Creative Portraits with Markers
A course by Pablo Velasco BertolottoGraphic Designer and Illustrator
A course by Pablo Velasco Bertolotto, Graphic Designer and Illustrator
Learn how to illustrate an original portrait by exploring different coloring techniques
Creating lively illustrations with markers is the specialty of Spanish artist and graphic designer Pablo Velasco Bertolotto. By adding just a touch of irony to your compositions, you can achieve truly original results using this simple and easy-to-use technique that allows you to add creative details that are precise and realistic.
In this course, discover how to create an original portrait of someone you know or admire using nothing but markers. Pablo teaches you the basics of composition, lighting, volume, and contrast step by step, showing you how to create a unique illustration that is personal and fun.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 14 downloads
What will we do in the course?
3 minutes, 1 second
materials
2 minutes, 22 seconds
Markers, use
6 minutes, 20 seconds
Lace and head proportions
9 minutes, 32 seconds
How light works and basic color theory
8 minutes, 26 seconds
Creative portrait
2 minutes, 55 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start the course by learning a bit about Pablo Velasco and his beginnings in the art world. He talks about the subjects that inspire him the most, speaks about his artistic influences, and briefly goes through everything that he teaches in this course.
Then, learn more about markers and their main characteristics. Pablo teaches you the basic theory of facial proportions and colors, as well as some different techniques for creating light and shadows.
Get to work and start creating your portrait. See how to choose a great photo as a reference and learn how to transfer it onto paper using a pencil and a grid. You will learn to use colors and how to play with different shades and contrasts.
Finally, complete your portrait by working with different creative elements and adding details like shine in the eyes and hair to make them more realistic. To finish the course, take a picture of your illustration and add some final touches in Photoshop to get it ready for sharing on social media.
What is this course's project?
Illustrate a creative portrait using a photo as a reference, using markers to achieve added color and expressiveness.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
For anyone who wants to learn how to draw or for illustrators who would like to learn new creative techniques for illustrating portraits.
Requirements and materials
No prior knowledge is required to take this course.
Regarding the materials, you will need: a pencil, an eraser, a gel pen, colored markers, a printed photo, some drawing paper, and a lot of imagination.
Reviews
- 26 days ago
Super Kurs, ich hab viel gelernt. Ein toller Lehrer… Danke!
- 2 years ago
Espectaculares referencias y explicación! super recomendable.
- 2 years ago
ótimo curso...o curso que eu precisava para aperfeiçoar minhas pinturas com marcadores...
- 2 years ago
Mi ha colpito questo corso già dalla presentazione, posso dire che l'ho seguito e continuo a seguire gli esercizi ed tutto è spiegato in maniera chiara e precisa, passo passo. Lo consiglio per chi vuole approcciare al mondo del Marker.
- 2 years ago
Have been wanting to learn to use markers. This class is a great way to learn how to use theym.
He has held art exhibitions in galleries like Rizoma (Madrid) and accepts commissions for private collections. In his work, he aims to portray the world around him, always with a touch of originality and irony.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- What will we do in the course?
- U2
Basic materials and techniques
- materials
- Markers, use
- Lace and head proportions
- How light works and basic color theory
- U3
Creative portrait
- Creative portrait
- Grid lace
- Inked
- Skin Tones, base color 1
- Skin Tones, base color 2
- Skin Tones, contrasts
- U4
Final details and touches
- Details
- Retouching
- Illustration photography and digital retouching
- FP
Final project
- Creative Portraits with Markers
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 learn techniques for drawing both realistic and creative portraits using markers, covering everything from sketching to inking and coloring, applying anatomy, color theory, and professional methods to achieve unique finishes.
The course is designed for those with intermediate drawing skills, but step-by-step explanations make it accessible if you have some illustration basics.
You’ll need markers (like Copic), a hard pencil, marker-friendly paper, a ruler, set squares, and a reference photo to practice the grid technique.
Yes, the course covers gradient techniques, color blending, layering tones, and how to create realistic light and shadow effects in portraits using markers.
You’ll learn how to draw grids, measure key points, and transfer proportions from a photo to paper to create accurate, balanced portraits.
The course includes realistic and creative portrait styles, plus techniques to mimic comic styles, letting you explore different artistic approaches with markers.
This course combines color theory, anatomy, portrait techniques, and creativity, focusing on personalization, visual storytelling, and professional applications in editorial and fashion illustration.