Illustrating a Children’s Picture Book

If you enjoy sketching for the young children in your life – or if you like coming up with stories visually rather than verbally – or if you’re an artist with an interest in children’s fiction who’s looking to shift your focus – then you may just have the makings of a children’s illustrator. Kids get excited by the Gruffalo, Charlie & Lola, the Very Hungry Caterpillar and the Wild Things long before they can read the words – it’s the artwork which first grabs their attention and pulls them in. This course demystifies that lovely mixture of childlike simplicity, technical sophistication and sheer imaginative zing that goes into the best picture book illustrations – and helps you to acquire the skills, confidence and insider information to achieve a professional standard in your own artwork for the under-6s.

In our online course, the bestselling and prolific children’s book illustrator and author Sarah McIntyre guides you through the unwritten rules of children’s picture book illustration – advising on the current market and what publishers are looking for; teaching you to recognise and build on your strengths and refine your technique; encouraging you to experiment in different media; showing you how to develop ideas and create memorable characters, and revealing some great tricks of the trade.

WHAT DOES THIS COURSE GIVE YOU?

This course is ideal for illustrators who want to learn the fundamentals behind creating a picture book.

This great learning package features teaching videos and substantial notes organised into six weekly modules designed for flexible study, so you can take part at times to suit you and from wherever in the world you are.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Open to all-comers, the Illustrating a Children’s Picture Book course is the right choice if you are looking for expert advice on creating the illustrations for picture books for the under-6’s. If your focus is on writing, take a look at our Writing a Children’s Picture Book course with David O’Connell. If you would like to develop as a writer and illustrator, you can either start off with one of these courses, and then take the other course at a later date – or you can enrol now for the combined course – Writing and Illustrating a Children’s Picture Book, which brings together the teaching materials from both courses at a discounted price.

The course is suitable for complete beginners, but also for people who feel they need some extra know-how to succeed in finding a publisher for their work. It’s also suitable for artists and illustrators who have been working in other areas and media but now want to move into children’s book illustration – and for people who have already taken courses in illustration or in children’s fiction, whether at universities or through non-academic course providers. You do need to be at least 18 years old to join the course.

Students who would like to gain further written feedback from a CBC editor on their final illustrations may do so by sending them to the CBC team within 3 months of the end of the course, and on payment of a further £100 fee (full information about this extra feedback service will be given to students during the course)