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Short course

Illustrating for Books Online Short Course

Illustrating for Books Online Short Course | Online
Create visuals for non-fiction, children's, and travel books. Practice character design, storyboarding, and illustration techniques.

Next start months
September 2025
October 2025
January 2026
Tutor(s)
Phillip A Goss
Price
From £420.00

Course description

Course overview

This course will help you develop your drawing skills for illustrating a range of different types of books, from non-fiction books, to travel and children's books. For non-fiction books and travel books, you will improve your reportage illustration, drawing from observation, and learning how to develop sketches into interesting illustrations. For children's books, you will learn character design, storyboarding, and how to build up a scene and add depth to an illustration. Each class will involve a drawing exercise to explore some of the ideas in the lesson.

Who this course is for

This course is for anyone interested in illustrating for books, or who has an interest in narrative illustration, or children's books. All levels are welcome, but being comfortable with drawing is important, as drawing will be featured heavily in the projects.

Key information

Topics covered

  • Character design
  • Facial expression & Emotion
  • Building a scene
  • Drawing from observation
  • Reportage illustration
  • Drawing maps
  • Narrative illustrations
  • Storyboarding

Learning outcomes

  • By the end of the course, you will have a better understanding of:
  • Applying your drawing skills and creativity to narrative illustration and telling a story through your images
  • How to create varied and interesting character designs
  • How to apply observational sketching to more finished reportage drawings
  • How to build up a complex scene for a picture book
  • Drawing from suggested prompts
  • Storyboarding and planning out a picture book
  • Receive a digital badge and certificate of attendance

Materials

Course Specific Materials:

  • Paper and pen to take notes during live sessions
  • Graphite pencils 2B, 3B, or 4B
  • Coloured pencils
  • Pastel pencils
  • Pastels
  • Crayons
  • Eraser
  • Black pen
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick

Please see our Guide to taking online short courses.

Tutor

Phillip A Goss

Phil Goss is a multidisciplinary artist and educator. His work is informed by a passion for literature, storytelling and drawing. He has exhibited in London and internationally; and collaborated with companies such as: Folk, Alex Eagle, Paul Smith and Hazel Press Publishing. Collaboration and teaching are essential elements to his practice, continuing dialogues into how illustration and drawing opens a platform for discussing nuanced ideas.
Since 2016 he has been Director of the Centre for Recent Drawing. Here Goss continues his wider dedication to expanded illustration practices and teaching through exhibitions, residencies and artists' studios.

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