Creating a colorful and conceptual illustrative poster design

A course by Dan Stiles , Designer and illustrator

Designer and illustrator. Portland, United States.
Joined December 2020

Start creating illustrative posters that are not just visually arresting, but also packed with meaning and impact.

98% positive reviews (42)
1,321 students
Audio: English
English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Start creating illustrative posters that are not just visually arresting, but also packed with meaning and impact.

Renowned designer and illustrator, Dan Stiles, will take you on a creative journey into the world of conceptual design and poster creation. With his extensive experience in the industry and a passion for storytelling, Dan will guide you through the process of developing strong concepts and translating them into simple and impactful designs.

In this online course, you will learn the importance of symbolism and explore Dan's 5-step approach to concept development. Starting with research and generating potential symbols, you will progress to creating thumbnails and combining symbols to form unique concepts. From there, you'll distill your best ideas into prototypes and transform them into final designs.

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What will you learn in this online course?

18 lessons & 14 downloads

The Five Steps Plan
5 minutes, 12 seconds
Developing a Concept
7 minutes, 42 seconds
Symbolizing
2 minutes, 47 seconds
The Summarize
4 minutes, 52 seconds
Refining the Idea 1
19 minutes, 13 seconds
The Final Design 1
19 minutes, 6 seconds
  • 98% positive reviews (42)
  • 1,321 students
  • 18 lessons (3h 1m)
  • 14 additional resources (4 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

In the final project of this course, you will have the opportunity to create a colorful and visually arresting poster for a band or event of your choice. Drawing on the knowledge and techniques learned throughout the course, you'll apply the 5-step concept development process to bring your ideas to life. With Dan's guidance, you'll create a captivating poster that effectively communicates your chosen concept and captivates your target audience.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

This course is perfect for designers, illustrators, and anyone interested in the world of conceptual design. Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the fundamentals of poster creation or an experienced artist seeking to refine your skills, this course offers valuable insights and practical techniques for taking your design abilities to new heights.

Requirements and materials

To take this course, you'll need a sketchbook, a pencil, and a vector-based graphics program. These tools will allow you to explore and develop your ideas as you progress through the course. No prior experience is necessary, making this course accessible to beginners and experienced creatives alike.


Reviews

1,321 Students
42 Reviews
98% Positive ratings
  • More reviews

Dan Stiles

A course by Dan Stiles

Teacher Plus
Designer and illustrator

Dan Stiles is a highly accomplished designer and illustrator based in Portland, Oregon. With a diverse portfolio that spans posters, packaging, editorial work, pattern design, and book covers, Dan's unique style and storytelling abilities have made him a sought-after artist in the industry.

Having honed his skills through his immersion in the world of punk and his self-taught journey into screen printing, Dan brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his craft. His work for bands such as Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, and Sonic Youth has garnered him recognition and established him as a prominent figure in the field.

With a focus on the importance of concepts and storytelling, Dan's approach to design emphasizes the power of translating ideas into impactful visuals. In this course, he shares his knowledge, techniques, and passion, empowering you to develop your creative skills and craft visually compelling posters.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    The Theory

    • The Concept
    • New Ideas: Old Symbols Combination
    • The Five Steps Plan
  • U3

    The Project

    • The Poster
    • Developing a Concept
    • Symbolizing
    • The Summarize
    • Refining the Idea 1
    • Refining the Idea 2
    • The Final Design 1
    • The Final Design 2
    • The Final Design 3
    • The Final Design 4
  • U4

    Finishing Touches

    • Printing a Poster
    • Screen Printing: Separating Colors 1
    • Screen Printing: Separating Colors 2
  • FP

    Final project

    • Design and illustrate a conceptual modern poster design

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.
Creating a colorful and conceptual illustrative poster design. Design course by Dan Stiles

Creating a colorful and conceptual illustrative poster design

A course by Dan Stiles
Designer and illustrator. Portland, United States.
Joined December 2020
  • 98% positive reviews (42)
  • 1,321 students