Dominic Bodden / Dramatic Portraits with Pastel, Collage, and Photoshop

Award-winning illustrator Dominic Bodden has teamed up with Domestika to create an Illustration course that offers a unique look into his image-making process.

In this online course, learn how to combine traditional and digital illustration techniques to create compelling portraits of people in a meaningful environment. Explore the art of storytelling using materials like chalk pastels, collage techniques, and the digital tools of Photoshop.

Dominic shares his creative journey that led him to become a freelance illustrator, before exploring his influences and sources of inspiration.

Get an overview of the materials needed for the course, before gathering references for inspiration. Create a mood board of ideas to help develop your visual language. Dominic then walks you through some basic design principles like color and value, as well as the collage process.

Start creating your portrait by first making a few thumbnails to elaborate your idea, and refine the best one into a comprehensive sketch. As you begin your portrait, Dominic shows you how to carefully layer the pastels. Begin with the face and hands, then move on to the environment and the rest of the collage’s elements.

To wrap up the course, see how to scan your image and add digital enhancements in Photoshop. Dominic shares a few tips on turning your piece into a series and how to share your work across multiple platforms.