But no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to get the ideas in your head onto your canvas…
No worries, I’m here to help! 💛
You wake up without an alarm… no need to rush in the morning since you’ve started working as a freelance illustrator. Coffee in hand, you sit down at your desk in your new “home” studio.
It’s the first time you’ve truly loved your job. Nothing feels like work when passion drives you! You settle into your chair, fire up your professional tablet, and let your creativity flow effortlessly…
Hours pass in what feels like minutes, and you admire your work with pride. After sending the illustration to your client for approval, you meet your friends for lunch.
In the middle of lunch, your phone starts buzzing with Instagram notifications—your latest post has gone viral! Another daily dose of new followers, likes, and comments.
After lunch, back in the studio, your inbox is graced with the client’s approval. You pinch yourself; it’s real. You’re being paid to do what you love, and your talent has earned you a place amongst the great artists that you love!
Over the course of 8 weeks, my goal is for you to experience your own BREAKTHROUGH! I’ll personally guide you and help you level up as an artist. So you, too, can earn an income as an illustrator!
And I’d love to help you reach your goal of painting from imagination so that you can start your dream career.
More about me? Well, I’m an illustrator and mentor, and I have been obsessed with (and teaching!) digital painting for a decade now.
My number one goal as an artist was always to paint from my imagination. My own artistic journey, discoveries, highs, and lows have inspired me to create this program to help other artists reach their own art goals!
I understand where you’re coming from—I’ve been there myself! I’ve struggled to replicate the ideas I had in my head at fist, because I relied so heavily on reference photos and couldn’t bring my own creative ideas to life…
But once I mastered the skills to turn my ideas into digital art on the canvas, everything changed. I was free to paint anything I could dream, and even get commissions to boot!
I was trying to learn too much and from too many sources at once. So I boiled it down to simple learning steps that helped me have the breakthrough I’d been dreaming of…
And that’s PRECISELY what I’m going to be teaching you during our 8-week journey, as you create your best portfolio piece EVER!
Yup- I’m going to help you unlock the keys to your creativity so you can paint the masterpieces you already have inside your head.
Say goodbye to the frustration of scrapping new projects again and again.. and feeling like you can never finish what you started!
That’s right! During the 8 weeks of the program, you get access to a professional artist (that’s me!) to ask any questions. Submit your work weekly to get feedback and guidance. Join our live group Q&A calls and paint over sessions to see how to fix your work. Post your progress and get written feedback to help you push through!
You have a whole team rooting for you- so you’ll never feel alone or lost, guaranteed! 👍
I’ve spent years perfecting the step-by-step “learning path” for painting. Everything is broken down into manageable pieces, and put in the right order for you.
I’ve done all the research and the hard work already, so all you need to do is start at the top, go through the lessons, and focus on the fun stuff- so, creating beautiful artwork!
You need only a few minutes a day to finish the entire program. I’ve created this program in a way to help you make it to the end with less than 1 hour per day!
Stop losing time with the endless “back & forth” and get it right on the first try! Learn a professional workflow you can rely on for every painting- now and in the future!
Learn with a pro in the room! Well, not literally, but you’ll get support and feedback, get all your questions answered, and get the help you need to push through!
🎓 Yep, you need only a few minutes a day to follow along… but of course, the more time you spend on your art, the better you’ll get! Besides me, you’ll also have access to a community of ambitious artists just like yourself, going through the program at the same time as you. The group motivation and accountability will go a LONG way towards helping you finish the paintings you start!
Unlock the “Essential 4” composition frameworks for Illustration and develop strong, captivating concepts! Learn to use composition to evoke emotion and guide storytelling like a pro.
Learn how to ask the three key guiding questions you need before starting any painting. Create powerful thumbnails to guarantee your illustration’s success and become a real professional!
Learn a professional workflow to draw heads effortlessly from any angle! Learn the 6 core facial angles that are essential for most paintings. Spot and correct those small anatomy mistakes to make your portraits shine.
Plus, discover a powerful technique to improve anatomy that you’re probably not using yet!
Discover the secrets of adding imaginary light sources to your scenes and characters! Use a simple formula to paint tricky objects by mastering highlights and shadows. Learn to effortlessly add or subtract light sources and paint shadows from your imagination.
Create dynamic paintings with dramatic light schemes like real artists do!
Learn how to to paint anything with our exciting 5-step rendering recipe! Master subtle value variations for added realism and learn where to use hard and soft edges. Dive into advanced rendering techniques to infuse your work with drama, mood, and emotion, all while creating stunning, realistic forms.
Elevate your art to new heights!
Transform your artwork with vibrant colors carefully selected to perfection! Harness the power of color psychology for captivating storytelling and emotional influence. Learn how highlights and shadows influence color to banish dullness from your creations.
Discover my top shadow hack for unparalleled realism and unravel the secrets of subsurface scattering for lifelike skin and semi-translucent materials. Come master color in your art!
Discover the amazing techniques used by concept artists to swiftly paint mesmerizing details! Unlock secrets for infusing atmospheric environments with texture, taking your art to breathtaking new heights.
Take your final illustrations to the next level with expert post-production tweaks and imaginative cropping. Uncover the 5% most crucial final touches and learn how to paint them with precision, propelling your artwork from good to absolutely extraordinary!
Does this sound like you? 🤔
How about this?
If any of these sound familiar, then this class is for you. This program has successfully helped both beginners and advanced students alike level up their skills, and I’m confident it will do the same for you!
“David you did such a great job explaining complicated concepts in a really easy to understand format. You relate things very well and give execellent examples and you were always so encouraging! And I loved the group critique and being able to get live amazing feedback from a pro I really admire. That happens so rarely and so often us artists work in silos.
Thank you again. Can’t wait to keep practicing and I know I will come back to these modules to review over and over again. I was nervous about the money and time commitment, but now it feels like the best investment I’ve ever made in myself :)”
“Before this course I was searching through all different sorts of YouTube tutorials on all sorts of topics trying to learn everything I could by myself. This was not really getting me anywhere as I had no structure or method to improve. I was at a point where I didn’t know what I should learn next or how to find my inspiration.
This course was the answer to all my headaches. It is so well structured and gives advice on how to learn to draw quicker. It gives numerous tools and details explanations of why you should follow the program. When something makes sense it is easy to follow and stay motivated.”
“I really found the course to be very informative, concise & suitable for artists on many levels.
I highly recommend Paintable’s ‘Illustration from imagination’ course, to any artists wishing to further their education in digital painting & illustration.
I enjoyed the use of a project brief, being the primary subject that we worked on throughout the course. This gave me a first hand look at the process David uses when working on an actual job, & I definitely picked up some great tools to help increase my productivity, & ability to keep my clients involved throughout my own projects.”
"I got my first commission pretty quickly after I took this course!"
“I’m able to convey the story that I want now a lot easier than I ever was before… [David] lays out the steps, so easy to follow!”
"There's so much that
I've gained from it!"
“I’m not doubting myself anymore. I know that I can build up to a great artwork- I don’t have to start with something perfect!”
"I'm feeling better about
my own skills!"
“Doing this really made me think: I actually can take on some really ambitious things!”
"I feel more confident and brave than I did previously!"
“Having these steps made me more confident in my process and what to do if I do get stuck”
This has been the most valuable choice and step I've taken towards my dream of being a professional illustrator. Finally I feel my work is worthy of building a portfolio.
"I've learned more in the last two months than I could've in years. Additionally, this was a lot of fun too! The feedback/ advice given through the paintable community and David's critiques were really helpful towards creating my final poster, and gave me a better understanding and thought process towards my future projects. 🙂 I have and would again recommend this academy to anyone wanting to learn more about art, no matter their skill level! It is a very positive place to learn.
"I learned so much — it was the simple stuff that was tripping me up and causing all kinds of frustration. Rendering takes half the time it used to. Now I’ve gone back to fix things that bugged me on some older work... Thank you @David Belliveau , for this wonderful program, I’m definitely doing it again!"
"Before this I didn't have the confidence to believe I could do Illustration work professionally, but all of the feedback from the community and David has helped me to think differently in my approach to illustration and be much more confident that I could actually pursue it as a career."
"I joined this program because I felt like I had hit a roadblock with my art in terms of improving, and after reading testimonials from previous students I thought I'd give IFI a try. Totally worth it. I've learned a lot in the last two months, and I can see improvement in my art. I feel more confident in my art abilities and that I can finally work on crafting a portfolio so I can pursue my dreams of being a professional illustrator. Would recommend this program to anyone who's serious about growing as an artist."
"This is the best course I’ve seen in terms of artists really improving. It is a lot of work, but it’s a very well planned curriculum, that ensures you really understand each topic before moving to the next. The technical side of creating illustrations is really wrapped up in the fundamentals, & this is the main focus here... I have recommended this class to a lot of artists & I know several who have taken the course."
My first concerns about the course being too vague or complicated were quickly put to rest, when we had our very first assignment. I was impressed by the structure of the tutorials. I felt that I was always progressing in the right direction thanks to the feedback from David Belliveau and the community.
"Thank you so much @David Belliveau for this wonderful course, I want to become a professional Illustrator as soon as I can and your whole program is helping me do that now and has just opened me to opportunities I thought I can`t reach. You help me become confident on work and with myself."
The amounts of "ahh ha," and "that’s how it works" moments is mind boggling. I cant stress it enough, if you want to learn and become a better digital artist, you need to take this course.
It was a leap of faith for me personally to join an art course, believing that this is an investment on myself in order for me to improve myself. Because I was so frustrated that my art is so stagnant for the last few years tht I decided, that’s it -I’m gonna learn properly this time. And heck! Paintable’s course is so packed with super easy instructions to follow, and the tips and tricks helped me a lot in understanding the difficult stuffs.
Truly worth the cost for those who are serious about improving their art. The way David breaks down the process into small, actionable steps, really helped me stop getting overwhelmed and see how little steps lead to big results.
I have been digital drawing and painting for a few years now, but I've always felt like I was going nowhere with my work. This course not only taught me skills I had never taken the time to study before, but by working on very clear, separated modules it showed me what I lacked the most was a good process.
The feedback was perfectly adjusted. I can definitely recommend this course! You will benefit from it and improve your skills. When I look at my older drawings, I see that I especially improved in anatomy and how to use color and lighting.
Thanks @David Belliveau so much for such a wonderful and helpful course. I feel like I’ve grown as an artist during these last few weeks. Creating from imagination used to be intimidating and I didn’t know where to start. With your formulas and instructions I now know the process to get the results I desire. The critiques have been SO helpful as well as the wonderful community.
@David Belliveau was a fantastic teacher and a true expert of Digital Painting techniques. I learned more about subjects of composition, lighting, and color in 8 weeks than from entire semesters of art school. I'm glad to have found this site and I'm so looking forward to participating next year!
Before doing IFI I hadn't drawn for about 10 years and this is my first digital painting I have completed. I feel like I have learnt so much though doing IFI and I am so glad that I decided to give this ago, as I know I would not have been able to produce anything like this without IFI and the knowledge I have gained from doing it.
Not only did I get some fundamentals that I was missing, I got the confidence to create and explore. To me, that is what was really priceless. By breaking it all down, and giving us an easy to follow recipe, the task of bringing an image I had in my imagination to life doesn't seem so intimidating anymore.
Because of IFI, I've started to take my artwork more seriously. I used to internally devalue the time I spent drawing/painting even though it made me happy, and this change in perspective has really boosted my mental health. It's also made me feel more driven overall.
Instead of throwing a bunch of my work at you to convince you, I thought it’d give you a sneak peek into what YOU can achieve after just 8 weeks in the program!
Yes, that’s not a typo! 😉 You’ve got a whole year. I’m SO confident that if you put in the work, this program is going to be a game-changer for you. And if you’re not 100% satisfied, I’ll give you your money back. Simply submit proof that you at least tried it alongside your refund request (so I know you gave it your best shot), and I’ll refund all your money.
"Illustration From Imagination" is an interactive digital painting Masterclass, designed to help you level-up from absolute beginner to a seasoned professional.
I'll walk you through every step of the way, teaching you the "building blocks" of painting that you need to get your ideas down on canvas, exactly the way you imagine them!
You'll get real-life experience working from a brief, and learn to create essential components like moodboards, lighting schemes & suggestions, color thumbnails, and more. You'll also learn about the business side, understanding how to work with clients and navigate contracts, so you can emerge confident and ready to earn an income from your art!
If you have ideas in your imagination, but struggle to get them down on canvas, this is for you!
...OR...
If you have a burning passion for the arts, and would love to earn an income from a skill you're deeply passionate about, this is for you!
...OR...
If you'd like to paint at the professional level as the artists you look up to, and not take years and years to get there, this is STILL definitely for you!
Illustration From Imagination will officially start June 24th. You’ll find the exact dates for each new module release inside your student handbook!
Remember that you will get lifetime access to all material in the program, so even if you can’t make all 8 weeks, you can catch up later in your own time! 🙂
The only thing you definitely need is a tablet of some sort- whether that’s a graphic tablet like a Wacom or Bamboo, or a display tablet like an iPad Pro or Cintiq. You won’t be able to follow along with a mouse (and if you could I'd be REALLY impressed)!
I’ll be teaching in Adobe Photoshop – and while I highly recommend it, you’ll be able to follow along in any software of your choice, whether that’s Krita, Procreate, Clip Studio, Corel Painter, or others.
Absolutely not! I didn’t have either when I started out.
I’ll show you tips & tricks to improve your drawings in Photoshop, and show you how to paint heads & portraits from any angle.
Truth be told, if I can’t get you results, I don’t want your money!
I’ve taught 2000+ students in this program, almost all of whom have seen incredible growth and progress – so I know this works!
The only caveat? You need to do the work!
Unfortunately we’re not in the Matrix, and I can’t just download these skills into your brain (yet). Watching the videos isn’t enough, you need to actually follow along with the exercises. But if you do, I promise you’ll improve leaps and bounds, and paint your best ever painting by the end of the 8 weeks.
I’m so confident you’ll see results that I’m offering a 365-day money back guarantee on the course. If you feel like you haven’t improved, simply email me with proof that you follow along with the exercises, and I’ll give you a prompt and friendly refund, no questions and no hard feelings.
“Illustration From Imagination” (IFI) and the “Digital Painting Academy” (DPA) have a lot in common. They’re both high quality step-by-step video courses that will help you level up as an artist.
The major difference is that “IFI” has been built to help you create professional work that can earn you an income. IFI shows you every step along the way on how to create a “Client Magnet Portfolio“. You’ll learn how to present your work to a client, and how to think like a client so that your portfolio attracts paying commission work.
Also, only in “IFI” will you have the accountability of a group of your peers going through the course with you. Working all at the same time on the same project, your group gives you feedback on your work, and helps you keep your momentum- it’s a lot of fun too!
The DPA is perfect for you after the IFI program to continue to build your portfolio and keep improving event more your skills.
There are three main things that set "Illustration From Imagination" apart from other courses:
Before we start the class, you'll have the chance to pick one of 10 briefs (or make your own, if you'd like).
Every week for 8 weeks, I'll then send you a new set of video tutorials & instructions. I've built everything around a set of downloadable exercises, so you can start practicing all the theory right away.
Once you've gone through the "theory" part, I'll then give you pointers and directions on how to apply that theory to your own brief and project, and show you walk-throughs of how I work on my own.
By the end of the program, you'll have mastered the fundamentals of digital painting, and used them to create a spectacular, professional-looking portfolio piece!
And if all of that sounds intimidating, don't worry! I'll be there to support you along every step of the way! Every week, I'll be recording group feedback & critiques, in which I point out the most common mistakes I see, and how to fix them. I'll also be hanging out in the community, giving feedback & support, and helping you level up as an artist.
Yes, absolutely! I want to guarantee that you succeed, so I’ll be with you every step of the way.
Each week, I’ll be looking at the work of all students. I’ll be then recording a group critiques and feedback video, in which I’ll point out the common mistakes I see, and how to fix them.
You’ll also have access to a private community of peers going through the course at the same time as you. You can get support & feedback here any time, and I’ll be hanging out in there as well making sure questions get answered 🙂
“Illustration From Imagination” is for intermediate digital painters. If you understand the basics of painting and can copy reference photos, but would now like to break through to the next level as an artist, where you can bring the stories and ideas in your head to life – well then this is perfect you!
The course has been designed as the perfect next step after One Week character challenge, or the “Foundations” class in the Digital Painting Academy.
Are you a complete beginner, or haven’t gone through either of those two classes? No problem – The IFI program being a mentorship means you'll get the help you need if you feel stuck. So you can join with peace of mind.
The countdown should be running at the top of this page showing you when we’ll close the doors. The class itself will start the day after we close the doors. You’ll have all the information and your schedule in the student handbook that comes with the program.
While AI tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated, they cannot replace the foundational skills necessary for painting from imagination. Mastering these core skills is essential for any illustrator, as it equips you with the ability to correct and refine your work—something AI cannot teach.
These skills will be thought in the IFI program.
Regardless of the role AI may play in the future, understanding the basics of illustration will always be crucial.
Let’s chat! You can reach out to me any time at [email protected]
A 30-Day Action Plan to get your first 1000 fans – In this guide, I share my proven strategies and insights on how to thrive on social media in 2024. This is same strategy I use to promote my own business.
Get access to my complete “Power Portfolio System”, and learn how to create beautiful portfolio pages that will elevate your work and help it go viral, so that potential clients or customers can see it.
Get lifetime access to our private community of serious artists. Building a career in the art industry is easier when you have a community. Learn from the experience of over 2000 artists already in it!
Are you ready to get paid for your art? This masterclass will help you make it happen! Learn how to find your ideal clients, ask for the right price for your work, create legal contracts, get paid, and more.
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We’re all busy. I get it. It’s a matter of asking yourself, “is it worth the time to develop the skills to earn an income as a concept artist, digital illustrator, or graphic artist?” If you’re serious about your art then the answer is “YES!”
What’s waiting for you inside is the ultimate shortcut- I’ve condensed 7 years of my personal struggling into a power-packed 6 weeks. This could cut YEARS out of the time it takes you to become a professional artist… so, the question really is, do you have time NOT to do it?
This is SO much more than just a “course.” Illustration From Imagination is the first learning journey of its kind. Learning from a client brief gives you real-life experience, a “learn by doing” experience, and helps you bring theory to life as you complete the portrait you’ll be working on throughout the program.
And being designed for artists who want to go professional (get paid for their art), you’ll leave with the best portfolio piece you’ve done… ever… guaranteed (more on that later). Do you have a “client magnet” portfolio? You will soon…
You’ll find all the elements of art school, without having to take up a mountain of debt or put your life on “pause” and move to another city!
Instead, you’ll get real life experience, you’ll build a portfolio, and you’ll learn how to work from a client brief. Plus, you’ll have all the other benefits like in-depth lessons, group critiques from a tutor, a supportive group of peers, and more. You’ll even get certified for successfully completing the 6 weeks!
…As for the quality of the lessons?
Take a look at what a number of my students have said:
So, you don’t want to work as a professional, but you want to create professional quality art? Then yes. This is for you. If you want to get your work featured (online or in galleries), or maybe even just take on the occasional commission (and I highly encourage you to, it’s the best feeling in the world!), you’re going to need a strong body of work – a solid portfolio.
To create professional quality art or even land the occasional commissioned piece, you need to learn like a professional. And that’s precisely how you’ll be learning through our 6 weeks together.
Art is of the mind, not the body. Believe me, you can earn an income as a concept artist, digital illustrator, or graphic artist no matter how “old” (or young) you are. I didn’t even begin painting properly myself until I was 30. And not long ago, I had a number of students turn professional after they retired from their “pay the bills” job.
The “age thing” is a mental roadblock that’s keeping you from realizing your true artistic abilities that simply haven’t been uncovered yet- and together, I’ll help you discover them as we create your next amazing portrait together! Yes, “together” because you’ll have mentorship and community support along the way. Fact is, it’s never too late!
I call it the “YouTube Vortex.” You know, that thing that brings you down a rabbit hole so deep you can’t even find the entrance of how you got there. The same thing happens when scrolling forums, reading articles, and chewing through books.
The problem is that nothing is linear. Free content doesn’t provide support, community, accountability, and feedback. Think about all those unfinished paintings you’ve started and then… “look another TikTok comp!” Yeah, I’m talking about THOSE.
During our time together, you’ll learn everything you need to know to paint anything from imagination by following our simple, step-by-step process (sorta like a Recipe Book) as you complete your BEST portfolio piece to date!
🌟 And I’m going to be straight with you here. “Illustration From Imagination” is not some cheap tutorial or program. It’s a world class, well-designed and highly-effective system that gets you results!
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