Introduction to Portrait Drawing

A course by Alonso Palomino , Illustrator and Graphic Designer

Illustrator and Graphic Designer. Lima, Peru.
Joined November 2020

Learn the basic principles of portraiture and draw every detail of a face from a photograph

96% positive reviews (114)
3,230 students
Audio: Spanish
Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Learn the basic principles of portraiture and draw every detail of a face from a photograph

Every face is unique: some show tenderness, others show strength, vitality, or an air of spontaneity. Illustrator and graphic designer Alonso Palomino is an expert at capturing all of these emotions in stunning portraits. In this course, he teaches you the basic principles of this art form.

Learn how to draw unique portraits using a photograph as a reference and discover how to capture detailed facial features and convey personality by working with light and shadows. Grab your pencil and immortalize a moment in time with portrait art.

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What will you learn in this online course?

20 lessons & 11 downloads

Drawing as an Essential Art
3 minutes, 38 seconds
Presentation of Materials
1 minute, 25 seconds
Thinking in 3D
5 minutes, 56 seconds
Light and Shadow
4 minutes, 13 seconds
  • 96% positive reviews (114)
  • 3,230 students
  • 20 lessons (2h 30m)
  • 11 additional resources (3 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: Spanish
  • Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Draw a portrait from a photograph using a variety of techniques to give it a realistic look.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

Anyone interested in drawing who wants to learn how to create portraits.

Requirements and materials

No previous knowledge is needed to take this course, just the inspiration to learn or perfect your drawing technique.

The materials include pencils, charcoal, ink, an eraser, a fixative, and paper or cardstock of varying weight.


Reviews

3,230 Students
114 Reviews
96% Positive ratings

Alonso Palomino

A course by Alonso Palomino

Teacher Plus
Illustrator and Graphic Designer

Alonso Palomino is a graphic designer by trade, but an artist at heart. His first contact with art was the small woman who watched him from the frame on his great grandfather's bedside table; he felt so entranced by her gaze that the image stuck with him. Years later, he found out that it had been Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa who had been watching him.

Alonso's passion for portraying life through faces is reflected in his art, which focuses on portraits and the human figure. He currently works as an illustrator, designer, and independent artist.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
    • What Will We Do in This Course?
  • U2

    Basic Principles

    • Drawing as an Essential Art
    • Presentation of Materials
    • Thinking in 3D
    • Light and Shadow
  • U3

    Building the Human Head and Face

    • Ideal Lighting for Portraiture
    • Main Bones and Muscles of the Human Head
    • General Proportions of the Human Head
    • Splitting Into Blocks
    • Building Parts of the Face 1
    • Building Parts of the Face 2
  • U4

    Drawing a Portrait

    • Choosing a Photograph
    • Sketching and Fitting
    • Defining Facial Features
    • Highlights, Midtones and Shadows 1
    • Highlights, Midtones and Shadows 2
  • U5

    Exhibition and Conservation of Your Work

    • Bonus: Using Ink as a Portrait Technique
    • Conservation of Your Portrait
  • FP

    Final project

    • Introduction to Portrait Drawing

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Introduction to Portrait Drawing. Illustration course by Alonso Palomino

Introduction to Portrait Drawing

A course by Alonso Palomino
Illustrator and Graphic Designer. Lima, Peru.
Joined November 2020
  • 96% positive reviews (114)
  • 3,230 students