About IllustrationLearn More
Illustration can be used for applications ranging from book and poster design to multimedia presentations. But it’s also a standalone practice whose principles can inform sculpture, painting, portraiture, and more.
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SkillShare
Sarah Holliday
Character Illustration: Drawing Expressive Gestures & Poses in Procreate 2:08:32
English subtitles
12/31/2023
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SkillShare
Stephanie Fizer Coleman
10 Procreate Quick Tips for Artists & Illustrators 45:58
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12/31/2023
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Vashti Harrison
Illustrating in Procreate: Drawing a Shareable Timelapse 1:06:11
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12/25/2023
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Laci Jordan
Digital Illustration for All: Discover, Cultivate and Share Your Unique Personal Style 1:43:21
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12/25/2023
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SkillShare
Amber Vittoria
Intuitive Illustration: 4 Quick, Fun Exercises to Unlock Creativity 37:42
English subtitles
12/23/2023
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SkillShare
Liz Kohler Brown
Ink Illustration Techniques in Procreate 2:01:03
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12/23/2023
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SkillShare
Sandra Mejia
Ink and Color in Procreate® for Illustrators 37:42
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12/23/2023
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SkillShare
Aaron Draplin
Design Great Stuff: How to Make Merch with Draplin 1:42:59
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12/23/2023
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SkillShare
Gabrielle Brickey
Character Illustration: Drawing Portraits of Women in Procreate 3:45:12
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12/23/2023
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SkillShare
Kay Leathers
Staff Pick How to Animate Illustrations with the Puppet Tool 58:55
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12/23/2023
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Udemy
Rich Graysonn
How to Shade and Render your Drawings Like a Pro 9:22:47
English subtitles
12/20/2023
Frequently asked questions about Illustration
An illustration is a drawing that provides a strong visual to accompany a text, story, concept, or process. Artists can create illustrations using a variety of media, including but not limited to: graphite, colored pencils, watercolor, ink, markers, or even digital. They can be purely decorative like pattern design, technical like instructional diagrams, or even considered fine art like works by American artist Norman Rockwell. Historically, illustrations were used to provide visual imagery for books, magazines, and other various publications. Today, thanks to our digital evolution, illustrations are an integral part of our modern visual lives and create commercials, television and film, websites, and even social media.
Illustration is a large category of art that includes many subsets. Perhaps the most traditional illustration work is for books or other types of publications. This covers artwork for everything from children’s books to graphic novels to scientific drawings for medical journals. Another large category is fashion design, or creating preliminary concepts for new clothing or other types of pattern design. Other illustrators create storyboards for movies, television shows, or animations. The illustration also covers designers in the realm of the graphic arts, who create artwork digitally for websites, billboard signs, or even graphics on our phones like emojis.
To learn to become an illustrator, a foundation in drawing is helpful—specifically, a basic understanding of line, shading, value, and volume. The next step depends on the type of illustrator you’d like to become. For example, learning watercolor would be helpful to a budding fashion illustrator, while a future anime or manga artist may want to study ink drawing. As you advance with your illustration practice, you may want to take an online course. Knowing the basics for one or two types of software could expand your horizons into a digital illustration practice. Even if you are familiar with popular illustration software, changes and updates occur so frequently that you may find refresher courses immensely useful.