$147 or 3 monthly payments of $57

Draw Calm: Still Life Illustration for Beginners

Learn a calm way to simplify what you see

Learn from a Communication Arts Award–winning illustrator

37 lessons • Beginner-friendly • Lifetime access • English subtitles

A calm, structured approach to still life illustration — using simple shapes, limited color palettes, and print-inspired textures.

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About this course

Have you ever wanted to draw beautiful still life illustrations but didn’t know where to start?

In this course, you'll learn to:

• Break complex objects into simple shapes

• Build calm and balanced still life compositions

• Develop harmonious color palettes

• Create textures inspired by printmaking

• Complete a full still life illustration

Inside the Course

Here’s a short excerpt from one of the lessons.

Using one of my award-winning illustrations as an example, I explain how small details — like line weight, color overlaps, and subtle textures — help bring an illustration to life.

By looking closely at these details, you'll learn how subtle design decisions shape the mood of a scene.

Explore the Full Course

Start Learning

By the end of this course, you'll be able to create illustrations like these

Course curriculum

Module 1: Welcome & What You'll Learn

MODULE 1-1: Who this course is for

MODULE 1-2: Tools overview

Preview

MODULE 1-3: Who am I

MODULE 1-4: What makes her work feel calm, soft, and satisfying

Module 2: The Foundations of Still Life Art

MODULE 2-1: What is Still Life? Why still life illustration?

MODULE 2-2: Why Simplicity Works

MODULE 2-3: The Power of Shape & Balance

MODULE 2-4: Color Psychology for Calm Art

MODULE 2-5: Mood vs. Realism

Module 3: Linework + Shape

MODULE 3-1: Procreate Quickstart

MODULE 3-2: Introduction to Linework

MODULE 3-3: Linework Practice on Paper

MODULE 3-4: Basic Shapes

MODULE 3-5: Use Basic Shapes to draw objects with procreate

Module 4: Sketching Your First Objects

MODULE 4-1: How to Take Still Life Reference Photos

MODULE 4-2: Editing Your Photos with a Phone

MODULE 4-3: Tracing the Photo with a Lightbox

MODULE 4-4: Tracing the Photo in Procreate

MODULE 4-5: Drawing from the Photo (No Tracing)

MODULE 4-6: Drawing from Real-Life Observation

Module 5: Color Selection & Application

MODULE 5-1: Understanding Color Basics

MODULE 5-2: Signature Palette Library & mini exercise

MODULE 5-3: Building Your Personal Color Palette

MODULE 5-4: Adapting Your Palette for Different Moods

Module 6: Adding Texture & Character

MODULE 6-1: Texture Roots in Printmaking

MODULE 6-2: Introduction to textures

MODULE 6-3: Practical Demo: Adding Grain, soft noise, paper texture overlay

MODULE 6-4: Beyond Texture: Personality & Presence

Module 7: Full Still Life Demos

MODULE 7-1: Demos 1

MODULE 7-2: Demos 2

MODULE 7-3: Demos 3

MODULE 7-4: Final Words

Module 8: BONUS

MODULE 8-1: Printing Tips

MODULE 8-2: Creating a postcard from your artworks

MODULE 8-3: Building a Soft-Themed Instagram Feed & Sharing Your Work

MODULE 8-4: Color & Texture: Printmaking-Inspired Style

MODULE 8-5: How to Draw Shadows

Meet your instructor

Hi, I'm Qi Ren — an illustrator, educator and content creator based in Japan.

My work focuses on nostalgic still life illustrations inspired by food, everyday objects, and Japanese culture.

Over the past few years, I’ve built a community of over 35,000 followers on Instagram who enjoy my calm illustration style.

In this course, I share the techniques and creative process behind my illustrations.

Contact

If you have any questions about the course, feel free to contact:

Qi Ren Studio

Illustration & Online Courses

Tokyo, Japan

ninnnnnki@gmail.com

Refund Policy

Due to the digital nature of this course, all sales are final and refunds are not offered.

If you experience any technical issues accessing the course, please contact support at ninnnnnki@gmail.com

and we will assist you as soon as possible.