Illustration Techniques with Watercolor and Gouache
A course by AlinailustraIllustrator and Designer
A course by Alinailustra, Illustrator and Designer
Illustrate the scenes and characters you imagine using watercolor and gouache from scratch
Illustration is a powerful tool to let your mind wander into the deepest realms of your imagination, and contrary to popular opinion, you don’t have to have an innate talent to create something inspiring. Alinailustra is a freelance illustrator that gives full reins to her imagination when she illustrates, and in this course, she’ll give you all the tricks and techniques to become a prolific illustrator.
Alinailustra invites you to get out of your comfort zone and rediscover your creativity through watercolor and gouache techniques, to create enchanting landscapes and characters. Discover her tips and tricks to overcome a creative block and delve into your imagination to create your own illustrative world.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 34 downloads
Basic techniques for watercolor and gouache
19 minutes, 31 seconds
Color gradations and transitions
14 minutes, 36 seconds
Negative watercolor vs Gouache
19 minutes, 44 seconds
Stains: Unlock your creativity
7 minutes, 47 seconds
The sketch
8 minutes, 19 seconds
The atmosphere and the characters
10 minutes, 25 seconds
What's included in this course?
Get to know Carolina, the artist behind Alinailustra, about her personal and professional life, and how she learned to allow herself to make mistakes and learn from them. She also shares some artists and illustrators that she admires.
Start off by getting familiar with the material you’ll use, and create a comparison sheet to see the differences between watercolor and gouache. Learn the different uses for your materials and see a multitude of techniques that you can apply when painting with watercolor and gouache with some practical exercises.
Discover the theory of color and how to apply it to your illustrations. Next, try out some fun exercises to unlock your imagination and find inspiration for your final illustration. Move onto your sketch with Carolina’s useful tips and then define your color palette.
See how to transfer your sketch onto a page, learning Carolina’s expert techniques to ensure your final illustration has a polished look. Learn how you can turn a mistake into a feature for your illustration and how to make corrections. Finally, work on the details of your illustration and see how to carry it to different types of media and formats.
What is this course's project?
Create an illustration of a scene including a landscape and imaginary characters with watercolor and then with gouache, using the previously learned techniques and creative exercises.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
For designers, illustrators, artists, and anyone looking for new ways to create or enrich their work with watercolor and gouache.
Requirements and materials
No previous knowledge is necessary to take this course.
As for materials, you will need watercolor paper or Durex paper, watercolors, gouache, round and flat watercolor paintbrushes of all sizes, colored pencils, pencils, a sharpener, an eraser, a plastic or ceramic mixing tray, masking tape, two jars to fill with water, absorbent paper, and a waterproof fineliner pen.
Reviews
- 4 days ago
Este curso me ha encantado. Carolina lo explica todo de maravilla; sin duda, lo recomiendo.
- 24 days ago
Good course to learn gouache and watercolor!
- 2 months ago
Un curso muy útil para principiantes. Perfecto para aprender las técnicas básicas de acuarela y gouache, mezcla y armonía de colores y composición. Me encanta la forma tan amena y sencilla que tiene Alina de enseñar.Muy recomendable.
- 2 months ago
Gostei muito do curso, tanto que pretendo fazer o de aquarelas negativas em breve. Super indico, o curso é muito bom mesmo.
- 3 months ago
The course was great, I have learned a great deal! ! The teacher is spontanous and communicative which make the lessons interesting and approachable! Really nice !
Carolina is the creative mind and hand behind Alinailustra, her personal online brand where she offers products decorated with her own illustrations and shares educational materials. She also recently launched ilustropik, an initiative centered around organizing activities and events to help promote work from illustrators in her city.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Alinaillustra
- Influences
- What will we do in the course?
- U2
Know your tools
- The materials
- Basic techniques for watercolor and gouache
- Color
- Color gradations and transitions
- Negative watercolor vs Gouache
- U3
From idea to paper
- Stains: Unlock your creativity
- The sketch
- Defining the color palette
- Preparing the substrate and background
- The atmosphere and the characters
- U4
Possibilities
- Details and finishes
- Final recommendations
- FP
Final project
- Watercolor and gouache techniques
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
You’ll master watercolor and gouache techniques to create original illustrations, explore graphic simplification, experiment with textures and color, and develop unique characters and scenes inspired by Latin American crafts.
Yes, this course is designed for those with basic illustration or painting skills who want to deepen their knowledge of watercolor and gouache techniques, as well as develop creativity and artistic identity.
You don’t need to be an expert, but having basic drawing or painting skills is recommended to get the most out of the course content and exercises.
You’ll need watercolors, gouache, a variety of brushes, watercolor paper, colored pencils, technical pens, masking tape, and a sturdy drawing board. It’s also helpful to have tools for cleaning brushes and preparing your workspace.
Yes, you’ll learn how to create color harmonies, mix primary and secondary colors, select vibrant palettes, and apply color wheel principles in both watercolor and gouache.
The course covers techniques like wet-on-wet, gradients, glazing, reserving whites, color gradation, blending, layering, texture effects, and combining watercolor and gouache for expressive results.
It includes creativity exercises, exploring paint blotches, and practical methods to illustrate without fear of mistakes, encouraging experimentation and self-compassion in your creative process.