Surrealist Illustration with Ballpoint Pen

A course by Virginia Mori , Illustrator

Illustrator. Milán, Italy.
Joined October 2021

Learn to create dreamlike illustrations while developing your own style, from drawing the pencil sketch to inking the final artwork

97% positive reviews (38)
1,062 students
Audio: Italian
Italian · Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Polish · Dutch

Learn to create dreamlike illustrations while developing your own style, from drawing the pencil sketch to inking the final artwork

Grab a pen and paper and get...writing? No, start drawing! Among the many objects used to create illustrations, the ballpoint pen is often overlooked, but it's a versatile tool that can produce strikingly unexpected results. In this online course, illustrator Virginia Mori teaches you how to wield this simple yet mighty instrument to shape your ideas into images and convey an emotion through minimalist elements.

Under her guidance, learn to make different strokes and produce a range of visual effects by playing with hand pressure and the angle of the pen. Begin with a series of exercises to unblock your creativity and define a concept before making some pencil sketches. Once you have the definitive design, move on to inking your piece and adding the final details. Ready to explore the possibilities of ballpoint pen illustrations?

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What will you learn in this online course?

12 lessons & 22 downloads

Exercises to Unlock Creativity
9 minutes, 19 seconds
The Importance of Ideas
9 minutes, 19 seconds
Inking
16 minutes, 15 seconds
Study for the Texture
11 minutes, 23 seconds
  • 97% positive reviews (38)
  • 1,062 students
  • 12 lessons (1h 48m)
  • 22 additional resources (4 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: Italian
  • Italian · Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Create a surreal illustration about a topic of your choice using both black and colored ballpoint pens. You can also incorporate other mediums if you'd like.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

Anyone who wants to learn about illustration and create their own surreal art with ballpoint pens or other mediums they enjoy working with.

Requirements and materials

No prior knowledge is necessary for this course.

As for materials, you need paper and pencils, as well as a black and colored ballpoint pen. If you'd like to touch up your work digitally, you also need a device with Photoshop.


Reviews

1,062 Students
38 Reviews
97% Positive ratings

Virginia Mori

A course by Virginia Mori

Teacher Plus
Illustrator

Virginia Mori is an Italian illustrator from Pesaro who has been passionate about drawing since she was little. After studying a degree in science, she enrolled in an advanced illustration and animation course at the Scuola del Libro di Urbino. During her two years there, she specialized in pen illustration and went on to earn her first official recognition in 2008, winning the SRG SSR idée suisse award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.

Virginia also found success by sharing her art on social media, which has attracted a large following and has led to commission work, invitations to exhibitions, and collaborations with other artists. She has illustrated numerous books and album covers, and has worked with brands like Gucci, Fendi, and Mini, as well as publishing houses including Feltrinelli, Bollati Boringhieri, and Penguin Random House.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    The Search for a Unique Path

    • Personal Research
    • Exercises to Unlock Creativity
    • The Importance of Ideas
  • U3

    From Abstract Idea to Sketch

    • Analysis of the Idea and Sketch Phase
    • Choosing the Best Sketch
    • Evaluate the Drawing before Inking
  • U4

    Bring the Illustration to Life with Shadows and Color

    • Inking
    • Study for the Texture
    • Color on Final
    • Digitization and Retouching
  • FP

    Final project

    • Surrealist Illustration with Ballpoint Pen

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
    Plus

    If 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

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.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Surrealist Illustration with Ballpoint Pen. Illustration course by Virginia Mori

Surrealist Illustration with Ballpoint Pen

A course by Virginia Mori
Illustrator. Milán, Italy.
Joined October 2021
  • 97% positive reviews (38)
  • 1,062 students