Sketchbook Illustration with Colored Pencils
A course by Zoë Barker, Illustrator
Improve your observational drawing skills by developing a consistent habit of sketching with colored pencils
Drawing is an honest, immediate, and raw form of creativity, and a sketchbook is a great place to start. For Zoë Barker, an illustrator whose clients include Harrods, Cartier, and The Telegraph, drawing with colored pencils in a personal sketchbook enabled her to rediscover her love for the art form and express herself in a personal way.
In this course, she teaches how to use colored pencils to achieve various effects like texture, color, and atmosphere. Explore what you can achieve with just line work and understand the benefits of keeping a sketchbook. Embrace drawing as play and watch yourself grow as an illustrator.
What will you learn in this online course?
20 lessons & 16 downloads
What's included in this course?
Begin this course by getting to know illustrator Zoë Barker as she walks you through her journey into the world of drawing with color. Discover the influences and techniques that have shaped her work, from watercolor to lithography.
Learn about the benefits of keeping a sketchbook and making time for personal projects, before exploring different materials and the effects they can achieve. Next, discover how to use coloring pencils to their full potential, layering and blending them to create a palette of your choice.
Practice basic drawing techniques and understand how descriptive a single pencil line can be. Use that insight to draw an object and reinforce your skills by drawing it from a different angle. Then, combine lines with simple tones to draw a realistic face and body in various scenarios.
Bring everything together to draw a full street scene, before learning some tips and tricks on how to share your work on social media. Then, to finish the course, Zoë offers her insight into how working on personal projects can help develop healthy routines and a great work-life balance.
- 98% positive reviews (412)
- 10,390 students
- 20 lessons (4h 50m)
- 16 additional resources (8 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish (Latam), French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Draw an atmospheric scene with buildings and people from scratch using colored pencils.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone who wants to improve their drawing skills and start their own sketchbook.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required.
In terms of equipment, you will need a sketchbook, colored pencils, a smartphone, and other materials specified by the teacher in the course.
Reviews
Zoë Barker
A course by Zoë Barker
Illustrator Zoë Barker has loved drawing from a young age. After studying fine art at Kingston University, she decided to pursue a career in illustration, working across editorial, advertising, and publishing. She took a break in 2011 to focus on personal projects and rediscover her love for the art form.
This period of reflection led her to realize the importance of keeping a sketchbook and finding joy in creating something that nobody else might ever see. For her, drawing can be an exploration and a form of therapy, as well as a hobby. Over a career spanning 15 years, taking her from London to Norwich, she has illustrated for clients like Harrods, Cartier, Liberty of London, and The Telegraph. She also illustrated the children’s book Feast Your Eyes On Food and showcases her work on her website and social media.
Content
-
U1
Introduction
-
About Me
-
Influences
-
-
U2
Why Keep a Sketchbook
-
Importance of Keeping a Sketchbook 1
-
Importance of Keeping a Sketchbook 2
-
Materials and Basic Technique 1
-
Materials and Basic Technique 2
-
Blending Colour
-
Timed Exercises
-
-
U3
Observational Drawing Techniques
-
Object 1
-
Object 2
-
Street 1
-
Street 2
-
People 1
-
People 2
-
Bringing It All Together 1
-
Bringing It All Together 2
-
Bringing It All Together 3
-
-
U4
Sharing and Connecting
-
Sharing Your Work on Social Media 1
-
Sharing Your Work on Social Media 2
-
Creating Routine and Healthy Habits
-
-
FP
Final project
-
Sketchbook Illustration 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
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.
-
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
Yes, this course is designed for beginners with no prior experience in illustration or sketchbooking. All foundational concepts, techniques, and materials are introduced step by step.
You’ll need basic sketching tools: a sketchbook, graphite pencils, colored pencils, erasers, sharpeners, and optional items like a battery eraser, fixative spray, and watercolor set. A variety of papers and pencil types are also recommended.
You’ll learn observational drawing, pencil sketching, using colored pencils for texture and blending, drawing buildings and street scenes, developing your style, and creating a personal illustration portfolio.
Yes, you’ll learn perspective, measuring techniques, and step-by-step methods for drawing realistic buildings, people in context, and dynamic street scenes using pencil and colored pencils.
Yes, the course covers techniques for experimenting with materials, mark making, and personalizing your sketchbook to help you develop your own style and build a professional portfolio.
You’ll practice layering, blending, and mixing custom colors with colored pencils on different papers, learning how to achieve depth, texture, and atmosphere in your illustrations.
Yes, the course includes modules on drawing faces, capturing expressions, and integrating human figures into scenes, with exercises for gesture, proportion, and narrative illustration.
hermoso y didactico curso, la profesora es muy tierna y enseña claves muy importantes para dibujar con lapices de colores, excelente
Amazing
no es un curso para principiantes, y definitivamente debería elegir un color que no sea gris claro sobre hoja blanca para dar ejemplos, porque es imperceptible para quienes lo vemos detrás de la pantalla.
¡Me encantó el curso! Zöe es una excelente maestra, clara y concisa, además sus dibujos son inspiradores.
Por ahora es tranquilizador y estimulante.
La narración tranquila de cómo pasó a valorar los lápices de colores como herramientas para crear Arte es algo que alegra muchísimo, pues hacía tiempo que lo buscaba.
¡Gracias!