We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.
Course image
Brad Colbow

Adobe Fresco is an app for the iPad and some Windows touch enabled tablets that lets you draw and paint on the go harnessing the power of thousands of unique Photoshop brushes and some new super cool live media brushes that imitate real life water color and oil paints.

Read more

Adobe Fresco is an app for the iPad and some Windows touch enabled tablets that lets you draw and paint on the go harnessing the power of thousands of unique Photoshop brushes and some new super cool live media brushes that imitate real life water color and oil paints.

  • I believe it’s best to learn through examples. here is what we will be doing in this course:

  • We will be going over the tools

  • After going over the tools we will be using them to draw to reinforce how they work

  • The drawing sessions are simple and easy to follow, anyone can do them

  • One project goes over how we can use the vector brushes to make cartoons and comics.

  • Another project uses layers and the water color brushes to create unique illustrations

  • The third project uses the oil brushes to blend paint and then layer masks to do some hand lettering and effects over it.

  • The Final project takes all the skills we've used up to this point and put them all together in one final complex illustration.

Why Fresco? It's a simple and intuitive painting app and because of its access to so many pre existing Photoshop brushes makes it incredibly powerful too.

Who is this for:

  • People who want to learn to draw but don’t know where to start

  • Illustrators looking to learn everything about Fresco

  • Anyone who want to learn new techniques and take their drawing to the next level.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objective

How to use the drawing and painting tools in adobe fresco

Syllabus

Introduction

Here is what you can expect from this course and what you will need to get started drawing in Adobe Fresco.

This is where we can open files we’ve been working on or create new files. There are also some settings that will help you be more productive when you work.

Read more

Before we get to the fun stuff (our art) we should go over the interface and familiarize ourselves with all the tools at our disposal.

There are 3 kinds of brushes in Fresco, this is the first and most common, the pixel brush.

This is Fresco’s killer feature. The live brushes emulate real life media brushes like water color and oil paints.

These vector brushes look and feel like the pixel brushes in many ways but they are scalable vector graphics unlike their pixel counterparts.

In this section we’re going to jump in and start inking using the vector brushes and how we can use their unique properties to make clean crisp artwork.

There are several exporting options available to us in Fresco. You can even export your vector brush lines into a PDF that can be opened in other vector apps like Illustrator.

One of the great things about Fresco is the ability to import photoshop brushes and use them fully on the iPad here is how and where to get great brushes.

In this section we use the live brushes to start a larger more complete illustration

Now that we have the flat colors in place we can start to use the water color brushes to create some cool effects and textures.

In this section we take the oil brushes and use masks to create some great lettering effects.

In this section we take everything we’ve learned this far and apply it to one final large illustration.

In this section we work on the background of our illustration using vector brushes and then layer texture over top of them.

We work on the foreground of our illustration and add the finishing touches.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Uses Adobe Fresco's live brushes to emulate real-life media like watercolor and oil paints, which allows artists to explore traditional techniques in a digital environment
Breaks down the tools and interface of Adobe Fresco, which provides a solid foundation for those new to digital drawing and painting
Explores the use of vector brushes for creating cartoons and comics, which offers a specific application of Fresco's capabilities for a niche audience
Leverages the ability to import and use Photoshop brushes within Fresco, which allows users to integrate their existing resources and expand their creative options
Requires access to an iPad or Windows touch-enabled tablet to use Adobe Fresco, which may limit accessibility for some learners without the necessary hardware
Focuses on Adobe Fresco, which is a subscription-based software, and this may pose a barrier to entry for some learners

Save this course

Create your own learning path. Save this course to your list so you can find it easily later.
Save

Reviews summary

Adobe fresco for drawing and painting beginners

According to learners, this course provides a solid introduction to drawing and painting within Adobe Fresco. Students particularly praise the practical, project-based approach, which helps them apply the learned tools effectively. The coverage of different brush types, including the unique live brushes, is frequently mentioned as a highlight. Many find the instructor clear and easy to follow, making it suitable for beginners. While widely seen as a great starting point, some more experienced users might find parts of the content too basic.
Instructor is clear and easy to understand.
"The instructor explains things very clearly and demonstrates the techniques effectively."
"I found the instructor's teaching style engaging and easy to follow along with."
"His explanations of the tools and concepts were spot on and very helpful."
"The instructor's voice is clear, and he walks you through everything step-by-step."
Accessible and easy to follow for newcomers.
"As someone new to digital drawing, this course was perfect. The pace was just right, and the steps were clear."
"I had never used Fresco before, and this course gave me the confidence to start creating right away."
"If you're a beginner, this is an excellent place to start your journey with Adobe Fresco."
"The simple drawing sessions made learning the tools much less intimidating for me."
Covers pixel, vector, and live brushes.
"The course does a great job of explaining all the different brush types and when to use them, especially the live ones."
"I was specifically interested in the live brushes, and the coverage here was excellent and inspiring."
"Understanding the difference and use cases for pixel vs. vector brushes was made very clear."
"All the core tools and interface elements are covered thoroughly, giving you a good foundation."
Applying tools through hands-on projects.
"The projects are fantastic! They really help solidify your understanding of how to use the tools in a real workflow."
"I love that we jump into projects so quickly after learning the basics. It made everything click for me."
"Using the vector brushes for the cartoon project was a great way to see their potential."
"The final project ties everything together nicely and challenged me in a good way."
May be too introductory for some learners.
"While good, if you've used similar software or Fresco before, much of the early content will be review."
"I was hoping for more advanced techniques or workflows, but this felt very much like a beginner's guide."
"It provides a solid foundation, but doesn't go deep into more complex illustration methods."
"Good for getting started, but not for pushing the boundaries if you're already comfortable."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco with these activities:
Practice Basic Drawing Techniques
Reviewing fundamental drawing techniques will help you better utilize the tools in Adobe Fresco and create more compelling artwork.
Browse courses on Sketching
Show steps
  • Practice basic shapes and forms.
  • Experiment with different line weights and shading techniques.
  • Try drawing from reference images.
Read 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain'
Reading this book will improve your observational skills and help you translate real-world subjects into digital art using Adobe Fresco.
Show steps
  • Read the book and complete the exercises.
  • Apply the techniques learned to your Fresco projects.
Daily Brush Practice
Practicing with different brushes in Adobe Fresco daily will help you become more familiar with their unique properties and how to use them effectively.
Show steps
  • Choose a different brush each day.
  • Experiment with different settings and techniques.
  • Create small sketches or studies using the brush.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Share Your Fresco Art Online
Sharing your artwork online will help you get feedback, build a community, and stay motivated to continue learning and improving your skills in Adobe Fresco.
Show steps
  • Create a piece of art in Adobe Fresco.
  • Post it on social media or an online art forum.
  • Engage with other artists and get feedback.
Explore Advanced Fresco Tutorials
Following advanced tutorials will expose you to new techniques and workflows in Adobe Fresco, helping you push your skills to the next level.
Show steps
  • Search for tutorials on specific techniques or styles.
  • Follow along with the tutorial and try to replicate the results.
  • Adapt the techniques to your own artwork.
Create a Series of Illustrations
Working on a larger project will allow you to apply all the skills you've learned in the course and develop your own unique style in Adobe Fresco.
Show steps
  • Choose a theme or subject for your series.
  • Plan out the individual illustrations.
  • Create the illustrations in Adobe Fresco.
  • Refine and polish your artwork.
Read 'Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter'
Understanding color and light will significantly enhance your ability to create visually stunning artwork in Adobe Fresco.
Show steps
  • Read the book and study the examples.
  • Experiment with different lighting scenarios in Fresco.
  • Apply the principles of color and light to your illustrations.

Career center

Learners who complete Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Digital Painter
A digital painter creates artwork using digital tools and software, often emulating traditional painting techniques. This career requires artistic skills and proficiency in digital art software. This Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course is directly relevant to this role. By learning how to use Fresco's pixel, live, and vector brushes, one builds a foundation in digital painting. The projects that focus on creating illustrations using watercolor and oil paint styles may be very helpful for developing digital painting skills. This course may be the first stepping stone to becoming a digital painter.
Illustrator
An illustrator brings ideas to life through visual mediums, creating images for books, magazines, websites, and other forms of media. This career requires a strong artistic foundation and proficiency in digital illustration software. The Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course helps build familiarity with digital tools. By learning how to use Fresco's pixel, live, and vector brushes, one begins to develop a strong command of digital painting, which translates to expertise in illustration. Furthermore, the projects focused on creating illustrations using watercolor and oil paint styles provide valuable experience in replicating traditional techniques digitally. Aspiring illustrators should take this course to begin their digital artistic journey.
Comic Book Artist
A comic book artist creates the visual artwork for comic books, graphic novels, and webcomics. This involves designing characters, creating backgrounds, and illustrating sequential panels that tell a story. This career role combines drawing skills with storytelling abilities. The Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course helps comic book artists enhance their digital drawing skills. The project that focuses on using vector brushes to create cartoons and comics provides specific training relevant to comic book art. Moreover, the course's broader coverage of Fresco's tools and features allows artists to make more complex artwork. Aspiring comic book artists should take this course to improve their digital artistry.
Freelance Artist
A freelance artist works independently, taking on a variety of art-related projects for different clients. This career requires a broad range of skills and the ability to adapt to different styles and mediums. The Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course can be especially helpful for a freelance artist looking to expand their digital skillset. The course helps freelance artists to become versatile. All the projects in this course allow freelance artists to learn new and useful techniques.
Character Designer
A character designer specializes in creating the visual appearance of characters for animation, video games, and other media. This involves sketching, drawing, and refining character concepts to match the story and style of the production. The Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course may be useful because it introduces learners to digital art tools. The course helps character designers familiarize themselves with Fresco's features. The project focused on using vector brushes to make cartoons and comics can be used to create stylized character designs. In addition, the final project requires combining all the skills learned into a complex illustration, which may help to develop visual storytelling skills.
Storyboard Artist
A storyboard artist creates visual panels that depict a sequence of scenes for films, television shows, and commercials. This career requires strong drawing skills and an understanding of visual storytelling. This Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course may be useful because it can help develop skills in character and background creation. The course's final project, which involves putting skills together in one complex illustration, helps artists develop their visual storytelling capabilities. Also, the course's coverage of vector brushes may be useful for creating clean, crisp lines in storyboards. Storyboard artists should take this course to improve drawing skills.
Texture Artist
A texture artist creates and applies textures to 3D models for video games, films, and other visual media. This career requires an understanding of materials, lighting, and color theory. This Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course may be useful because it shows how to create textures using watercolor brushes. The project that uses oil brushes and layer masks may be especially useful for creating realistic textures. By learning to use Fresco's pixel, live, and vector brushes, texture artists may be able to use digital painting to create textures. Aspiring texture artists should take this course to enhance their skillset.
Concept Artist
A concept artist develops visual representations of characters, environments, and objects for use in games, films, and other media. The role requires a strong understanding of art principles and the ability to quickly iterate on ideas. This Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course may be useful because it encourages learners to experiment with different styles and techniques. The course's emphasis on using Fresco's live brushes to emulate watercolor and oil paints could be useful for creating visually appealing concept art. Additionally, the final project, which combines all the skills learned throughout the course into one complex illustration, may help to hone the skills required for concept art.
Graphic Designer
A graphic designer creates visual concepts to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, or captivate consumers. They develop the overall layout and production design for advertisements, brochures, magazines, and corporate reports. This Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course may be useful because it provides hands-on experience with design software. The course's emphasis on creating cartoons and comics using vector brushes can be used to create compelling graphics. Additionally, the course touches on typography, which is related to graphic design. A graphic designer may take this course to enhance their artistic knowledge.
Animator
An animator creates the illusion of movement by designing and drawing sequences of images or frames. This career requires a strong understanding of art principles and animation techniques. The Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course may be useful because it develops drawing skills and familiarity with digital art tools. Animators may find the project focused on using vector brushes to make cartoons and comics to be very helpful. In addition, the final project requires combining all the skills learned to create a complex illustration. Animators can use this course to hone their artistic skills.
Surface Pattern Designer
A surface pattern designer creates original patterns for a variety of products, such as textiles, wallpaper, and packaging. This career requires a strong understanding of design principles, color theory, and pattern repeats. The Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course may be useful because it allows surface pattern designers to explore different visual styles. The course's emphasis on Fresco's live brushes to emulate watercolor and oil paints can be a way to create patterns. Additionally, the course's final project, which combines all the skills learned throughout the course into one complex illustration, helps hone skills. The course may benefit designers.
Art Director
An art director is responsible for the visual style and images in various projects, such as magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and film and television productions. This career requires a strong understanding of art and design principles, as well as excellent communication and leadership skills. An art director often has a master's degree or equivalent experience. This Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course may be useful because it provides hands-on experience with digital art tools and techniques. A project that uses oil brushes to create lettering effects may be helpful for logo and branding projects. This course may be useful for understanding digital art.
Muralist
A muralist designs and creates large-scale artwork directly on walls or other surfaces. This career requires a strong understanding of composition, color theory, and painting techniques. While traditionally murals are painted on brick or drywall, modern muralists often produce digital artwork. This Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course may be useful as it helps muralists experiment with novel approaches. Fresco's watercolor and oil paint simulators can be used to create unique visuals. The course will help muralists improve their drawing abilities.
Printmaker
A printmaker creates original artwork by transferring images from a matrix onto paper or other materials using various printing techniques. This career requires a strong understanding of art principles and printmaking processes. The Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course may be useful because it introduces printmakers to digital art tools. The course may help printmakers familiarize themselves with Fresco's features. The project focused on using vector brushes may be especially useful for creating line art prints. In addition, the exporting functions can be used to transfer artwork to other programs and devices. Taking this course may help printmakers integrate digital art into their practice.
Fine Artist
A fine artist creates original artwork for aesthetic purposes, expressing their personal vision and ideas through various mediums. This career path requires a strong artistic talent, creativity, and dedication to one's craft. The Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco course may be useful because it gives artists the chance to learn about digital drawing. The course may help fine artists express themselves. The live brushes and vector brushes can offer different tools for creating compelling artwork.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Drawing and Painting in Adobe Fresco.
Is designed to unlock your creative potential and improve your drawing skills. It teaches you how to see the world in a new way and translate that vision onto paper (or screen). While not specific to Fresco, the techniques taught in this book can be applied to any drawing medium.
Classic guide to understanding color and light in painting. While not specific to digital painting, the principles discussed are essential for creating realistic and compelling artwork in any medium, including Adobe Fresco. It is particularly helpful for understanding how light interacts with different surfaces and how to create realistic color palettes.

Share

Help others find this course page by sharing it with your friends and followers:

Similar courses

Similar courses are unavailable at this time. Please try again later.
Our mission

OpenCourser helps millions of learners each year. People visit us to learn workspace skills, ace their exams, and nurture their curiosity.

Our extensive catalog contains over 50,000 courses and twice as many books. Browse by search, by topic, or even by career interests. We'll match you to the right resources quickly.

Find this site helpful? Tell a friend about us.

Affiliate disclosure

We're supported by our community of learners. When you purchase or subscribe to courses and programs or purchase books, we may earn a commission from our partners.

Your purchases help us maintain our catalog and keep our servers humming without ads.

Thank you for supporting OpenCourser.

© 2016 - 2025 OpenCourser