Realistic Illustration of Birds with Imaginative Elements

A course by Ricardo Ales , Artist

Artist. Portland, United States.
Joined August 2022

Enhance your realistic illustrations by adding imaginative elements that will make them truly stand out. Bring your drawings to life.

98% positive reviews (41)
2,148 students
Audio: English
English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Enhance your realistic illustrations by adding imaginative elements that will make them truly stand out. Bring your drawings to life.

Explore the world of highly detailed drawing with a focus on narrative and meaning with the acclaimed artist, Ricardo Ales, as he shares his expertise and takes you on a journey to create drawings that go beyond mere lines on paper.

In this immersive course, you'll delve into Ricardo's background and gain insights into his artistic journey. He will showcase a range of captivating drawings, including his own, to showcase the diversity within the genre of bird drawings.

Through practical demonstrations and step-by-step guidance, you'll learn to create a stunning drawing of a bird from initial concept to the final piece. Ricardo will lead you through essential stages, from finding reference photos and brainstorming the conceptual aspects of your artwork to creating thumbnail sketches and inking. Along the way, you'll master valuable inking techniques such as hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling.

As a bonus, Ricardo will also share insights on the importance of developing your craft, maintaining a social media presence, and nurturing discipline and focus to create highly detailed drawings. Immerse yourself in this course and let Ricardo's expertise inspire you to transform your drawings into captivating works of art.

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What will you learn in this online course?

12 lessons & 14 downloads

Style and Communication
7 minutes, 44 seconds
Introduction to the Project
6 minutes, 12 seconds
Materials
4 minutes, 38 seconds
Introduction to Inking
7 minutes, 14 seconds
The Thumbnail Sketch
11 minutes, 26 seconds
The Preliminary Drawing
10 minutes, 6 seconds
  • 98% positive reviews (41)
  • 2,148 students
  • 12 lessons (1h 35m)
  • 14 additional resources (5 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Create a highly detailed drawing using ink. You'll have the opportunity to choose one or more birds as your subject and infuse your artwork with personal meaning and symbolism. To make your artwork visually striking, you'll use at least two inking techniques such as hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

This course is a creative journey open to anyone who enjoys drawing. Whether you're a beginner seeking to develop your skills or an experienced artist looking to refine your techniques, this course offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. Ricardo's approachable teaching style and step-by-step guidance make it easy for anyone to join this course and embark on a transformative artistic adventure.

Requirements and materials

To fully engage in this course, you will need some essential materials. These include black ink, drawing paper, brushes, and fine-tipped pens. Having basic drawing skills will be advantageous, but this course welcomes beginners as well. A willingness to learn and explore your creativity is the most important requirement. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting your artistic journey, this course will provide valuable insights into creating highly detailed drawings with meaning and narrative.


Reviews

2,148 Students
41 Reviews
98% Positive ratings

Ricardo Ales

A course by Ricardo Ales

Teacher Plus
Artist

Ricardo Ales is a talented artist based in Portland, Oregon, USA. With a lifelong passion for drawing, he embarked on a journey of self-discovery in the art world. Drawing inspiration from his background and favorite artists, he has honed his skills and developed a unique style that captivates viewers. Ricardo's artistic career evolved over time, from showcasing his work in small galleries to gaining recognition on social media platforms, particularly Instagram. With dedication and commitment to his craft, Ricardo's Instagram following skyrocketed, catapulting his career to new heights.

Ricardo believes in staying true to oneself and focusing on what brings joy and fulfillment. He emphasizes the importance of finding your niche and embracing simplicity in your art. His personal experiences and growth have shaped his artistic approach, and he encourages aspiring artists to pursue their passion while continuously improving their skills. With his expertise and artistic journey as a source of inspiration, Ricardo brings a wealth of knowledge to this course, guiding you in creating highly detailed drawings that go beyond lines on paper.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    Getting Ready to Draw

    • Style and Communication
    • Introduction to the Project
    • Materials
    • Introduction to Inking
  • U3

    Making the Drawing

    • Researching Reference Photos and Creating a Mood Board
    • The Thumbnail Sketch
    • Prepping the Drawing Surface
    • The Preliminary Drawing
    • Inking
  • U4

    A Life of Its Own

    • Documenting and Sharing Your Work
  • FP

    Final project

    • Realistic Illustration of Birds with Imaginative Elements

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.
Realistic Illustration of Birds with Imaginative Elements. Illustration course by Ricardo Ales

Realistic Illustration of Birds with Imaginative Elements

A course by Ricardo Ales
Artist. Portland, United States.
Joined August 2022
  • 98% positive reviews (41)
  • 2,148 students