Expressive Illustration and Lettering for Editorial Design

Begin the course by getting to know graphic artist Justin Poulter. He talks through the journey which led to his creative career along with the influences that inspire his work, from street art to fellow illustrators.

Research content and stylistic samples to help guide your cover design. Then create a mood board to use as inspiration for your illustration. Study your mood board, taking into consideration which examples of typography and illustration work well together and how to reinterpret them in your own style.

Explore Procreate and the tools it offers, from brushes to layers. Then learn how to create a composition by drawing basic shapes to represent different elements of your design. Use your rough sketch as a guide to create a more detailed illustration, then export it ready for editing on your computer.

Time to create your book cover! Justin guides you through how to make sure your artwork is the correct size, taking into consideration the bleed and the width of the book’s spine. Discover how to work with layers in Illustrator and use guides for your lettering. Draw your linework, tweak it using the Adjustment Tool, then add color and texture to your design.

Put the finishing touches to your artwork and export it ready for sharing. To finish the course, Justin guides you through how to post your project online via platforms like Instagram, Behance, and your website, as well as how to write clear descriptions to go alongside it.