Children's Book Illustration Short Course
Course description
Course overview
In this course, you will explore a variety of techniques used to create images for picture books. You will be introduced to methods of communicating narratives through image making. By working through a series of exercises you will be acquainted with the roles that storyboarding, roughs, character design, composition, layouts, and final artwork play in the creation of children's picture books while developing your own visual language. Throughout the course you will enjoy valuable one-on-one tuition as well as group feedback. This course will include a short visit to a local site for a drawing activity.
Who this course is for
This course will appeal to people who enjoy picture making and have an interest in storytelling through drawing.
Key information
Topics covered
- You will create a character in clay that can be manipulated into any position and viewed from any angle
- Facial expressions reflecting emotions are discussed and drawn using these models. This is aimed to help you to achieve better character continuity in your drawings
- Pop-up books are explored through the making of simple mechanisms, and the role of the illustrator in tackling these special books will be explained
- Colour media is investigated through creating a book of colour for young readers, and black and white media is tried out using ink and bleach painting as well as scraper boards
- In each session there will be a variety of picture books for you to examine and ample opportunity for you to ask questions. We end the course with a story-generating exercise working in pairs
- Through student-led work, paired projects and class workshops, the aim will be to increase both experimentation and professionalism, encouraging you to develop your own individuality and imagination
Learning outcomes
- Explore different materials used in children's picture books
- Aim to complete a series of illustrations or have developed ideas and some sample artwork
- Have a more in-depth understanding of illustrating children's books
- Gain confidence in your own drawing technique
- Digital badge and certificate of attendance.
Materials
Please bring with you to the first session:
- Cartridge paper pad (optional)
- Graphite pencils 2B, 3B, or 4B (if possible)
- Rubber
- Black pen scissors
- Glue stick
Most of the materials below will be provided by the college, but if you have any of your own you may wish to bring them in:
- Small hand mirror
- Dip pen and inks
- Plasticine clay
- Rulers
- Coloured pencils
- Felt tips
- Pastel pencils
- Pastels
- Crayons
- Coloured and printed papers for collage
- Ink, bleach and brushes
Tutor
Zehra Hicks
Before embarking on a career in illustration, Zehra Hicks graduated from University of Northumbria with a First Class BA Hons degree in Fine Art. Later she worked as a graphic designer in London for 8 years. After she had her first child she completed a Short Course in Book Illustration at Chelsea College of Arts in 2009 which gave her the confidence to change career. The book she worked on while on the course got highly commended for the Macmillan Prize that year and she was offered a contract with Macmillan. Her first book, ''The Boy Who Hated Toothbrushes'', was winner of the Heart of Hawick Award in 2012, the Read It Again! Cambridgeshire Children''s Picture Book Award and named Lovereading4Kids Debut of the Year 2011
Zehra''s books she has written and/or illustrated have been published in over 20 countries. Clients include: Andersen Press, Hodder, Two Hoots and Macmillan. She''s currently working on her 15th picture book and she''s excited about some new projects in the pipeline.
Her first illustrated only book (The Problem With Problems) was read by Tom Hardy on CBeebies. Most recently, her book, ''When Dinosaurs Walked The Earth’, written by Sean Taylor and illustrated by Zehra, has won Oscar''s Book Prize 2024.
View Zehra''s website
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