How I learned to draw (and became a professional illustrator)

From self-taught to signed

Hey Creatives!

I just published a new video on my YouTube channel, and this one’s really personal:
It’s the full story of how I learned to draw, started from scratch with digital illustration, and eventually became a professional illustrator, without going to art school.

You can watch the video here:

This journey has taken years, lots of detours, and plenty of self-doubt. If you’re somewhere along your own creative path, I hope this video gives you a bit of encouragement and direction, or maybe a reality check?

Oh and I am also sharing the first view of my newest search-and-find book yaaaaay!

How I learned to draw

I didn’t go to art school, but I slowly learned by doing, and by taking online courses wherever I could find them.

Skillshare and Domestika were two of the platforms that really helped me improve. I loved the variety of teaching styles and how most classes are project-based, so you’re not just watching, you’re creating.

For Affinity Designer, though? I had to figure things out mostly on my own. At the time, there weren’t many great tutorials (apart from the V1 Affinity courses by Liz Kohler Brown) so I spent hours experimenting and developing my own workflow, which I now teach in my own courses.

Try Skillshare free for 30 days

If you’re curious to explore Skillshare, I have a special referral link that gives you a 30-day free trial (which is way better than the regular 7-day one).
You can explore thousands of creative classes , from illustration and design to freelancing, productivity, and animation. Just go through the button below:

So… How did I go pro?

In the video, I also talk about what it looked like to go from learning for fun to taking illustration seriously and eventually landing agency representation in 2023 and working with real clients.

If you’re wondering what different illustration career paths are out there, I also have another video called "Illustration Career 101", where I explain the 3 main routes you can take:

Thanks as always for reading, and for being part of this creative journey with me. 💛
If this resonated, feel free to leave a comment or share the video with someone who’s just starting out. We all start somewhere :)

And downs are also part of the journey, remember that article form the beginning of this year?

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Hi! I’m Weronika Salach, a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s books, toy design and surface pattern design. Over 40,000 happy students have taken my digital illustration courses and watched my YouTube videos. Let’s connect :)

👉 Website

👉 Courses

👉 YouTube

👉 Instagram

👉 Skillshare

👉 FB group for illustrators and FB group for pattern designers

👉 Etsy

👉 Books on Amazon.com and Amazon.de