HOW IT WORKS

Module 1

Intro to Illustrator

We begin the Immersion course by learning the foundations of Illustrator. Whether you're brand new or more experienced, we’ll start with the basics, establish a workflow, and progress to the most advanced techniques and tools you’ll need.

You'll learn the entire program in an approachable, easy-to-learn format. This will save you years of learning on your own!

Illustrator is the single most beneficial and necessary program for your career. 

In this Module:

• Begin learning Adobe Illustrator and all of the possibilities of this powerful program.
• Build a custom workspace that feels comprehensive and complete.
• Get familiar with the most powerful keyboard shortcuts.
• Learn how to use the essential drawing tools to begin creating artwork.
• Establish a designer's workflow to creating in Illustrator.
• Begin working with color and creating custom color palettes. 
• Learn about color and what makes certain palettes work.
• Begin sourcing your own inspiration.
• Learn best practices for sketching and begin putting pencil to paper (this is the fun part!).

Now that you're comfortable in Illustrator, it's time to begin making artwork.

"Immersion was such a motivational & encouraging force. Bonnie instructs with precision, and her authenticity is obvious."

- Becky Schick

Module 2

Illustrator Mastery

Now that you're familiar with all of Illustrator's tools, it's time to put them to work! Discover how to create artwork from sketches, photos, paintings, foraged items, lettering, and more. Learn the art of colors in Adobe and master all of the color tools available to you.

In Module 2:

• How to create artwork from your sketches and doodles.
• How to create artwork from photographs that you've taken out in the wild.
• How to create artwork from paintings and learn Bonnie's exclusive process for maintaining a painterly look in Illustrator. 
• Design artwork native from right within Illustrator.
• Learn how to build layers and add textures to make your work more detailed and dynamic.
• Learn how a drawing tablet or iPad can aid in your design work (these are not essential!).
• How to create artwork from foraged finds and gathered goods.
• How to color your motifs and use Illustrators color tools to their fullest capacity. 

After Module 2, we'll have an implementation week where you can practice what you've learned and be fully supported by our team and 3 live Q&A sessions.

Now that you've mastered Adobe Illustrator, it's time to move on to creating repeating patterns!

"I have searched high and low across the globe for a comprehensive pattern design course - I couldn’t have found a more perfect teacher or program than Immersion." - Divya

Module 3

Repeating Patterns Pro

Now that you’ve mastered Adobe Illustrator, we get to move on to the fun part, creating repeating patterns!

We’ll focus on exploring your signature style, then move on to learning how to build every type of complex repeating pattern.

In this module:

• Learn the secret sauce to creating repeating patterns in Illustrator.
• Learn how to troubleshoot the structure of your pattern when something isn't working.
• Learn how to create:
  • tossed patterns
  • lined patterns
  • diagonal patterns
  • tiling squares
  • geometric patterns 
  • border prints / patterns
• Best practices for file management and saving tips.
• Learn professional techniques to finding a workflow in your design process.

Once you're comfortable creating patterns, it's time to begin working in collections. 

"It is absolutely THE best online course I've ever taken, and I've taken a TON. Bonnie is JOY! This course is the only one I have ever finished!" - Lisa Hetrick

Module 4

Collection Creation + Portfolio Building

Learn the art of creating complete surface pattern design collections. Discover ways to weave a story into your designs and gather inspiration to create a heartfelt consistent and balanced approach to each collection.

Build a portfolio that will captivate your audience with a presentation that will stop them in their tracks.

You'll learn how to gather inspiration and draw the viewer in by creating a heartfelt consistent approach to each collection.

In Module 4:

• Learn the art of creating complete surface pattern design collections.
• How to create inspiration boards and mood boards to ground your process.
• Discover what makes a collection complete and cohesive.
• Learn how to weave a story into your designs, plan for a collection and balance it through scale, color, and complexity.
• Learn how to name your collection, write its story, and design a logo for your collection.
• Why you must have a portfolio and the essential things to include.
• How to create mockups to show off your work.

• Learn how to plan for a portfolio, design its pages, publish an Online version, order hard copy versions, and even make your very own hard copy.

• Watch as I demystify the steps to setting up your document, organizing your files, and exporting your work for web and print applications.

Now that you're designing in collections, it's time to build your portfolio! After Module 4, we'll have an implementation week where you can begin creating your portfolio and be fully supported by our team and multiple live Q&A sessions. 

Once your portfolio is created, it's time to start licensing your work. 

"Making the decision to invest was scary, but there was something inside me that just pulled me towards it. This course was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It opened up a whole new world for me and I haven’t looked back yet." - Stephanie Roche

Module 5

 Licensing Your Artwork

Learning how to license your artwork is the key component to creating a sustainable career. Learn how to choose an industry, find companies who are licensing and who you need to get in touch with. By the end of Module 5, you'll have a comprehensive knowledge of licenses, copyrights, and contracts. 

In this module, we’ll work to identify your target industry, find the right companies to work with, start making contacts, discuss working as a professional and launch your career as a licensing artist.

In this module:

• Learn how to choose an industry to start with and how to make the first contact.
• Learn how to submit your work in a way that helps you stand out from the crowd.
• Discover what it's like to work with an art agent and if it's right for you.  
• Learn about tradeshows and if exhibiting at one is right for you.
• Learn industry standards for income and royalty fees, plus what to charge for your own work.
• Dive deep into the business side of surface pattern design as we cover accounting principles, copyrighting your work, and signing contracts.

Now that you're licensing your work, it's time to become a creative entrepreneur and build a sustainable business for long-term success.

"I think teaching someone with no background in design, how to go from 0-60 in 8 weeks is pretty powerful!" - Mila

Module 6

Creative Entrepreneurship 

In this Module, I’ll be sharing the biggest secrets to my success, as I teach you how to create residual income and shatter your biggest goals. 

Learn how to promote your work and build the confidence you need to work as a professional. This module is about how to create a sustainable career from your art. We’ll dive into creating multiple streams of income and what it looks like to work with a client in real life.

In Module 6:

• How to build and grow a brand for long-term success. 
• How to use social media and your newsletter list to grow a community of loyal fans. 
• How to create a heartfelt marketing campaign, so that you never feel 'salesy' again.
• Gain confidence in your career as a surface pattern designer and putting yourself "out there".
• Explore all the many different income streams available to artists and focus on how to layer in residual and recurring revenue to your business. 

Congratulations, you did it! We'll wrap up the Immersion Course with a grand graduation ceremony!

"The Immersion course is worth the price, hands down."

- Kerrie Hubbard

February 21st - 28th, 2022

Enrollment for the 2023 Immersion Course will be open from Tuesday, February 21st at 11am EST to Tuesday, February 28th at 11:59pm PST.  

Enrollment only opens once a year.

The Immersion Course begins on Monday, March 6th and lasts for 8 weeks.

Students will have unlimited + lifetime access to the 2023 course and can go through it at their own pace. 

The Immersion Course teaches Adobe Illustrator from the very beginning.

We use the full desktop version of Illustrator, not the app or iPad version. 

Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics program that is widely used by professionals in creative fields. It is an important hard skill to learn because it allows you to create high-quality, scalable graphics and illustrations that can be used in a wide range of applications.

Here are a few reasons we love Illustrator:

1. Industry-standard tool: Adobe Illustrator is one of the most popular and widely used vector graphics editors in the world. By learning Illustrator, you can become proficient in a tool that is used by professionals in a variety of industries.

2. Versatility: Illustrator is a versatile tool that can be used for a wide range of tasks, including creating logos, icons, illustrations, infographics, and more. It can be used to create both simple and complex graphics, making it a valuable tool for designers and artists.

3. Scalability: One of the key advantages of using vector graphics is that they can be scaled up or down without losing quality. This means that graphics created in Illustrator can be used for everything from business cards to billboards.

4. Professional quality output: Illustrator provides a wide range of features and tools that allow you to create professional quality graphics. Whether you're creating a simple design or a complex repeating pattern, Illustrator can help you produce high-quality output.

5. Career opportunities: Learning Adobe Illustrator can open up a range of career opportunities. By having this hard skill, you can stand out from the crowd and demonstrate your expertise to potential employers.

In summary, learning Adobe Illustrator is an important hard skill for anyone who wants to work in a creative field. It is a versatile tool that can help you produce high-quality, scalable graphics, and can open up a range of career opportunities.

The time commitment varies a bit for everyone, but creatives in all walks of life (full time workers, college students, new mommas, recently retired, etc!) have taken the course and worked through it at their own pace.

If you hope to work through it 'live' (meaning, as it's released), plan on dedicating 1-3 hours each day or 1-2 full days each week.

Students have lifetime access to the course and the content never expires. You can truly go through it as slowly as you like! You can always join the live calls and stay in touch with the private community by committing just a few minutes each day.

Investment:

The Immersion Course costs $1997 with an optional 3-month ($749/mo) or 6 month ($397/mo) payment plan.

If you choose the payment plan, your first payment will be made the day you enroll, with the following payments automatically made on the same day of the month for the following months. 

The Immersion Course is only offered one time a year. Students will have unlimited + lifetime access to their version of the course and can go through it at their own pace. 

To ensure a solid foundation and build community, the Immersion Course is only offered as a full 8 week course. Anyone proficient in Illustrator will be encouraged to work through the lessons and spend any extra time on sketching and gathering inspiration for the coming modules. 

The minimum requirement for this course is:

• A computer
• Adobe Illustrator (desktop version)
• Sketchbook / paper
• Pencils / pens
• Phone camera or scanner

Students will receive a full list of recommended resources and supplies upon registration. 

The Immersion Course is similar to a college semester - it's an immersive and incredibly comprehensive 8 week course. It's a commitment for those who are serious about turning their passion of design into a career.

Bonnie's other classes are lighter in context (usually 1-2 hours long) and are a great fit for someone who wants to dip their toes into surface design to see what it's all about.

The Immersion Course is taught in Illustrator CC and lifetime access to the incredible community. It's magical. There's no other way to put it!

Alumni Heather Schwarm says: "I had already taken all of Bonnie’s other classes when I signed up for her Immersion Course and wasn’t’ sure if there was that much more she could teach me.  Boy, was I wrong." You can hear from more alumni here. 

One of our favorite questions, because the truth is you really don't have to be able to draw like one might think. There are many professionals who are famous for their doodles and scribbles and others who have learned to solely work within illustrator. 

Bonnie teaches ways to also reference photographs and use foraged and scanned items in your work, as well.

The course will teach you how to begin making marks and establish a routine art practice. We're betting you'll be surprised at how well you can draw with a bit of practice!

The Immersion Course has a 14 day 100% money back guarantee.

Here are the details:

Yes! We are honored to offer a scholarship program each year. Applications are open in January and recipients are announced in early February. You can see them here.