries through research.
Now, her horizons have expanded towards new supports where she can apply her works in the form of products such as textile pieces, stationery, among others.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Observation and Research
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Materials
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Observation and Research
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The species and its natural world
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U3
Practice and Sketch
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Exercises with graphite and ink 1
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Exercises with graphite and ink 2
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Exercises with watercolor
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Card of color
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Sketch
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Transfer
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U4
Ink and Paint
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Inking 1
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Inking 2
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Painting the bird
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Painting the organic elements
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Details and personal seal 1
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Details and personal seal 2
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U5
Creating the Collection
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Starting the digital process
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To play with the material!
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Review and dissemination of the collection
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FP
Final project
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Naturalistic Illustration for Design Collections
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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
You’ll learn to observe, analyze, and depict animal and plant species using graphite, ink, and watercolor techniques. You’ll also master composition, color mixing, and how to apply your illustrations to various surfaces like paper, fabric, or printed products.
This course is designed for people with intermediate drawing or painting skills. Basic experience with traditional techniques is recommended to get the most out of the content.
You’ll need cotton paper, tracing paper, graphite, ink, watercolors, brushes, tape, a ceramic palette, and optionally digital tools like a tablet and Procreate.
You’ll learn mixed techniques using graphite, ink, and watercolor, including gradients, color blending, textures, layout, inking, and transferring sketches—both on traditional and digital media.
Yes, the course teaches you how to adapt your illustrations to different formats and products like notebooks, postcards, textiles, and materials for printing or scientific outreach.
You’ll be able to illustrate birds, insects, native plants, ecosystems, and specific species like Chilean parrots, applying taxonomy, observation, and scientific analysis.
Scientific illustration communicates knowledge about biodiversity accurately and beautifully, promoting appreciation, education, and conservation of species and ecosystems.




Me gusta su manera de mostrar su proceso, lo hace de una manera clara, me motiva a llevar un proceso similar, gracias.
A wonderful course, as I've learnt a lot. I especially enjoyed learning the various watercolour painting techniques, which were new to me. Thank you to the tutor, for sharing her knowledge & skills!
Es un curso muy inspirador! Aprendes muchas cosas valiosas pero al mismom tiempo te anima a realmente apreciar y crear. Lo recomiendo un montón!
Es realmente grandiosa la forma en la que está planteado el curso, la forma de explicar es muy precisa, tranquila y permite comprender técnicas y formas de una manera amplia y suficiente. La maestra es excelente y su calma es inspiradora, permite que los conceptos queden claros y se asimilen con confianza. Gracias, ¡es un curso genial! Más como éste por favor.
I really enjoyed and learned a lot from this course. I highly recommend it.