LET’S CREATE. LET’S EXPLORE.

Practical online design courses that inspire artists and designers to create beautiful commercial artwork.

Take a Tour of the Create Explore Signature Online Courses.

CREATE COLLECTIONS

A 5-week online art and design course. Create a collection of cohesive artwork that impresses art directors. Use your unique taste to tell a story, solidify your style and increase the chances of selling your art.

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Eniko Kramcsak | Colleen Bayley Harrington
Maria Over | Tracy Loughlin | Sue Gibbins

Here’s what you get:

An online classroom featuring written course materials with lifetime access.
Five design briefs—one per week—all downloadable as PDFs.
A glossary of industry terms.
Colours I Love Template PSD and JPEG.
A Collection Planner.
The Story Continuity Checklist.
Four Presentation Templates.
BONUS! Access to the Facebook Community (a student favourite).

Here’s What Students Have Said About Create Collections

Courses Testimonials

One of the things I really appreciated were the worksheets and Victoria's real-time guidance and comments.

“My struggle has always been choosing a color palette focusing on what I should be doing to create a cohesive collection. This course gave me all of that! I was also floundering and found that my creativity was at a standstill but I found that every Monday, which was when a new session was posted, I was recharged and excited. I'd even find myself thinking of designs before falling asleep at night! Best of all, there's so much support from Victoria as well as the group taking the course. If you're new or struggling with your art, this is the course to get you going!

Thank you, thank you, Victoria!”

Monette Pangan

Her approach to creating collections is quite different from what I had heard before (creating repeat patterns).

“Victoria explains the concepts and breaks down everything so well! Her approach to creating collections is quite different from what I had heard before (creating repeat patterns). She puts emphasis on creating exceptional artwork and explains with a lot of her personal examples of why that is the most crucial aspect of your portfolio. She is very active in the Facebook group and provides honest, valuable feedback.

I would highly recommend this class. Thank you so much, Victoria for sharing your knowledge with us!”

Anee Shah

It changed my idea of what makes a successful collection.

“I really enjoyed Victoria’s Create Collections course. It was so informative yet manageable at the same time. It changed my idea of what makes a successful collection.

Victoria also opened my eyes to thinking outside the box when working on the layout - I was trapped thinking things needed to “make sense”. Her approach to building a signature color palette also came in handy - as I ended up with a varied and cohesive collection I am proud of.”

Karen Burton

Create Collections was a fascinating, in-depth course, that left me with the tools to create better portfolio pieces and the ability to make myself more marketable.

“Create Collections (along with all of Victoria's other wonderful classes), has been an absolute life-changer for me. I started taking her online classes with my very old, outdated, and underwhelming portfolio in hand.

A little over a year later, I have an entirely new body of work (that I'm proud of!) a solid understanding of the field of surface pattern design and licensing, and the confidence to make more and more. Each class is clear, easy to understand, and so much fun.”

Jennifer Lorenz

As an aspiring surface designer, the course was fundamental for me to understand the concepts that are needed to create cohesive pieces based on my own palette and style.

“This is my first time taking Victoria's classes and I really enjoyed the course. The course is well structured; all the lessons are clear and easy to understand.

Another differential is that Victoria provides valuable feedback in the Facebook group which helped me to evaluate and improve my pieces. I also had the opportunity to meet talented classmates. I highly recommend this course.”

Elizabeth Rabelo Gonçalves

I love Victoria’s courses. I’m a huge fan of all of them.

“Victoria is excellent at presenting a ton of practical industry information in a very engaging and accessible way. I feel so much better prepared to create marketable artwork. I’m always so inspired to create many pieces in her courses and they are pieces that represent some of my best work. Thank you, Victoria!”

Colleen Harrington

It helped me understand how to create my collections around my own color palette and how to build a strong and commercial body of work.

“I really enjoyed Victoria's Create Collections Course.

She gives lots of useful information and practical advice on how to move forward with your style, creating new and strong pieces with cohesion and consistency.

Victoria also provides valuable feedback and you can learn as much with your own work as with your classmates. Highly recommended!!”

Betânia Sensini

If you want to feel more creatively engaged, and learn what the elements of a collection should be, I highly recommend this course!

“Victoria is like an alchemist, her lessons guide you, and challenge your curiosity…which creates this wonderful atmosphere for learning,

I also appreciated Victoria’s participation in the Facebook group, giving valuable suggestions and clarification.

Thank you Victoria …. Can’t wait to create my next collection!”

Laura Friedland

Victoria’s class was just what I needed!

“It helped me to understand color, cohesion of my collection, and how to make all that happen. It was the perfect pace so I didn’t feel rushed or pressured.

We were provided with briefs and I was able to refer back to them and dissect them to really understand what was needed.

The Facebook group was wonderful with suggestions and lots of support. Victoria was also there to offer support and guidance when we asked for it.

This class is great for beginners or more experienced artist, I would highly recommend it for anyone!”

Bridgett Stahlman

This is a fantastic course that every designer or budding designer can enjoy and benefit from.

“If you are an established designer looking to be more productive and have better direction and flow to your process, this course really helps you to think about how to progress from one piece of work to the next and then collection to collection.

If you are starting out and looking to make more coherent work and understand what makes a strong collection, again you will find this course very helpful.

Highly recommend this course, wherever you are on your design journey.”

Frankie Van Mourik

Explore Florals

A 3-week online art and design course. Combine historical references, exciting techniques, and your unique style to create stunning artwork for a floral portfolio that stands out from the crowd.

Katherine Quinn | Dylan Mierzwinski | Jeanetta Gonzales
Kelly Angelovic | Meghann Rader

Here’s What You Get:

An online classroom featuring written course materials with 6-month access.
Three design briefs—one per week.
Three gorgeous custom colour palettes —one per design brief.
The tools needed to get out of your floral rut and start creating impactful designs that get noticed.
BONUS! Access to the Facebook Community (a student favourite).

Here’s what students have said about Explore Florals

Courses Testimonials

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed two of Victoria’s Explore Floral courses and I’ve created several finished pieces for my portfolio!

“The briefs were amazing - well researched, informative, inspiring, challenging, and “on-trend”. Having the essence of the style distilled and articulated so clearly was VERY helpful! I haven’t ever done the exercise of defining style like that (never even occurred to me) and it was very clarifying.

The group dynamic was supportive and open. Victoria and the other class members all volunteered great suggestions and ideas. Probably the most fun was seeing everyone’s different interpretations of the brief - that in itself really broadened my perceptions and pushed me to try new things. I would definitely recommend the class to any artist - from “newbies” to seasoned illustrators!”

Anna Marie Bower

I loved trying to find new techniques myself rather than be instructed on all the steps.

“I was used to painting florals but Victoria's course pushed me in new ways. The briefs guided and inspired me, they were so informative! The course is not only about florals but also about creativity. The community is very supportive and friendly. Can't wait for the next courses, thank you for the challenges Victoria!”

Marie

I found the trends and color suggestions to be spot on and fun to create.

“I’m often painting flowers, but the Explore Florals course helped me approach painting them in a fresh way - I came up with 3 new patterns that pushed me to try methods totally different than my usual! One of them even inspired my next fabric collection.”

Juliet M.

This is my third class with her and certainly not my last.

“I have learned so much from the Explore Florals class with Victoria. The briefs are so in-depth and challenging. The mood boards are just stunning and so inspirational. Thanks Victoria for helping me to build my portfolio and create some fun fresh florals!”

Melissa Hyatt

I've loved every second of this course! It was exactly what I needed to get out of my creative slump.

“I feel re-charged and excited to use what I've learned going forward. Thank you, Victoria!

Another wonderful inspiring course. I do a lot of florals, but Victoria’s detailed briefs have made me look at the subject in new ways. I will definitely be applying what I have learned to my future work. And of course, it was lots of fun too!

It was another amazing class! Both explore florals classes have challenged me creatively and brought my work to a new level. I can't wait for another. I will take them ALL!”

Stacey Walker Oldham

This was my first course and I am impressed by how effectively Victoria was able to spark creativity.

“With Explore Florals Victoria has created an exceptional class.

The weekly brief provides not only a mood board but also background info, which also entails the relevance of the subject matter in history. This is very useful if you have the desire to dig deeper. Then you will find loads of information and suggestions on how to approach a theme (way more than you have time in those three weeks! So you can go on and on and... ;0) ).

I found it most inspiring how Victoria manages it to give suggestions that will drive every single participant to his/her very own solution. Strongly recommended!”

Tinna Ka

Expect a wealth of inspiration and information from Explore Florals.

“Victoria knows her stuff - not only does she make beautiful art, she shares her industry knowledge through creative briefs using beautiful colour palettes, encouraging experimentation, and has built a lovely online community. I’ll definitely be taking more classes.”

Emma Bryan

Florals seemed very intimidating for me but these briefs gave me the confidence and fun I needed to get creating!

“I really enjoy Victoria’s classes! The briefs are just excellent, very structured and exciting with a color palette to set you up for success and some great portfolio pieces. I am excited to continue using the briefs to make more collections and improve as an artist and designer, I strongly recommend her classes.”

Elizabeth Libby Michals

Can’t wait to sign up again.

“I adored taking Explore Florals and look forward to the next class.

Not only are the briefs interesting and on-trend, but they’re fun and challenging. I really appreciate the trend boards and devour them with interest.

The most valuable part to me is the community and level of work from fellow students. They are top-notch and I learn as much from them as I do from Victoria. They inspire me to up my game!”

Denise Ortakales

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create christmas

A 3-week online art and design course. Explore traditional and modern Christmas themes, combine them with exciting techniques and your unique style for the biggest commercial art market in the world.

Sarah Papworth | Emma McGowan | Kate McFarlane
Anais Lee | Sam Rudd

Here’s What You Get:

An online classroom featuring written course materials with 6-month access.
Three design briefs—one per week.
Three gorgeous custom colour palettes —one per design brief.
Three industry info and research project PDFs—all downloadable.
The tools needed to understand Christmas colours and themes and how to make them fit with your taste and style.
BONUS! Access to the Facebook Community (a student favourite).

Here’s what students have said about Explore Florals

Courses Testimonials

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed two of Victoria’s Explore Floral courses and I’ve created several finished pieces for my portfolio!

Anna Marie Bower

Victoria cleanly laid different styles out and helped so much with who the target audience is for each.

“This was a wonderful class! The group was so supportive and Victoria is a wonderful teacher. I love Christmas as a subject matter but there are so many different styles I often have trouble telling one from the other.

The mood boards were amazing and absolutely beautiful! The class also helped me sort out what my strengths and weaknesses are regarding different Christmas styles. I’m so happy I signed up for this class and can’t wait to start the next Create Christmas!”

Alyssa Kays

Sometimes I need a jumping-off point to get started on new projects, this was just the push I needed.

“I really enjoy making Christmas art, so this class was definitely for me!

Victoria has thoughtfully put together projects based on trends in the marketplace and even includes tips on how to get started.

You really get a bang for your buck with this class: great briefs, trend research, color palettes, industry tips and it's not overwhelming in that it's only 3 weeks long! Looking forward to taking it again!”

Tracy Mattocks

Being part of this very creative and often very experienced group of artists, I got to enjoy everyone else’s creations.

“As a new-comer to the art world, I confess to being nervous when I joined. I wasn’t sure if I would soon be drowning in lots of technical terms and expected to perform way beyond my current levels of expertise. However, this was not the case at all.

Victoria’s briefs were packed with lots of information and examples that were clear and inspirational to follow.

The Facebook group was friendly and very supportive. That in itself is very inspiring! I warmly recommend this course to anyone whatever their experience and level of expertise - there is something for everyone here!”

Philippa Gillström

I loved the fact that Victoria provided feedback, which will make me come back again to take other classes provided by Victoria.

“I am so glad I joined the Create Christmas class! The briefs, trend boards, colour palettes, and industry information were invaluable.

The Facebook group was supportive and it was great to see everyone’s art and getting feedback.”

Bea van der Zwaag

She really unravels the mystery of creating holiday art that stands out!

“I took Create Christmas 1 and absolutely loved it! So much so that I signed up for Create Christmas 2. Victoria created such an inspiring course with her industry insights, project briefs, and gorgeous style boards! I had so much fun working on the assignments and seeing everyone else’s work as well. I look forward to seeing what other courses she may come up with...Victoria, how about a course just like this only NOT Christmas...style boards/briefs for current trends. I would love to keep working! Thanks so much!”