Designing Kawaii Worlds: Spread Joy Through Illustration
A course by Becky CasIllustrator
A course by Becky Cas, Illustrator
Find inspiration in your surroundings and use it to create kawaii characters in their own worlds using Procreate
Inspired by Kawaii culture from Japan, creatives of all disciplines are able to make art that spreads joy to others. Freelance illustrator Becky Cas specializes in creating cute, kawaii-style characters for stationery products and accessories, which she sells via her online shop. She has worked with brands like Snapchat and shares her work with over 140K followers on Instagram.
In this online course, Becky teaches you how to find inspiration in your surroundings to create kawaii characters in magical worlds. Expand your imagination and bring to life scenes full of cuteness and fantasy using Procreate.
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 21 downloads
Kawaii Proportions and Expressions
9 minutes, 46 seconds
Finding Your Kawaii Style and Color Palette
13 minutes, 28 seconds
Developing an Idea: Character and World Design
8 minutes, 57 seconds
Sketching Your World 1
10 minutes, 33 seconds
Materials
2 minutes, 34 seconds
Exporting for Merch and Printing
9 minutes, 16 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know freelance illustrator Becky Cas. Discover how she turned her childhood passion for cartoons, games, and anime into a full-time career as an artist along with the influences that inspire her work.
Get an introduction to kawaii culture, its proportions, and expressions. Then learn how to find your own style and color palette. Look at the tools needed for kawaii illustration, and develop a mood board of inspiration before creating some rough sketches of your character and their world.
Refine your sketch using the digital tools of Procreate. Then do the line work, using Becky’s advice for achieving a smooth, clean finish. Color your illustration with your chosen palette before adding light and shadows for dimension.
Put the finishing touches to your work like stars, hearts, and speech bubbles. To wrap up the course, see how to export your illustrations for printing, and hear Beck’s advice for posting on social media and opening an online shop.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Create an illustration of a kawaii character in their own world using Procreate.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in learning how to create digital illustrations inspired by Japanese kawaii.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required.
In terms of materials, Becky uses an iPad Pro with Procreate installed along with an Apple Pencil, but you’re welcome to use any drawing equipment you’re comfortable with.
Reviews
- 7 days ago
Excellent course, thank you very much! :)
- 12 days ago
It's a very good course, Becky is a great teacher and I really enjoyed it.
- 1 month ago
this is a very good course, it has helped me draw better and made me more confident to show my work to other people. I recommend this course for sure
- shatilovahannaPLUS2 months ago
The course is simply wonderfu, so super *kawaii* and cute! I recommend it!
- 2 months ago
Very nice and cutsy :)
Throughout her career, Becky has collaborated with esteemed clients, creating book covers, sticker books, and concept art for video games. Her illustrations have been showcased at various conventions, and her debut book as an author has been published. Her artistic process involves a blend of traditional techniques and digital tools, with a focus on creating enchanting isometric worlds filled with adorable characters. Becky is dedicated to sharing her expertise, encouraging others to explore their artistic potential and embrace the joy of creating whimsical art.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
An Introduction to the Kawaii World
- Kawaii: What Is It?
- Kawaii Proportions and Expressions
- Finding Your Kawaii Style and Color Palette
- U3
Imagining a Kawaii World
- Materials
- Inspiration and Mood Board
- Developing an Idea: Character and World Design
- U4
Creating a Kawaii World
- Sketching Your World 1
- Sketching Your World 2
- The Line Art Work 1
- The Line Art Work 2
- The Coloring Process 1
- The Coloring Process 2
- Adding Shadows and Highlights
- U5
Making the Artwork Shine
- How to Add Spark to the Illustration
- Exporting for Merch and Printing
- The Art Journey: Final Thoughts and Tips
- FP
Final project
- Designing Kawaii Worlds: Spread Joy Through Illustration
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 and covers foundational skills in kawaii digital illustration, from basic drawing techniques to digital coloring and character design.
You can use Procreate on an iPad with Apple Pencil, or a Wacom tablet with drawing software like Krita. Traditional tools like sketchbook, markers, and Copic multiliners are also supported.
You’ll learn how to create kawaii characters, choose pastel color palettes, design expressive faces, build mood boards, develop fantasy worlds, and prepare your art for social media and online shops.
No prior art experience is required. The course guides you step-by-step, making it accessible for anyone interested in kawaii illustration, even without a formal art background.
The course teaches you how to launch an online art shop, create merchandise, manage social media, and build a professional portfolio to attract freelance clients and customers.
Kawaii art is a Japanese-inspired style focused on cute, playful characters and pastel color palettes. It’s characterized by expressive faces, simple shapes, and a whimsical, cheerful aesthetic.
Yes, the course includes lessons on designing kawaii sticker packs for social media and messaging platforms like Snapchat.