Lifestyle Illustration for Vibrant and Expressive Characters
A course by Jordi Labanda , Illustrator
Learn to draw expressive characters and become the scriptwriter, stylist, and art director of your own illustrated stories
Learn to draw expressive characters and become the scriptwriter, stylist, and art director of your own illustrated stories
According to internationally renowned illustrator Jordi Labanda, "transmitting an idea is the cornerstone of illustration." Under this premise, his unequivocal style has been the protagonist of pieces for publications such as Vogue USA, the poster for the latest Woody Allen movie, and ad campaigns for adidas as well as household products and more, for over 19 years. In this online course, discover the secrets behind Jordi Labanda's most symbolic and fashionable characters.
Throughout the course, learn to give your illustrations personality and tell memorable stories using gouache paints. Jordi shows you how to put yourself in your characters' shoes, working on empathy to connect to a shared subconscious, for truthful and expressive results reflected in both the clothes and body language of your protagonists.
The aims of the course are:
- Discover the psychological resources necessary to give your work character and soul.
- Achieve a sort of transcendence and improved connection with your audience.
- Enrich your stories and the narrative behind each illustration.
- Explore fashion as a tool for transmitting ideas and emphasizing the massage you want to convey.
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 30 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (64)
- 1,781 students
- 18 lessons (3h 36m)
- 30 additional resources (11 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?
Compose a narrative illustration whose protagonists connect with the audience through their expressive emotions.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone wanting to enhance the psychological and narrative elements of their illustrated characters, whether working digitally or manually. The course is also aimed at anyone who's always admired Jordi Labanda's work and would like to know more about what goes on behind the scenes.
Requirements and materials
You don't need any previous knowledge to follow the course, but confident drawers might find it a little easier.
In terms of materials, you need:
- Blank sheets for sketching
- Black fineliners, a graphite pencil, and an eraser
- Different sized gouache brushes and gouache paints in a range of colors
- White card stock
- A light table for tracing your sketch
- Masking tape and a glass receptacle for water
Reviews
A course by Jordi Labanda
Fashion, publicity, and animation illustrator Jordi Labanda is known for his unmistakable style. He was born in Mercedes, Uruguay, and lived in Barcelona from the age of three, although he is now based in New York. His work paved the way for a new era of illustration, which went from being undervalued to being used as a key communication tool. It's been more than 19 years since his characters began to appear in publications and ad campaigns, as well as on homeware and stationery collections.
As an editorial illustrator and trend writer, he periodically collaborates with iconic publications from both the fashion and lifestyle spheres like Vogue Japan, The Daily Telegraph, Candy, Harper's Bazaar, and La Vanguardia magazine. His illustrations have also appeared in publications such as Wallpaper, Vogue USA, Visionaire, and The New York Times Sunday Magazine, among others.
As a corporate illustrator, Labanda illustrated the poster for Woody Allen's latest movie, Rifkin’s Festival, and has collaborated with brands including Louis Vuitton, Moncler, Zara, Vodafone, adidas, Pepsi Light, Dior, Danone, Nissan España, and American Express. His work has also been exhibited in galleries and museums across the world and was compiled into the bestseller Heyday, published with Editorial RM.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Expressiveness: the necessary tools
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The materials
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Drawing, fashion and color to tell stories
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Intention and composition: planes and visual weight
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Drawing and expressiveness of characters: in search of a voice
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Basic gouache: outline and hair 1
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Basic gouache: outline and hair 2
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U3
Create a professional illustration
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The brief and search for influences
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The sketches
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Second phase of the sketch and tracing 1
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Second phase of the sketch and tracing 2
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Painting process 1
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Painting process 2
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Painting process 3
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U4
The importance of details
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Outlining of clothes and faces 1
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Outlining of clothes and faces 2
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Final touches with pen and digitization
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FP
Final project
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Lifestyle Illustration for Vibrant and Expressive Characters
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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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.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
ksvw
Great course! Jordi explains things really clearly :-)
ritamendes1
curso bem organizado e com professor que ensina de forma metodica. recomendo
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gabriella.mammana
Il corso l’ho appena iniziato. Sembra molto pratico e interessante
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summyr
PlusI'm only at the beginning of this course, yet Jordi has inspired me so much, I've been pausing videos to sketch and take notes. I wanted a gouache painting course, and this one happens to be so much better than I ever expected.
noweluna
PlusVery nice teacher. I learned a lot of new techniques in fashion illustration. I recommend take this course.