Overview
Lessons
Reviews
Instructor
Sale Ends Today!  75% off our annual membership. Get skills that fulfill.  44:44:44
Sign in
Preview course

Digital Illustration for Beginners

with Laia López
4.6 (474)
Learn how to create a beautiful illustration from start to finish with a master artist, focusing on expressions, body types, composition and loads more!
English, Spanish, 4 more French, Italian, German, Portuguese English, French, 6 more Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Japanese [Auto], B. Indonesia [Auto]
2+
hours
13
lessons
Beginner
level
Laia López

Your Instructor

Laia is a Spanish artist with over 1.2 million Instagram followers. She’s renowned for her distinct art style & illustrated novels, like ‘Royalty Witches.’

All Courses
Get access to this course and 50+ more
$59 / year
$235 / year
left at this price!Save 75%
Get Started
  • Cancel Anytime
  • 30-Day Money-back Guarantee

Only this course
$40 USD
Get Single Course
  • 30-Day Money-back Guarantee
Explore the course
2+
hours
13
lessons
Beginner
level
English, Spanish , 4 more
Languages
  • French
  • Italian
  • German
  • Portuguese
English, French , 6 more
Subtitles
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • German
  • Portuguese
  • Japanese [Auto]
  • B. Indonesia [Auto]

What you’ll learn

  • The wonders of composition, storytelling, & digital coloring
  • How to create a beautiful full colored illustration from scratch!
  • Understand the body’s proportions & how to create different body types
  • How to create incredible dynamic poses by using the line of action method
  • Get better at drawing eyes at different angles and at different ages!
  • Get awesome tips for adding life to your character's expressions
  • How to focus your viewer’s eye and frame the scene
  • Laia’s best tips for drawing various hairstyles
+ See more

Description

Have you ever sat in front of a blank canvas, wanting to illustrate an idea but not knowing where to start? Argh… what a struggle to come up with ideas sometimes!

BUT… you’re not alone. Even professional artists struggle! The difference is that they’ve developed hacks to overcome “art block” and produce amazing art over & over! In this course, you’ll discover how to do that too … and so much more!

After completing the course, you’ll be able to create your own beautiful illustrations and have an awesome new skill set under your belt! Imagine how people will react when they see your new-found skills!

In the course, you’ll learn from a true master. Laia will show you the steps she follows when illustrating a beautiful scene. You’ll learn about brainstorming, sketching, testing color palettes, composition, digital inking, and how to add lighting & shading…for that grand finale!

Follow along with Laia as you learn how to get your thoughts on paper and test different ideas. She will also teach you how to draw specific aspects of a character, like various hairstyles, facial expressions, body types and clothing.

So what are you waiting for?! Jump on in and start drawing!

+ See more

Who is this course for

  • Everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or seasoned pro, you’ll learn tons from this amazing artist.
+ See more

This course includes

  • 2+ Hours of on-demand videos
  • 11 Assignments
  • Layered Photoshop files
  • 14 Reference images
  • 7 Cheat sheets/guides
  • 1 Line art images
  • List of recommended brushes
  • List of recommended books
  • Certificate of Completion
+ See more

Used in course

+ See more

What you'll need

  • Just a paper/sketchbook and a pencil
  • For section 2, any digital drawing software would be useful
+ See more

Lesson Plan

with Laia Lopez
Expand all sections
00

Introduction

02:49

Start your Subscription to continue watching
Start your subscription to get access to this class and 50+ more on 21 Draw
Get Started

Welcome to the course! You’ll get to know your instructor, Laia Lopez of Instagram fame, and get a well-rounded overview of what you can expect in her course.

INCLUDED:

   1 Assignment

   1 Layered Photoshop File

   Step-by-Step Process File

   Final Image

01

The Basic Concepts of Illustration

01:25:33

This lesson is chock-full of advice, tips and tricks from Laia’s. There is a TON of awesome stuff here for YOU!

Laia will show you how to draw eyes at different angles and for different ages such as children, teens and adults. Using three different characters, she’ll show you how to make each of them mad, sad, happy and worried. Important skills to learn!

You’ll learn some incredible tips for drawing different hairstyles, and clothing, showing you how to make it drape and fold realistically over the body.

You’ll then learn the basic structure of the human body—male, female, child, teen, adult—and discover how to modify it to create different body types. Using references, you’ll explore how each pose has a line of action and learn to create characters based on that.

Then you’ll learn some exciting tricks for drawing dynamic and creative poses, showing you how to use the line of action—without the use of references.

INCLUDED:

   1 Assignment

   1 Layered Photoshop File

   Step-by-Step Process File

   Final Image


1.1
Finding Inspiration
06:24
1.2
Drawing Stylized Eyes
13:08
1.3
Faces and Expressions
12:01
1.4
Body Types and Proportions
11:05
1.5
Line of Action: Using References
09:11
1.6
Line of Action: Drawing Without References
08:11
1.7
Hairstyles
12:26
1.8
Clothing
13:07
02

Creating your Illustration

51:29

You’ll follow along with Laia as she helps you learn new composition skills. You’ll learn how the mysterious rule of thirds works (just kidding, it’s not that mysterious!).

Laia will show you how to make the illustration look balanced and eye-catching, by helping you create composition lines, and frame your focus point. The beauty of this part is that you’ll be encouraged to be as sloppy as you can, just getting those brilliant ideas out of your head and on to paper, for later polishing.

After that, Laia will show you how to use different types of layers to color and shade your artwork. You’ll learn how to create a specific mood for your scene, using shading and testing color palettes.

Finally, Laia will show you how to ink smooth, clean line art on top of your sketch. After that, you’ll learn how to color and shade the entire illustration, getting her personal tips and techniques for how to best do so.

So if you like what you’re reading and you want to become the artist you’ve always thought you could be, please feel free to jump in and start learning with the one and only Laia Lopez!

INCLUDED:

   1 Assignment

   1 Layered Photoshop File

   Step-by-Step Process File

   Final Image


2.1
Thumbnails and Composition
11:58
2.2
Color Palettes
14:20
2.3
Cleaning Up the Lineart
11:50
2.4
Final Touches on the Coloring
13:21

Student Feedback

474 customer reviews & ratings

4.6

Course rating

Log in to leave a review or rating.
5 star
77 %
4 star
12 %
3 star
7 %
2 star
4 %
1 star
3 %
Best Suited for
Beginner
The level is determined by a majority opinion of students who have reviewed this class. The teacher's recommendation is shown until at least 5 student responses are collected.

(Based on 474 reviews)

Most Liked
Inspiring 363
Helpful Examples 353
Engaging Teacher 311
Showing 10 reviews of
474
reviews & ratings
VB
Victor B.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I believe it to be a great way into the work-method of one of the prolific artists among us. Where practice is an absolute must, it is a great way to improve your already established knowledge by adding new insights given by Laia. What was most enjoyable is the clear explanation given by her, as wel
+ Show more
l as the suggested techniques and state of mind you should have (regarding practice, style exploration and such.) Recommended to beginners and intermediates. Good luck!
I recommend it for Intermediate
7 people found this helpful
Arshia S.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
This course was perfect!! I have taken different courses on art basics line, shape, form, perspective and this course is just how you use all that to create an illustration. Laia is a huge inspiration to me, her art is amazing and so is her teaching style (also her voice is really calming) I loved t
+ Show more
his course and I learned a lot. Thanks Laia :) !!
I recommend it for Beginner
4 people found this helpful
S
Sandviart

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
One of the best art courses I have ever done! Laia gives some little exercises in each lesson, and at the end, you can enjoy whatching how she makes one of her illustrations, step by step, and take all this inspiration and new knowledge in your own illustrations. Highly recommended!
I recommend it for All levels
5 people found this helpful
EM
Eszter M.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I have always loved Laia’s art so much, it’s so great to see her thought process and her way of drawing. I feel so inspired after watching the course, can’t wait to put the all the knowledge into practice. :)
I recommend it for Intermediate
3 people found this helpful
PC
P. C.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
Honestly I was so happy to do this course. IT was easy to follow and the resources she provides are so helpful.
I recommend it for All levels
4 people found this helpful
MR
Menna R.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I love this course so much
I recommend it for All levels
MN
Melissa N.

2 years ago

Verified Purchase
This is a great setup for character designing to final render. There are a lot of helpful handouts and her drawing process is easy to follow. Really excellent. I do wish there was more explanation. In the second half of the course, there are a lot of features being used to make her illustrations pop
+ Show more
(where music plays as it speeds through) and it is hard to follow. But, it's still great and valuable to watch and analyze.
I recommend it for Intermediate
2 people found this helpful
MG
Mauricio G.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I love laia´s work, her style is gorgeous and this course it's so good, I love to see how she works and makes her illustrations, it's super inspiring. I love it! <3
I recommend it for Beginner
MA
Maria A.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I love the way that she expresses herself and I'm so exited to learn and understand more with these lessons!
I recommend it for All levels
CN
Charlize N.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
such a lovely lesson and engaging excercises
I recommend it for All levels
See more reviews

About the Instructor

Laia López
Illustrator and Character Designer 1 course

Laia is a Spanish artist with a following of over 1.2 million on Instagram. She is known world-wide for her distinct art style and illustrated novels, ‘Strawberry Moon’ and ‘Royalty Witches’, and her artbook, ‘Gleaming—The art of Laia López’.


Follow Laia on

Full bio

Bonus Offer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 21 Draw?

21 Draw is an online learning community where students of all skill levels can learn how to be a better artist. Our contributing artists and instructors are the best in the world.

Our streaming platform on www.21-draw.com makes it possible for anyone to watch hundreds of video lessons by industry legends who have worked for Disney, Marvel, DC, Dreamworks, Pixar & more. A membership gives full access to our streaming platform.

On books.21-draw.com you can buy our popular learn-to-draw ebooks and physical books, separate from the courses, and they too are also delivered to you by the heavyweights of the art industry.

144 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

What is included in the membership?

Membership includes unlimited access to all 50+ courses taught by the world’s best artists PLUS new courses as they are released.

Each class includes 10-20 video lessons that are 7 minutes long on average. Most classes include exercise sheets, assignments, and layered PSD or PNG files.

Some classes include the ability to chat with the instructor in a public forum, e.g. if you want feedback on your artwork.

182 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

Do I receive a certificate after I complete a course?

Yes! When you complete a 21 Draw course, you will receive a certificate of completion, which you can download and share with your friends, relatives, co-workers, and potential employers!

142 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

Are these online or offline courses?

21 Draw courses are on-demand (pre-recorded) video tutorials that you can watch online with any digital devices anytime and for an unlimited number of times! This means you can easily watch (and rewatch) them at your own pace and convenience.

411 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

Can a beginner follow along?

We have classes for all levels, even for those with zero drawing experience. In general, artists at all levels can benefit from these courses—whether beginner, intermediate or advanced.

281 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

Do the courses teach digital or traditional art?

Many lessons in our courses apply to both digital and traditional art. In a few tutorials, digital drawing software, e.g. Photoshop or Procreate for iPad is required. However, for the majority of lessons it is more about the underlying concepts and all that is needed is a pen and paper.

254 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

Can I download the course videos?

You can download the course resources (exercise sheets, assignments, PSD files, etc.) from the site, but you cannot download the video lessons to your computer.

261 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

How much does a membership cost?

Normally it costs $235/year. However, there is a special sale running now for a limited time: Save 75%! This means you can get an annual membership for just $59 USD/year.

If you purchase the annual membership at a discounted price, it will remain at that price for each consecutive year, so long as your membership is not cancelled.

463 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

How does the 30-day guarantee work?

If for any reason at all you are unhappy with our courses or feel it isn’t what you are looking for—then just fill out this form or email us at [email protected]. We’ll be more than happy to give you a full refund within 30 days of your first purchase. No questions asked. Just a guarantee you can trust.

216 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

How do I cancel my membership?

You can easily cancel your membership renewal on your My Account page. Follow the prompts to cancel (Billing > Change Plan > Cancel Membership) and your membership will immediately be terminated. Please note: Refunds ONLY possible within 30 days after the date of purchase.

If you have more questions, please check out our Knowledge base or write to us here. We’re happy to assist in any way we can!

187 people found this helpful
Was this answer helpful?
Yes
No

More from 21 Draw

About 21 Draw

21 Draw offers online courses and books on how to be a better artist for students of all skill levels. Our contributing artists and instructors are the best in the world.
Explore Courses & Books
Preview course
Watch the trailer
Access to all courses
Get access to this course and 50+ more
$59 / year
$235/ year
left at this price!Save 75%
Get Started
(including this course)
OR
$40 USD $50 Single Course
Lifetime access
No commitments
Cancel Anytime
30-Day Money-back Guarantee
Still not sure?
Check out our FAQ
Start your Subscription to continue watching
Start your subscription to get access to this class and 50+ more on 21 Draw
Get Started
Laia López Digital Illustration for Beginners
Get all-access
Get Access to All Courses. Save 75% now! Get started