
Intro to Illustration
A 10-week course where you learn the tips and techniques needed accurate and realistic illustrations that tell a cohesive story
Teacher Artwork by Nino Vecia

Intro to Illustration
Do you possess basic digital painting skills but struggle when it comes to creating accurate and realistic illustrations that tell a cohesive story? Do you wish to learn the tips and techniques needed to create fantastic illustrations that stand out from the crowd?
In this 10 week course, you will learn the A to Z of creating successful illustrations through a series of demonstrations, exercises and guided illustration projects. You will become proficient in scouring the depth of your imagination for original ideas. You will learn how to best source references and inspiration so you can give proper shape to your ideas and convert them into high-quality illustrations. You will gain a thorough understanding of composition and lighting so you can create memorable illustrations.
Through 1-on-1 feedback from your instructor, a top illustrator, you will be guided, step-by-step through the process of creating your artwork. Finally, you will learn some Photoshop tips and tricks to render, polish and finalize your portfolio ready illustration.
At the end of this 10-week course, you will have learned the essential tools, techniques and processes required to create visually appealing illustrations. You will have leveled up your skills and built a brand new inspiring portfolio piece. In addition to this, you will have also learned the secrets to building a strong and relevant portfolio, getting work in the industry, developing productive relationships with your clients and becoming a successful illustrator.
- Course Type Concept Art and Illustration Classes
- Duration 10 Weeks
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Skill Level
Level 3Level 3
These courses are for people who can already draw and paint realistically and can create complete digital illustrations.
Level 3 classes will help students to give a new edge to their images, properly render their digital work, and bring them closer to a professional level.
- Language English
Our Classes fill up on a First-come, First-served basis so register now to secure your spot!
Class Formats
Live Online Class
- An in depth 10 week course taught by an industry professional
- A course brush pack
- 30+ hours of live interactive classes: Demos and lectures
- Constructive homework and assignments that will help you reach an understanding of class topics
- Live personalised feedback on your weekly homework and assignments
- A classroom of up to 20 peers
Video Access Only
- An in depth 10 week course taught by an industry professional
- A course brush pack
- 30+ hours of video content: Demos and lectures
- Constructive homework and assignments that will help you reach an understanding of class topics
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Schedule
Note: This class will be offered online only
Class Timings: Mondays from 3 PM to 6 PM, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT or UTC-4h)
Date of first class: April 3rd
Duration: 10 weeks
If you are unable to attend the class during the times listed above, you will still have access to video recordings of the class lectures and will still receive personalized feedback from your instructor.
Prerequisites
Skill requirements
To enroll in this course you should have:
- Intermediate drawing and digital painting skills (use of proper perspective, proportions, shading and colour).
- Proficiency with all basic Photoshop tools.
- Ideally completed our Intro to Digital Painting OR Digital Painting, in addition to drawing classes such as Analytical Sketching, Drawing the Human Form, and Fundamentals of Perspective (or have equivalent practice/experience).
If you are unsure of your skill level, please contact [email protected] for additional guidance.
Language and age requirements
You should have at least intermediate level English to take this class. Please be advised that there could be artistic nudity in our classes. Students should be 14 years old to enroll.
Required Materials
Material List:
- A desktop computer or laptop with Photoshop installed*
- A graphic tablet with pressure sensitivity (from brands such as Wacom, Huion, or Xencelabs), OR a tablet-laptop hybrid (also with Photoshop installed) with pressure sensitivity (such as the Wacom Cintiq Companion or Microsoft Surface Pro).
Important note:
Please note that the vast majority of our digital classes are taught using Adobe Photoshop and that this is also the recommended program for students to use. You may consult our FAQ for more information on other software which may be potentially used for class, however, please note that no technical assistance will be provided by instructors on the use of alternative painting software as they may not be familiar with the program.
Please ensure that all of your hardware and software are functioning properly before the start of the term; there will not be any time to resolve technical issues in class.
*Please consult our Tech Requirements below for more precise computer specifications.
Tech Requirements for Attending Syn Studio Online Classes
Minimum Requirements
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 600kbps bandwidth (up/down).
- A Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a single core processor (at least 1 GHZ processing speed) or a smartphone/tablet with equivalent processing capabilities
- Good speakers/earphones to listen to the classes
- Browser - IE7+, Safari 5+, Firefox, Chrome
- Operating System - Windows XP, Mac OS 10.6, Linux distro based on 3.0 kernel, Android 5.0, iOS 10
Syn Studio Recommendations
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 1.5Mbps bandwidth (up/down). You can also connect to the internet directly using your ethernet cable to improve your experience.
- Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a dual core processor with at least 2 GHZ processing speed and a 4 GB RAM
- High Quality speakers/earphones to listen to the classes
- Browser & Operating System - We recommend using the latest version of the browser and operating system for an optimal online classroom experience.
Course Outline
*Please note that the following outline is subject to change slightly at the teacher's discretion.
Part 1: How to Create an Illustration from a Client Brief: the Basic Process
You will receive an illustration brief with specific requirements as you would from a real client.
The instructor will show you his methods to interpret the brief, create thumbnails, gather references, receive and incorporate feedback, and take the image to polish in Photoshop.
You will become proficient in these methods as the instructor takes your hand and guides you through this powerful illustration process.
Part 2: Creating a Polished Illustration for your Portfolio and your Career
You will choose 1 brief from several options given. Following the process you learned in the first part of this course, you will create an impressive illustration piece for your portfolio under the guidance of the instructor.
You will gain mastery of the process and learn how to choose the correct composition, symbolism, pose/placement, setting, lighting and colour palette. This will allow you to tell a story in a single image and create the desired mood, atmosphere and impact on the viewer.
Finally, you will learn the business skills of the trade and how to negotiate and create successful and long-lasting relationships with your clients so you will keep getting great commissions.
Registration
Our Classes fill up on a First-come, First-served basis so register now to secure your spot!
You will soon receive an email receipt for your purchase.
Please bring a photo ID for the first day of class.
Your transaction was not completed. Please try again. If the problem persists, please email us at [email protected] or call us at 514-998-7625
Questions and Assistance
Feel free to send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 514-998-7625
Please consult our FAQ; most of the commonly asked questions are answered in detail there. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please feel free to fill out the form below, or, send an email to [email protected]
