Cinematic Digital Illustration with Photoshop

Explore composition, color, and lighting to create compelling concept art inspired by photographic references
Through digital illustration, you can bring cinematic worlds to life. Creating those immersive universes is Izzy Burton’s specialty. She is a director, artist, and author known for her ability to tell stories through characterful illustrations. Izzy has worked on everything from film direction to children’s book illustration for clients including Cartoon Network, the BBC, McDonald’s, Nickelodeon, Disney Advertising, Lego, and Penguin Random House.

In this course, she shares the tools and knowledge needed to turn a photographic reference into a compelling piece of concept art using Photoshop. Dive into the world of digital illustration and create cinematic scenes inspired by your surroundings.

Begin by getting to know Izzy, your teacher for this course. Discover her creative journey to becoming an artist along with the influences that have inspired her career, from music to nature.

Learn how to find a good photo reference for your illustration. Then dive into composition and the importance of values in building strong pieces of art. Izzy shares how to design with storytelling in mind before discussing color, lighting, texture, and bringing your imagined world to life through characters.

Select your photo reference and begin sketching your layout. Add texture and color, then learn how to work lighting into your image to focus the viewer’s eye. Discover all the details needed to make your scene tell a story. Then, breathe life into your illustration with lifelike objects like washing lines and plants before putting the finishing touches to your piece.

To finish the course, Izzy shares her advice for exporting your image and sharing it on a platform of your choice. She also discusses best practices for using social media as an artist before looking at how to challenge yourself and continue your artistic journey.