01. Orientation- Meet your instructor and learn about the overview of this class - Brief introduction to class goals and objectives - Take a moment to reflect on what you want to achieve and jot down personal goals - Workspace setup: tools and software

02. Finding an Idea- How to gather ideas using your life experiences - Themes you're passionate about - Moments from your daily lives that resonate with you - Emotions you want to express through your art - The importance of keeping a sketchbook - Get inspired by different forms of media - Explore different sensory inspirations: music, places, or textures, that might spark visual ideas

03. Collecting References- How to collect images that inspire you - Using internet resources to add more variety to your visual library - [Demonstration] Showing how to create a moodboard

04. The Purpose of References- Learn to use reference images to create original work - [Demonstration] Exercise your style using references

05. Putting Your Ideas on the Canvas- Start with small doodles based on references - Draw a draft of the illustration idea

06. What Is a Thumbnail?- What is a thumbnail? - Understanding the purpose of a thumbnails

07. Exploring Values and Composition- Use compositional guidelines to create a story - Create multiple compositions with different narratives - Understand how values can shape a scene - Go beyond two-value systems - Common mistakes to avoid - [Demonstration] Examples of value and compositional studies

08. Exploring Characters- How to create a character design draft - Choosing the right design to fit the scene story - [Demonstration] Character design draft examples

09. Creating a Striking Thumbnail- Draw thumbnails for your illustration - Which thumbnail feels the strongest in terms of storytelling, and why?

10. How to Sketch- What's the purpose of a sketch? - How to sketch without getting lost in the details

11. Sketch Studies and Hierarchy- Create a sketch that highlights the key aspects of the design - Sketch key elements of your illustration separately to better understand them - [Demonstration] Create some sketches

12. Sketches and Colors- Add color to make your sketch visually engaging - [Demonstration] Creating colored sketches

13. Establishing a Clear Perspective- How to use perspective in a creative way once the scene is established - [Demonstration] Perspective examples

14. Preparing the Final Sketch- Create a final sketch that clearly defines your concept [Perks] Checklist: - Does this sketch clearly show the main idea? - Are the key elements emphasized? - Does the composition feel balanced? - Take a break and revisit the sketch with fresh eyes to check for any areas of improvement

15. Character Design- Why character design matters - Examples of different character designs - Think about your character's backstory, personality, and environment

16. Character Poses and Expressions- [Demonstration] Sculpt organic poses and spark life to your character - [Demonstration] Give a clear, relatable expressions and emotions to your main characters

17. Adding Flow to Your Design- Focus on tangents, rhythm and harmony of your character main features - [Demonstration] Examples of flow in the design of character features and clothing

18. Drawing Techniques- [Demonstration] Use cross-hatching, gradients, pointillism to add texture and visual interest

19. Creating Clean Character Line Art- Give your character a clean, expressive, and emotionally impatful linework

20. Backgrounds- Understand how backgrounds breathe life into a scene and help tell a story - Backgrounds importance in the context of a full illustration

21. Drawing Single or Multiple Objects- [Demonstration] Draw individual or clustered object, keeping it exciting - [Demonstration] Add details and variety to the environment - [Demonstration] Use macro areas and shapes to define space dynamically

22. Drawing Rigid or Organic Elements- What's the difference between mechanical or architectural elements and organic elements? - [Demonstration] Draw rigid, human made objects - [Demonstration] Draw lush and natural elements

23. Completing the Background Line Art- Finalize line art using different drawing techniques to direct the viewer's eye

24. The Power of Colors- Color theory 101 - Limited color palettes and muted tones

25. Masking and Flats for Your Characters- How masks can be really useful to streamline the coloring section - [Demonstration] Adding color masks to folders and layers - [Demonstration] Use color harmonies to color a character

26. The Power of Light- Light 101 - Famous lighting setup

27. Shadows, Highlights, and Ambient Colors- Understand how the light sources influence colors, shadows, and highlights - [Demonstration] Examples of different light setup and colors on a character

28. Finalizing Your Characters with Color Variations and Vibrancy- Blend and make your colors pop using your creativity and a bit of color theory

29. Background Colors- How background colors can drastically change an image perception - Choosing the right color and lighting for your scene

30. Local Colors, and Light Masks- Using masks to give proper light exposure to your background - [Demonstration] Different light pattern examples - How to tune your local colors when they are influenced by the ambient light - [Demonstration] Background examples using varied local colors to ambient light ratio

31. Primary and Secondary Light Sources- Add a main and secondary creative lighting in your scene - Add rim light - [Demonstration] How secondary light influences the volumes

32. Influences of Hue, Saturation, and Value- Push the values of the scene while considering the relationship between brightness, hue, and saturation - [Demonstration] Changing the scene’s colors by modifying its values, hues, and saturation levels

33. Finalizing the Background Colors- Use local adjustments, layer effects, and creative color choices to finalize your background

34. How to Finalize an Illustration- How to decide when an illustration is complete - How effects can make or break a design

35. Foreground vs. Background- Harmonize the background and foreground relationship to keep your scene clear - [Demonstration] Showing different relationships between background and foreground

36. Local and Global Exposure- Adjust the brightness of your artwork globally or locally to balance the reading hierarchy - [Demonstration] Adding local color adjustments using color correction layers

37. Subtle Effects and Color Grading- [Demonstration] Give a final subtle color grading to your image to unify the colors - [Demonstration] Add effects to elevate the atmosphere of your illustration - [Demonstration] Use textures to infuse your piece with a more organic look

38. Adding Final Touches- Add the final spark and give your illustration a polished look

39. Export Your Artwork Ready to be Published- [Demonstration] Export your artwork for your social media or print

40. A Few Words About My Career as an Artist- A brief panoramic of my life and career - Some tips based on my experience - Myth-busting advice

41. Thank You- What being an artist means in the current industry - The importance of having a project - Where to start? Create your portfolio