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Develop Your Illustration Style: Draw a Cat
4.3(442)11k studentsBEGINNER
Korshub's take
Most illustrators struggle to push beyond literal representation toward personal style. This class uses the cat as a laboratory: studying how working contemporary illustrators stylize the form, then systematically breaking down every element (shape, line, proportion, color) to explore how each can be abstracted or exaggerated.
You'll sketch from photographic reference first (grounding in reality), then sketch from that sketch without the reference, applying your stylization plan. Finally, you'll select a medium and color palette and finish a stylized illustration. The progression builds your stylistic confidence and demonstrates that style isn't discovered randomly—it emerges from intentional choices about simplification and emphasis.
About this course
Many illustrators struggle with developing their style in the beginning and pushing themselves away from being so literal. In this class we will use a cat as our subject matter and explore techniques for creating a stylized illustration. First we'll look at contemporary working artists' illustrations of cats and break down the stylistic elements. Then we'll chart out the different ways all of the elements of a cat and brainstorm how they can be stylized. Next we'll sketch from a photograph of a cat, then remove the reference photos and create a plan to make several more stylized sketches. Once we have a sketch we like, we will select a color palette and medium to finalize the illustration.
Class Outline
- Style Study: Review of cat illustrations by working illustrators. Break down of stylistic elements.
- Sketching: Sketch from photographic reference, sketch from original sketch with a plan for stylization.
- Illustrating: Select media and explore methods of selecting color palettes. Create stylized illustration using sketch as a template.
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