Illustration, Climax and Denouement
A course by José Luis ÁgredaIllustrator
A course by José Luis Ágreda, Illustrator
Learn to make the most of the expressive possibilities of illustration through a written story
The illustration does not have to be decorative. With this premise, José Luis Ágreda (El País, Fotogramas, Planeta ...) will teach you to make a series of three illustrations based on a written story. As if it were a professional assignment, you will learn to find narrative and conceptual solutions to the problems posed by editors and to convey your ideas in a clear and interesting way, whatever your drawing technique may be. In addition, you will see how an illustration is executed and although you do not consider yourself an ace of the stroke, you will discover how to create very expressive illustrations working with the concept, the composition, the color and, above all, the emotion.
What will you learn in this online course?
22 lessons & 16 downloads
What is to illustrate?
4 minutes, 45 seconds
What is illustrable?
12 minutes, 31 seconds
Our tools
5 minutes, 25 seconds
Compositional analysis: From the image to the idea 1
19 minutes, 35 seconds
Compositional analysis: From the image to the idea 2
17 minutes, 25 seconds
Compositional analysis: From the image to the idea 3
12 minutes, 35 seconds
What's included in this course?
Sit, rotate dolls, stretch your phalanges and get ready to illustrate. In this course you will develop the illustration work of a story as if it were a professional assignment for a magazine or book. First, José Luis will show you how to analyze the text to get the most out of it, looking for what you want to contribute to that story and, above all, teach you to work in the most effective way to transmit your ideas, taking advantage of the expressive possibilities of composition and the color.
You will follow several conceptual and practical steps: Brainstorming, sketch, final art ... And until a final test to verify that your illustration meets all the requirements. All this in a simple way, without getting lost in "esoteric" theories.) Pim-pam-pum Basic rules to learn and break In addition, during the practice, José Luis will explain how he works with Manga Studio, the illustration program and comics, but the same is applicable to almost any drawing program today: Photoshop, Autodesk Sketchbook and many others.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Through practice, you will make three illustrations from a text, as if it were a professional assignment. You will take advantage of the constraints of the client (size and format of the illustrations), to take advantage of visual ideas and give narrative unity to the whole. José Luis will work on a story by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Fall of Casa Usher", a text full of suggestive images, characters and scenarios, but also open to very diverse treatments. Although you can choose another text or even a song, get inspired!
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is aimed at anyone who likes illustration, regardless of technique or style, or any artist who seeks to take their creations a step further. It can also be a great apprenticeship for professional illustrators who want to learn about José Luís Ágreda's work and his technique.
Requirements and materials
You will only need basic drawing skills. You can illustrate by hand, but if you opt for digital, you will need a computer with a drawing software and a graphic tablet. During the course, José Luis will teach the notions of the Manga Studio program. If you want to try it for your practice you can download its free demo, or you can choose other tools such as Photoshop or Illustrator and many others.
Reviews
- 5 months ago
Este curso es muy completo y he aprendido mucho, me han gustado mucho los ejercicios y las explicaciones teóricas. Lo recomiendo, si lo haces te va ha gustar mucho y no te vas a agobiar. Si te decides, espero que lo disfrutes tanto como yo.
- 6 months ago
A really good course! among the best I’ve taken. good: seeing the entire creative process, especially the second thoughts and corrections, both in the drawing and in the concept. The materials are good. (and the parrot!)
Bad: The lighting in the videos but we’re not here to look at the instructor, so it’s not a big deal. There are no videos showing the creation of the second and third illustrations, which would have been nice to have.
Overall, an excellent and very useful course.
- 7 months ago
muy bueno
- 7 months ago
Excelente
- 8 months ago
Buen curso
In 2001 he created the album Cosecha Rosa (Undercómic publishing house), winner of the Best National Work Award in both the Barcelona and Madrid Comic Fair. In 2008 he started the successful series of children's stories CARLA (editorial Timun Mas), which have left fifteen titles.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Personal introduction
- Influences
- What is to illustrate?
- U2
Composition
- What is illustrable?
- Our tools
- Compositional analysis: From the image to the idea 1
- Compositional analysis: From the image to the idea 2
- Compositional analysis: From the image to the idea 3
- Compositional analysis: From the idea to the image 1
- Compositional analysis: From idea to image 2
- U3
Colour
- Theory of color for bums
- Basic concepts of color theory
- Limited pallet
- U4
Practical exercise
- Introduction to Manga Studio
- Brainstorming
- Sketch of the idea
- Make the drawing 1
- Make the drawing 2
- Final Art 1
- Final Art 2
- Final art 3
- Take a test
- FP
Final project
- Illustrating with story
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
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to create digital illustrations from concept to final art, applying principles of composition, color theory, visual storytelling, and techniques using Manga Studio/Clip Studio Paint. You’ll also develop characters, covers, comics, and expressive tools to communicate your message effectively.
Yes, this course is designed for those with basic illustration skills who want to deepen their knowledge of composition, color, storytelling, and digital tools applied to editorial and comic projects.
It’s recommended to have some drawing and illustration experience, along with basic digital illustration software skills, to get the most out of this intermediate-level course.
You’ll need a graphics tablet and Manga Studio or Clip Studio Paint installed. Having access to visual references and narrative texts for practice exercises is also helpful.
The course covers visual composition, color theory, graphic storytelling, character development, editorial illustration, inking and digital coloring techniques, limited palettes, and visual storytelling tools.
You’ll learn to distinguish the narrative and technical demands of editorial illustration, which communicates ideas through a single image, from comics, which require cohesive sequences and visual transitions.
You’ll be able to create original digital illustrations, develop characters, use composition and color to convey emotions, and adapt your images to various editorial and narrative contexts.