Digital Drawing

About this class

n this workshop, participants will dive into the imaginative world of creature and environment design using Procreate on iPads. The session guides them through the creative process of designing an original creature—from concept sketch to fully rendered artwork.

Once participants develop their creature, they will create the environment it inhabits, telling a visual story through a single, expressive still image. Through hands-on digital drawing exercises, they will explore key design principles such as shape language, color language, and exaggeration, learning how these elements communicate personality, mood, and narrative.

Participants will also practice professional rendering techniques—starting in grayscale to focus on values, lighting, and form—before adding color to bring their worlds to life.

By the end of the workshop, each participant will produce a cohesive, imaginative illustration that captures both a creature and the world it belongs to.

Program Objectives:

• Develop Creative Thinking: Encourage participants to imagine and design original creatures and environments that tell a visual story.
• Strengthen Design Skills: Teach fundamental concepts of shape language, color language, and exaggeration to create strong, expressive designs.
• Build Digital Art Techniques: Guide participants in using Procreate on iPads effectively for sketching, rendering, and coloring digital illustrations.
• Enhance Understanding of Form and Light: Train participants to render in grayscale first, focusing on values, lighting, and depth before introducing color.
• Promote Visual Storytelling: Help participants communicate mood, personality, and narrative through a single still image that unites creature and environment design.
• Encourage Personal Style and Expression: Support participants in experimenting with visual ideas and developing their own creative voice through the design process.

Class Outline

Session 1 – Introduction & Concept Development (Part 1)

• Workshop overview and creative goals
• Introduction to creature and environment design
• Discussion: storytelling through design
• Brainstorming using visual references and mood boards
• Thumbnail sketching: generating initial creature ideas

Session 2 – Concept Development (Part 2)

• Exploring shape language and silhouette design
• Refining creature thumbnails
• Selecting a creature concept to develop further
• Introduction to design variation and iteration techniques

Session 3 – Creature Design & Refinement (Part 1)

• Studying proportion and anatomy (real or imagined)
• Designing functional features and exaggerated characteristics
• Refining rough sketches
• Preparing structured line work

Session 4 – Creature Rendering (Grayscale)

• Introduction to grayscale rendering
• Understanding light, shadow, and value
• Applying grayscale to define volume and form
• Polishing the creature illustration in grayscale

Session 5 – Environment Design (Part 1)

• Understanding the relationship between creature and environment
• Scene composition: perspective, scale, and depth
• Sketching environment thumbnails
• Establishing visual storytelling within the setting

Session 6 – Environment Design (Part 2 — Grayscale)

• Refining the selected environment layout
• Applying grayscale values to create atmosphere
• Integrating the creature into the environment
• Building visual cohesion between character and setting

Session 7 : Adding Color & Finishing Techniques

• Transitioning from grayscale to color
• Understanding color language, mood, and emotion
• Adding textures, lighting effects, and final rendering
• Preparing the artwork for presentation

Session 8: Presentation, Critique & Reflection

• Group critique and guided feedback session
• Participant presentations of final creature and environment pieces
• Reflection on creative process and growth
• Showcase and closing remarks

Materials/Equipment needed

Please note that VCUarts Qatar reserves the right to cancel a class if minimum enrollment is not met. Any fees already paid will be fully refunded.

• iPads with Procreate will be provided by VCUarts Qatar. Participants are also welcome to bring their own iPads if preferred.

Schedule

Start: Sun, 05 Apr, 2025
End: Tues, 28 Apr, 2025
Lessons: 8
Days: Sundays and Tuesdays
Time: 5-8pm
Location: VCUarts Qatar Campus
Cost: QAR 950

Instructors

Sumam Azzam

For Sumam, art is not just a form of expression—it’s a gateway to explore and share the unspoken depths of his imagination. What words can’t capture, his artwork effortlessly brings to life. His creative journey is fueled by his passion for visual storytelling and his desire to challenge his own thinking, both critically and visually. With a strong foundation rooted in pop culture, Sumam’s artistic vision is heavily inspired by comics, video games, and films, with a special love for figurative drawing.

As Sumam’s drawing skills evolved, he began to understand the transformative power of art—its ability to offer endless possibilities for self-expression. This realization pushed him to explore deeper and more varied creative concepts.

In 2015, Sumam earned his BFA from the prestigious Virginia Commonwealth University, School of the Arts, where he further honed his technical and conceptual abilities. He immersed himself in portraiture and figurative painting, experimenting with shadow and light in his academic-style paintings. His subjects ranged from self-portraits to intimate depictions of friends, creating a dialogue between the artist and his subjects.

As Sumam’s practice grew, he turned his attention to surrealism, exploring imaginative and otherworldly concepts. This shift was key in shaping his artistic evolution, and by 2020, he earned his MFA in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Alongside his personal growth as an artist, he also shared his knowledge and passion for art by teaching as a professor assistant, helping guide the next generation of creatives.

Though Sumam has a strong affinity for realism in his work, he is always experimenting with new techniques and mediums. Whether working with paint, charcoal, graphic tablets, or mixed media, he constantly seeks fresh ways to push his creative boundaries. His art is never confined to one style or method—he believes in exploring the full spectrum of possibilities.

At the heart of Sumam’s work is the goal to connect with people on a meaningful level. Whether it’s through a powerful visual narrative or a subtle, indirect expression, he strives to make work that resonates with viewers, evoking emotions, thoughts, and stories. Art, for Sumam, is all about connection, expression, and the journey of continual discovery.