Courses & Workshops

Children's Book Illustration I - Outline

This first course is aimed at those who enjoy children's books, like to draw, and perhaps even have a story idea, but don't know where to start. The course is equally aimed at those of you who are confident 'drawers' but don't know how to apply your skills to the task of creating a children's book. What I will do is challenge you to 'think' as you tackle the exercises designed to increase your skills, as well as your confidence. You will be guided through the process of sculpting a 3D character, which you will animate and draw in any position required to complete a short narrative sequence. Together we will discover the important role that the storyboard plays in communication, whilst at the same time creating a visual overview of any story. As you develop the storyboard, you will be controlling the pace, flow, climax and length of your narrative ideas in preparation to placing the text with the images. I will introduce you to a variety of medias favoured by illustrators, and demonstrate some unusual processes that you may not have encountered before. By the end of this course, I would expect you to have the confidence to continue to develop your skills independently, moving towards the next level.

See course dates.

  

 

Children's Book Illustration I - Materials List

You will need these materials for most sessions:

  • A4 sketching paper or computer printer paper
  • A3 cartridge pad
  • Pencils
  • Black pen
  • Craft knife
  • Scissors
  • 30 cm ruler
  • Note book

Additionally, the following materials will be required for specific sessions:

  • Pencil Drawing & Rubbings: pencils, HB, (2B, 4B, 6B, 8B optional) and rubbers

  • Pen & Ink Drawing, Story Boards: drawing dip pens (not mapping pens or calligraphy pens), Quink black ink

  • Plasticine Characters: plasticine clay, pencils or pens and paper

  • Mirror Drawing - Facial Expressions: small hand mirror, paper and any drawing media (pencil or pen)

  • Work with Colour Media Creating Colour Book: coloured pencils, pastel pencils, wax crayons, craft knife

  • Layouts, Text & Images, Using Nursery Rhymes: A3 pad, pencils, 30 cm ruler, set square and rubber

  • Paper Engineering - Pop-Ups: A4 coloured paper, scissors, glue stick, pens or pencils

  • Triangular Book Using Mixed Media Collage on Own Theme: coloured pencils, craft knife, scissors, glue-stick, images from magazines, wrapping paper, coloured papers, photocopied images and coloured felt tip pens

  • Scrapper Board & Bleach Painting: scalpel or craft knife, India ink, small brush, water pot, coloured felt pens

  • Story Boarding with Given Character in Pairs: pencils or pens and paper.

Art materials are available at Central St Martins and other London art shops.