Editorial Illustration of Characters in Gouache
A course by Julia BereciartuIllustrator
A course by Julia Bereciartu, Illustrator
Learn how to create an editorial illustration full of life and texture using gouache paint, from the initial planning to getting it printed
Take your first steps in editorial illustration alongside artist and gouache expert Julia Bereciartu, who has worked with publishers like Alfaguara, SM, Astronave, Quarto Books, Bloomsbury, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Penguin Kids, Simon & Schuster, and Little Brown, as well as companies like Google, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon.
In this course, Julia teaches you the secrets to painting with gouache and guides you step by step through the process of creating an editorial illustration. Bring full-color characters to life, from planning to printing.
What will you learn in this online course?
20 lessons & 27 downloads
Materials that we are going to use
1 minute, 42 seconds
Introduction to gouache
18 minutes, 2 seconds
Practicing with the gouache
18 minutes, 47 seconds
Adding textures
10 minutes, 0 seconds
Search for ideas and references
9 minutes, 25 seconds
Sketching our illustration: the characters
20 minutes, 38 seconds
What's included in this course?
Meet your teacher, Julia Bereciartu. She tells you a bit about her career and the artists that influence her before giving you an overview of the course content.
Begin with an introduction to the materials you need to complete the final project and discover everything about painting with gouache, including what makes it so unique. Then, follow Julia through some exercises to practice your brush skills and learn how to control the paint.
Choose the scene you want to illustrate and search for references to give it some context. Sketch your main characters and see how to fit them into a composition using thumbnails. Continue building on this concept until you have the final draft and discover how to choose a color palette for your illustration.
Now transfer your sketch to paper and start painting! Begin with patches of color and work your way down to the finer details, emphasizing them with gouache and colored pencils. Learn how to create texture to bring your piece to life by playing with paint opacity and dry techniques.
Once you've finished, Julia gives you some tips for scanning and editing your illustrations in Photoshop to get them ready for professional printing.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Illustrate an emblematic scene from your favorite book using gouache.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone who's curious about gouache and wants to learn how to use this versatile medium to create vibrant and expressive illustrations.
Requirements and materials
All you need for this course are basic drawing skills.
As for materials, you need a set of gouache paints with the basic colors, synthetic brushes in different sizes, fine-grain watercolor paper, masking tape, a mixing palette, a pencil, an eraser, colored pencils, a scanner, and a computer with Photoshop. Optional materials include wax pastels, a light table, a printer, and an iPad with Procreate.
Reviews
- 3 months ago
I've to be completely honest: I wasn’t sure whether to take this course (it’s free to watch with Plus) because Julia’s illustration style is nothing like mine. But I decided to give it a go and I don’t regret it one bit. I ended up buying it so I could keep it forever because it's just gold! Julia is brilliant at explaining every detail and very generous with all her knowledge. It’s one of the best courses I’ve ever done.
- 3 months ago
Muy buen curso, me ha ayudado a iniciar con la técnica del gouache y a aprender como digitalizar correctamente una ilustración.
- 8 months ago
Ce cours est super bien expliqué et j'ai beaucoup aimé les ressources préparées par l'enseignant !
- anita018PLUS9 months ago
No tengo palabras para expresar lo que este curso ha sido para mí, pero este es mi mejor intento: Ha llenado todas mis necesidades en cuanto a conocimiento y dudas, y ademas me ha animado e inspirado a ilustrar. Es como si ella supiera todas mis preguntas y me las hubiera respondido, incluso lo de la camara y la perspectiva, y los colores! Le doy un 100 como profesora e ilustradora, también todos sus consejos son muy utiles, y btw tiene mucho carisma. Excelente curso <3
- 1 year ago
Fantástico curso. Ella es encantadora y explica con mucha claridad. Los tips que da a lo largo del curso son de mucha ayuda.
Over the course of her career, she has had the opportunity to work with publishing companies from the United State and United Kingdom, such as Quarto Books, Bloomsbury, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Penguin Kids, Abrams, Simon & Schuster, and Little Brown, as well as companies like Google, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon. She has also done illustrations for the publishing companies Alfaguara, SM, and Astronave in Spain.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
Materials and techniques
- Materials that we are going to use
- Introduction to gouache
- Practicing with the gouache
- Adding textures
- U3
Creating our scene
- Search for ideas and references
- Sketching our illustration: the characters
- Sketching our illustration: the composition
- Sketching our illustration: the final sketch
- U4
Time to paint
- Digital color proofs
- Transferring our sketch to paper
- Applying the color: the background 1
- Applying the color: the background 2
- Applying color: figures 1
- Applying color: figures 2
- Applying the color: the final details
- U5
Digitizing our illustration
- How to scan our illustrations
- Retouching in Photoshop
- Sharing our work
- FP
Final project
- Editorial illustration of characters in gouache
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.
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FAQs
You’ll learn gouache and watercolor techniques, narrative composition, character design, how to prepare a professional portfolio, and how to digitize illustrations for editorial and children’s projects.
This is an intermediate-level course, perfect if you already have basic drawing skills and want to deepen your knowledge of traditional techniques and professional portfolio creation.
You’ll need gouache, watercolors, synthetic brushes, satin and watercolor paper, colored pencils, a scanner, a computer, and access to Photoshop.
You’ll learn how to select, scan, retouch, and present your children’s illustrations in a professional portfolio ready for print and digital platforms.
Gouache is more opaque and allows for corrections and layering, while watercolor is more transparent and fluid. The course teaches when and how to use each technique depending on the desired effect.
You’ll learn to mix primary colors (warm and cool), create earth tones, use white to soften hues, and work with a wet palette to achieve a rich color range in gouache.
Yes, the course covers scanning, digital correction, and layout of illustrations, as well as preparing files for print and social media.