The Beginner's Illustration Masterclass

Take a moment to see how to best use this course for your experience level, software access, and interests.

This is a lesson from my Illustration with Gimp Course. As a student in The Illustration Masterclass, you also get free access to the Gimp course, so if you prefer to start with the free program Gimp, just send me a quick Udemy message and I will send you the course link ASAP.

In this lesson I'll tell you what you need or may want to have before taking this course.

In this lesson, we'll have a look at the kinds of images you can make in Photoshop using simple tools and techniques. Whether you prefer to draw from memory, observation, or to use a photograph as your starting point, you can use the tools and techniques covered in this course to make images for yourself or others quickly and easily at your own pace and in your own way.

In this lesson, (optional for those who already are familiar with Photoshop,) I'll go over tools like stylus pens you might consider using if you have access, essential windows and panels you will need, and talk about the basic brush tool and its various settings.

The Mixer Brush Tool is by far my favorite addition to the newer versions of Photoshop. For years I used other programs trying to best get the paint mixing effect you would get in an actual painting studio. No longer! Photoshop's Mixer Brush Tool will get you painting without the toxic fumes and mess to clean up ASAP.

I'll also discuss a few other settings and tips that affect regular brushes as well.

Most of us have used eraser tools in imaging programs but have not given much thought to how to use them in a more painterly way. What does this mean? Let me demonstrate in this lesson!

In this lecture I'll let you know what you need to get started according to your preferred way of taking this course, by either copying what I do exactly or by choosing your own unique image to work with and just using the techniques I cover.

In this lesson I'll walk you through the steps of getting your own original photo or a royalty-free image that you have permission to use in your projects. I'll also explain a bit more about how we will develop your illustration skills by using a photo first as a guide and how this fits with hundreds of years of art school training tradition.

In this lesson I'll show you how to bring in a photo, scale and adjust it, modify it with the filter gallery (the non-cheesy way), and how to use "Save As" to preserve the various versions of your budding digital painting.

In this lesson we will finally get started painting in a layer just below our photo's layer.

In this lesson I'll show you how to add a black line drawing layer if that is the kind of look you are going for. Otherwise, if you want your image to look more painterly and less like a comic, stained-glass window, German-Expressionist piece, etc. then you can skip this step.

In this case study lesson set to music, I'll show you how I make an illustration using the techniques in this course. Please note, in this particular illustration, I made my lines layer first, then added the underpainting and overpainting. You can do the steps in any order that feels right to you.

This cheat-sheet comes from an in-person course I did with children ages 10-17 at Thalun International School in Yangon, Myanmar. If you follow the steps in Gimp while following along in this online course (even though I am using Photoshop), you will get similar results and not have to buy Photoshop. The only difference is in this sheet, I make the black and white line layer before the under and over painting layers. You can do those particular layer steps in any order you wish and in fact, I usually make the line layer first now and add color later. For best results, it helps if you already are somewhat familiar with Gimp’s basic windows and tools first.

In this lesson you will tour all the layers that went into a Lori Leak illustration. I'll talk about my image-making process and give you hints so you can get started making more intermediate to advanced digital paintings using similar methods.

Use these new custom brush tools in Photoshop to really get the textures  and look you are are going for. This is a case study on how I use  hundreds of brushes when animating in Photoshop, where I get them, how to change their settings, and how to get started using them. (*See blog post under the resources tab for easy brush installation instructions.)

In this case study lesson I'll show how you can use the basic techniques covered in this course to make more advanced illustrations and even animations.

In this lecture I'll show how I return to past images to make them better as well as discuss ways you can keep from fussing over making one "perfect" image and driving yourself insane.

In this lesson I'll show you some tips for making characters look more consistent from image to image as well as how to more quickly change a facial expression, body type, or mood when you have a tight deadline and don't have the luxury of time to redraw.

Learn how to make your life MUCH easier just by setting up your projects for print (larger files/higher quality) even if you only initially need images for the web or screen (lower quality/ lower file sizes). This lesson also covers important saving basics which will save you hours, days, or weeks of frustration if the unthinkable happens: you lose files due to file corruption or computer/device failure.

 In this lesson I'll discuss that while software programs are cool and can fix a lot of things, it's ALWAYS better to get good lighting for your photos from the initial get-go.

 This is a quick crash course lesson that will introduce you to 8 simple rules that can have a HUGE effect on the quality, look, and feel of your images. I've tried to mimic a lesson I give my own university students by using Photoshop to draw visual examples for you as if using the classroom white board.

Everyone makes mistakes. I'm here to stop you from at least making some common amateur imaging mistakes. Chances are, you ALREADY know what works and what doesn't intuitively. Have a look at some typical image faux pas so you can approach your next design tasks with more and more confidence.

I'm all for exploring and having fun with the special effects and filters available in your imaging program. Go ahead! Get them out of your system. (I'll wait for you...) You're back? OK. So in this lesson I'll explain that while filters and special effects can be fun to play with, they are NOT always your friends when you are trying to make professional looking images.

Here are THE top things to keep in mind when creating as well as evaluating design.

In this lesson we'll take a look at the most common Illustrator windows and tools, learn more about Illustrator and why it's different than Photoshop, and how to get started drawing and setting up a new file.

Before we get started drawing, first we'll need to find a photo to use as a guide. You CAN'T just draw over someone else's copyrighted photo. You should use your own original photo or a royalty free photo where you will have permission from the author to use their work.

In this lesson I'll show you how to place your Photo in Illustrator, lock it down, and have it set up so you can begin drawing.

 In this lesson we'll set up a new layer for our black and white line drawing. I'll also explain a bit about the brush tool and settings so you won't get the usual "Illustrator Newbie" headache when first trying to draw.

In this lesson I'll show you how easy it is to make your black and white line drawing. You can draw with a mouse or use a stylus tablet like the one I use from Wacom.

Skip this lesson at your own later peril. If you take a few minutes to learn how to save your files properly (in many locations and under different names VERY often) you will save yourself from losing all your work. Bad things happen to good people on computers, so make sure you always have a safety net.

In this first coloring option, I'll show you how to easily add color using Illustrator's brush tools and a new layer under your black and white drawing layer.

This lesson will show you how to use the Live Paint Bucket Tool as an option for coloring in your drawing.

This lesson will show you a third way to color in your drawing that some people find to be the easiest way. I'll show you how to save your file so you can bring it into Photoshop and color it there using the paint bucket and brush tools.

 Learn how to save your final drawing for the web in Photoshop.

This is how to give credit when you use images that have a Creative Commons Attribution license.

This quick animated lesson will help give you some creative block destroying tips for what to do when you feel stuck in a rut. It's all about changing things up.

This activity will help you get started using your dreams as creativity-boosting tools.

This activity will get you started loosening up and generating more ideas which will naturally lead to better ideas.

Here is an exercise to help you bring "new experiences to old places." Inject a bit of creativity into your regular daily routine starting today!

In this Case Study lecture I'll show you how I make my cartoon series, "Out There Doodles" by keeping a sketchbook full of text snippets, scribbles, doodles, and other ideas that I then further develop later on the computer.

In this lesson (from my full course, "Freelance Success For Artists") I'll talk about why I love freelancing and how I have made freelancing a big part of my work life. I've found the right balance after many years of personal experience as well as advising students and my goal is to help you do the same.

Here is a free, fast, and easy way to painlessly and professionally remove text or an object using a free online tool called Fotor. Check it out!

Here are more of my favorite FREE and intuitive tools that will have you  making animations, illustrations, and more. Get a taste of what is  possible in under 10 minutes and be up and running ASAP.  [This lecture  comes from my full course, Skyrocket Your Creativity: 7 Easy Ways.]

Gimp: Make a Digital Painting & Illustration Like a Pro Fast is a new course that you get FREE for already being a student in this beginner's masterclass.

Software programs and versions come and go. This video demonstrates the most essential tools you need, regardless of which imaging program you are using. Here are the only tools you need to know that will not change, even 20 years from now.

In this extra bonus case study lesson, see how easy it is to display and sell your favorite finished digital paintings and illustrations by creating your own FREE online store. See how an online store can make
you more discoverable, and how it can cause new fans and future freelance clients to find and contact you later.

In this extra bonus lesson, see how easy it is to link up your new online store to your website and social media pages and how they all work together to generate web traffic, make you more discoverable online, and how it can cause new fans and future freelance clients to find and contact you later.

Here are some resources so you can be sure you are set up correctly for making children's books for a variety of platforms including Amazon KDP and Lulu

Use these color secrets to help give your designs an edge.

This "Ask Us Anything" was recorded live on January 29, 2022.

VR galleries? NFTs? What new tools are we using as artists right now? Ask us anything!

Join Artovida Collective founder Troy Wiley along with Artovida artists Amy Diener and Kristen Palana for a talk on what new tools and techniques we are experimenting with as artists in 2022 -the good, the bad, and the ugly!

*Started as a Facebook Live at 10:00AM EST and continued in ArtgateVR at 10:50AM in our Artovida Gallery in the Metaverse.