Short courses
There are four two-day short courses in year one. Short courses will expose mentees to expertise and specialisms in four different forms, explore different ways to tell stories through illustration in each form, and provide opportunities to experiment. Each short course is co-designed by two illustrators, each bringing their own styles and approaches so that mentees gain from diverse perspectives. Illustrators are joined by editors and art directors they’ve worked with professionally, and by tutors with specialisms in those forms. In year two, mentees will specialise in one form through a five-day short course which will build on the two-day version – five-day course options will be available to choose from by February 2021.
Illustrated Non-Fiction
From atlases to encyclopaedias, world histories to the natural world, the range of subjects offered through non-fiction is vast. Illustrating non-fiction for children is about making information accessible, compelling and evocative. Mentees will learn from two outstanding illustrators about their approaches to telling factual stories in the fields of biography, nature and the environment.
Where
Online
When
Friday 14 - Saturday 15 August 2020
With
William Grill (Illustrator); Owen Davey (Illustrator); Sam Arthur (Nobrow); Emily Ball (Nobrow)
Illustrated Fiction
Illustrating writing, whether for early readers, middle grade or classic fiction, requires a relationship with and interpretation of the text that’s quite different from the interplay of words and pictures in picture books. Mentees will explore different approaches to visual interpretation with two very different illustrators, both experienced at illustrating writing by other writers as well as their own.
Where
Online
When
Saturday 22 - Sunday 23 August 2020
With
Hannah Shaw (Illustrator); Becky Walker (Usborne); Jonny Hannah (Solent University)
Picture books
Picture books offer routes to a lifelong love of reading for many children, and while designed to be as accessible as possible for the earliest of readers, they can be some of the most sophisticated narratives in literature, enthralling infants and adults alike. Mentees will delve into the complex, colourful world of picture book illustration with two of the most successful illustrators in the field.
Where
Online
When
Saturday 10 - Sunday 11 October 2020
With
Chris Haughton (Illustrator); Emily Hughes (Illustrator); Ben Norland (Walker)
Comics & Graphic Novels
This form of illustration is possibly the most under-served by children’s publishing, despite the appeal of comics to young readers of all abilities, especially those most reluctant to read. Mentees will explore different types of comics styles, and learn from two very different artists how to work within the framing structure to create simultaneously simple, complex and compelling stories.
Where
Online
When
Thursday 5th - Friday 6th November 2020
With
Mark Bradley (Illustrator)
Rachael Ball (Illustrator); Alison Padley (Hachette); Sam Perett (Hachette)
Online Photoshop course
Draw Color Click: A seven week online course in Photoshop for illustrators, through which you will learn illustration skills, digital ‘how-to’s and tricks of the trade. The course combines handmade methods and digital techniques in several forms of illustration including editorial and reportage, with a final sequential illustration brief.
Where
Online
When
Spring/Summer 2020
With
Bill Wright
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