visualdevelopmentartist,jennyli Details
Intro
Learn the Art of Visual Storytelling
This course teaches you how to create cinematic illustrations that tell captivating stories, from concept to final artwork. Drawing from her animation industry and personal experience, Jenny breaks down complex concepts into practical lessons—from core fundamentals to advanced techniques. Whether you're an aspiring professional or a beginner artist, you'll learn not just how to illustrate, but how to create impactful illustrations that tell a story, evoke emotion, and bring immersive worlds to life.
Throughout the course, you'll learn how to apply these fundamental skills toward creating two portfolio-ready illustrations. Starting with ideation, reference gathering, and composition, you'll progress through perspective, values, color theory, and lighting, all the way to brushwork, material rendering, and final detailing techniques through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and exercises. Most importantly, you'll learn how to integrate these technical skills to create cinematic illustrations that are not only visually captivating, but where every element works together to build immersive worlds and tell compelling stories.
At the end of the course, Jenny will also share insights from her experience working both as a full-time artist in the animation industry and as a self-employed artist, along with advice on how to build your career, establish your name as an artist, and pursue the path that’s right for you.
At the end of the course, Jenny will also share insights from her experience working both as a full-time artist in the animation industry and as a self-employed artist, along with advice on how to build your career, establish your name as an artist, and pursue the path that’s right for you.
Class Perks
Special Gift from Jenny Li
-
Course Slides7+ Detailed Presentation Slides -
All Illustration FilesComplete Layered Project Working Files -
Custom BrushesJenny's Personal Brushes
Class Material Details
-
Key Fundamentals and Examples- In-class reference slides covering essential principles with supporting visual examples -
Complete Layered Working Files- All working files from the class, allowing you to study each step, layer, and technique in detail -
Course-Specific Brush Pack- Brush presets designed to support the course’s learning experience
Recommendation
Who should take this class?
Aspiring Professional Artists
Prepare for careers in animation or gaming by developing skills in visual development and concept art.
Intermediate Artists
Create more compelling illustrations and bring your work closer to a professional standard.
Beginner Artists
Build a strong foundation in digital illustration through a clear, approachable workflow.
Expert Visual Development Artist Jenny Li's Portfolio
* This Portfolio includes client works.
Why Take This Class?
Go Beyond the Single Image: Build a World
Unlike most illustration classes that focus on creating a visually appealing piece, this course teaches illustration within a visual development and worldbuilding context, showing you how to create impactful visual narratives that immerse the viewer. Throughout the course, you’ll go through the process of creating multiple connected illustrations that are not only visually cinematic, but also tell an engaging story when viewed together.
Throughout the class, Jenny will dive into how to integrate technical skills such as composition, perspective, value, color, light, and rendering to create cinematic illustrations that tell a compelling story and bring a world to life. Rather than treating each fundamental as an isolated technical skill, Jenny teaches how each one individually contributes to and works together to support storytelling. By learning her professional workflow and how she approaches creating the illustration at each step, you will gradually learn to develop your own workflow, figuring out which techniques work best for you and ultimately building your own art style.
At the end of the course, students will have developed two portfolio-quality illustrations that share the same world, characters, and narrative, while also building a strong foundation in the technical skills essential to illustration. This makes the course ideal for both aspiring professional artists looking to break into the animation industry and artists who want to learn and strengthen their fundamentals. No matter which level you are and what artistic goals you have, there will be valuable skills you can learn from this course.
Get Ready for the Real-World
11 Class Exercises
Part 1. Object Perspectives & Camera Angles
-
Simple vs Complex Objects -
Sketching in Different Camera Angles
Part 2. Continuity in Sequences
Sequential Illustration Sketching
Part 3. Values
-
2-Value Sketches -
4-Value Sketches with Different Emphasis
Part 4. Color Selection & Lighting
-
Color Choice Through Observation and Adjustment -
Day and Sunset Scene Lighting -
Night and Storm Scene Lighting
Part 5. Brushstrokes & Painting Materials
-
Painting Materials Part 1 -
Painting Materials Part 2 -
Painting Materials Part 3
Final Product Examples
Portfolio-Ready Illustration 1
Portfolio-Ready Illustration 2
*The above images are sample images for a better understanding.
Highlights
Class Highlights
Sequential Illustration
Learn to create two sequential illustrations that share the same world and narrative, using composition, color, and lighting to build visual continuity and tell a compelling story across both images.
Basic to Advanced: Illustration Fundamentals
Build a strong foundation in composition, perspective, value, color, lighting, and rendering, and learn to apply these essential skills to create more cohesive, expressive, and visually compelling illustrations.
The Ultimate Guide to Texture Painting
Learn to paint a variety of materials and textures, and develop the skills to bring greater depth, realism, and visual interest to any artwork!
