Children's Book Illustration: A story in a moment
A course by mark hoffmann , Author and illustrator
Learn how to create children's book illustrations that serve the narrative whilst telling its own tale.
Learn how to create children's book illustrations that serve the narrative whilst telling its own tale.
Hello there! Meet Mark Hoffmann, a talented author, illustrator, painter, and professor. In this online course, you'll dive into the world of picture book illustration, where Mark will guide you through the process of creating captivating and quirky illustrations that breathe life into stories.
Throughout the course, Mark will share his expertise, gained from nearly 20 years of experience collaborating with renowned publishers like Random House and Groundwood Books. He'll take you on a journey where you'll not only make pretty paintings but also learn how to apply devices that engage readers, making them interact better with the text and imagery as they progress through the story.
The course's main theme revolves around understanding that each image in a picture book is more than just a singular instance—it's a story within a story. Mark will emphasize the importance of finding fun ways to tell the same image through different means, allowing for multiple paths of storytelling and empowering you to control the direction of the narrative. Whether you're a professional illustrator or an aspiring artist, this course will provide valuable insights into making your illustrations shine with humor, color, texture, and adorable character designs.
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 23 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (82)
- 5,285 students
- 18 lessons (4h 4m)
- 23 additional resources (7 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software for this course
Adobe PhotoshopWhat is this course's project?
Your final project will be a single spread illustration that hints at the past and foreshadows the future, enticing readers to explore what's to come in the story. It's your opportunity to showcase your newly acquired skills in crafting a picture book illustration that captivates and tells a tale within itself.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is perfect for illustrators and artists who are eager to explore picture book illustration, particularly those who gravitate towards fun, quirky, and humorous content. If you're looking to expand your storytelling abilities, experiment with various narrative structures, and learn how to control reader engagement and page flow, then this course is tailor-made for you.
Requirements and materials
To embark on this creative journey, you'll need basic drawing skills and traditional painting materials, such as an illustration board and paints. While Mark's course will be incredibly enriching, it's recommended that you have some prior knowledge of illustration techniques and an understanding of drawing fundamentals.
Reviews
A course by mark hoffmann
Meet Mark Hoffmann, a talented author, illustrator, painter, and professor, who truly embodies a kid-at-heart spirit. With a career spanning nearly 20 years, Mark has collaborated with esteemed publishers and showcased his goofy and fun illustrations through various avenues. From editorial illustration to animation and gallery work, Mark's passion for storytelling through illustration is evident in his work.
Through his extensive teaching experience, Mark believes in the power of discovery and experimentation. In this course, he aims to emphasize the importance of thinking about each image as a story rather than just a part of one. Mark's hope is to impart his knowledge on how to approach text and ideas, allowing for multiple storytelling paths that captivate readers and enable artists to control the narrative direction.
With a wide range of accomplishments, including working on 13 picture books and winning numerous awards, Mark's artistic journey continues to evolve, making him the perfect mentor to guide you on your picture book illustration adventure.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
The First Steps
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The Materials and Tools
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Crafting a Concept 1
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Crafting a Concept 2
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Controlling the Image
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Context and Applications
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U3
Sketching
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The Thumbnails: Sketch State 1
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The Thumbnails: Sketch State 2
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Deeper Dive
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Selecting, Scaling, and Detailing
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U4
Preparing and Painting
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Selecting and Mixing Color
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Blocking and Texturing Color 1
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Blocking and Texturing Color 2
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Detailing
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Text and Touch-ups
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U5
Making it Perfect
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Color Correction and Revisions
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Tips on Instagram
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FP
Final project
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How to write and illustrate an original children's book (TBC)
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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
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.
Adobe Photoshop
buchholzk
Super detailliert und verständlich erklärt - ich habe diesen Kurs sehr genossen und vieles gelernt!
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melkawroc
Great course. I enjoyed it so much.
graziamil
Veramente interessante e molto istruttivo.
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mackova_anny
Great curse! Thank you so much, I learned a lot about starting the book!
u.esrakeskin
The course was GREAT! Thank you Mark.