Digital Illustration: Create a Colorful Nature Scene

Get to know digital artist and illustrator Asia Orlando as she talks about her creative journey and how she became the artist she is. She also discusses her influences and the artists, books, and paintings that inspire her.

Asia explains how you can begin to develop your own illustration style. See how rules of composition can affect your art, and how layering and positioning elements can tell a story. Learn color theory and how it helps build mood and atmosphere before exploring your digital tools as Asia guides you through finding ones to give the effect you want.

Discover the importance of observation and hear Asia’s tips on gathering inspiration and playing with ideas. Then, take your ideas and begin the drawing process, first with some rough sketches of the main theme, before building your character and background.

See how to set up your canvas by adjusting resolution, color mode, and layers so it’s ready for you to develop your sketch. First, sketch in black and white as you establish composition and all elements together. Next, using the black and white sketch as a base, learn to create a color map for your illustration, and see how Asia layers colors and defines qualities like tone and contrast. Then, refine the lines and shapes before adding the last brush strokes and final adjustments.

End the course with Asia’s advice on using social media to showcase your art, and professional tips to help you understand some basics for pricing and licensing your art, working with briefs, and preparing agreements.