Yellena James grew up and attended art school in Sarajevo, BiH. At the age of 18 she moved to the U.S. After gaining her BA in painting and graphic design at UCF, she eventually made her way to Portland, OR. Preferring pens, inks, markers and acrylics, she combines complex abstract forms into dazzling images which take on lives of their own. Her colorful arrangements of organic shapes and tangled lines are at once floral and alien, organic and sci-fi. Each intimate world she creates seems to posses its own ethos and its own special ability to radiate emotion.

James has participated in shows around the U.S. and overseas, including: solo exhibitions at Giant Robot (San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA), the Here Gallery (Bristol, UK), the Hijinks Gallery (San Francisco, CA) and more. She also has done illustration work for Anthropologie, Crabtree and Evelyn, Crate and Barrel, Relativity Media and many others (see client list below).

Introduction
Elements of Design
Principles of Design
Introducing four shapes

Chapter 1: Stars
Introduction to Stars
Looking at stars:
-star shaped sea life
-star shaped plants
-star shaped seeds and fruits
-star shaped crystals
-3d stars
-snowflakes
Draw a perfect five-point star
Draw nearly perfect star by hand
Draw star ornaments
Add stars to underwater scene
Draw star shaped ornaments
Draw a star centered sea anemone
Add star shaped elements
Add black and white star motifs
Finish this composition
Animated sea creature
Draw your own sea creature

Chapter 2: Branches
introduction to Branches
Fractal branching
Draw a branch
Looking at branches:
- plants
- corals
Inflorescence
Draw branches based on inflorescence
Sketching branches
Movement in branches exercise
Add branches to composition
Finish this drawing
Add branching to leaves
Branch pattern exercise

Chapter 3: Spiral
Introduction to spirals
Fibonacci spirals
Different types of spirals
Draw some fern exercise
Looking at spirals:
- spiral shaped shells
- spiral shaped sea life
- spiral shaped plants
Draw your own pinwheels
How to draw a shell step by step
Add color to shells
Draw spiral seashells
Draw spiral ornaments
Add spirals to jellyfish
Finish this composition

Chapter 4: Fans
Introduction to Fan chapter
Looking at fans:
- fan shaped branches
- fan shaped sea life
- fan shaped plants
- fan shaped mushrooms
Fan mushrooms exercise
Modify this fan shape exercise
Draw fan shaped plants
Draw black and white fan motifs for patterns
How to make a perfect tile for pattern
Add fan elements to composition
Complete this fish drawing
Guided fan drawing exercise

Chapter 5: Putting it all together
Introduction to putting it all together
Coloring page
Guided drawings
Finish this composition
Background for sketching

About the author
Resources
Acknowledgments