Observational Drawing: Illustrate with a Fresh Perspective

Get to know artist and illustrator Celeste Byers. She talks through the creative journey that led her to design murals around the world, along with the influences which inspire her as an artist, from surrealism to nature.

Delve into the principles behind observational drawing. Learn about placement, light, proportion, movement, and more before moving on to your initial drawing. Decide on the size and composition of your image, then begin your sketch, using a pencil and eraser to create a rough but intuitive illustration.

Use your knowledge of observational drawing to ink your sketch with a medium weight pen. Experiment with stippling to create texture and shade in your illustration and discover the importance of line width to illustrate depth. Then, erase your pencil lines, and prepare for scanning.

Celeste guides you through using Photoshop's tools to edit and color your illustration professionally. To finish the course, add the final touches to your work and export it, ready to be printed or shared online.