Art of Illustration

Ages: 18+
Term: Autumn, spring
Length: 10 weeks

Overview

On this 10-week course, you'll explore the world of illustration, from brief to concept to final artwork, with the aim of developing your personal style of image making.

To book your place today, simply click the 'Book Now' button to be taken to AUB's secure online store, where you can complete your booking. You can also sign up to our newsletter for short course updates.

What you need to know

Autumn term 2024

Thursday 10 October – 12 December 2024 (10 Thursdays, 18.00-21.00)

Spring term 2025

Thursday 6 February – 10 April 2025 (10 Thursdays, 18.00-21.00)

Age

Suitable for adults aged 18+.

Level

Beginners or anyone with some experience who want to refresh or develop their skills further.

Experience or qualifications required

None – this is an introductory course. We have no formal academic entry requirements for our short courses.

If you'd like to discuss if this course is suitable for you, get in touch with us: shortcourses@aub.ac.uk or 01202 363222.

£339

Any additional costs

You'll need to provide some of your own art materials and equipment. This'll incur an additional cost if you need to purchase it for the course. See the 'What to bring to class' section below for full details.

Additional materials and resources will be provided by AUB and is included in your course fee.

A4 or A3 sketchbook
Drawing pencils
Drawing pens
Coloured pencils or pens
Watercolours or inks
Watercolour brushes
Rubber
Sharpener
Scissors or a craft knife
A3 portfolio case
USB flash drive

A student stands painting two cherries in a sketch book.

Suggested Suppliers

Information about resourcing specialist materials/consumables that you may need to bring these with you

A flower and a pair of sunglasses rest on a pair of boxes. A stiletto heel shoe and a handbag are sitting in front of another box. The other stiletto heel shoe is on top of one of the boxes.

Short Courses FAQs – Evening and Weekend and Saturday Art School

If you have any questions about our Evening and Saturday Short Courses, you may find the answers in here.

A person leans in and looks closely at a big display board with assorted pieces of graphic design work.

Short Courses booking T&Cs

Please read our Terms and Conditions carefully before booking onto our Evening and Weekend courses.

About this course

On this highly practical course you’ll look at different approaches to art, design and illustration to help inform the development of your artwork and to understand illustration in the context of visual culture today.

You’ll use time-honoured tools, cutting-edge contemporary software, and develop a variety of techniques to allow you to explore new ways of image making and develop your personal style.

You’ll be encouraged to visit and record exhibitions and collect images and materials to inspire your practice. Sketchbooks will be used to help build your confidence in the process of visual problem-solving, drawing, gathering research and thinking through ideas. By the end of the course, you’ll have a bank of visual knowledge, curated to your own interests and style, that will lead to new ideas and exciting outcomes.

In your sessions you’ll have the opportunity to develop your illustration practice using the creative process, including mind-mapping, research, and development, in order to create illustrations with confidence while responding to a variety of briefs. 

Narrative illustration
Drawing with state-of-the-art Wacom Tablets
Illustration for picture books and publishing
Decorative illustration (products and packaging)
Visual sequencing
Editorial illustration
Using drawing, digital, and analogue painting, collage, linocut and more
Working to a brief
Using Adobe Photoshop and/or Procreate

At the end of the course you'll:

Possess improved artistic and illustration skills
Be able to create illustrations to a professional standard
Have developed your own style and creative voice
Have increased confidence in your own skills and feel inspired
Feel confident approaching illustration in a range of mediums and techniques
Have boosted creativity and imagination
Feel encouraged to learn new ways of working with industry standard software
Be able to tackle a brief and create interesting solutions 
Possess the foundations to continue creating beyond this course
Leave with a sketchbook of experimental and finished works in a variety of mediums
You can request a certificate to confirm your achievements, providing you've a 100% attendance record. To request a certificate please get in touch with us at shortcourses@aub.ac.uk and confirm your name and the title of course you've completed

Will I be assessed?

No, there is no formal assessment. You’ll group share your work at the end of each session with the intention to support, inspire and encourage each other’s learning. 

As the course progresses your tutor will measure your overall performance and offer essential guidance and feedback so you know how you're getting on.

Book your place today

Book now

Meet your tutor

Toby Fox Drew

Toby Fox Drew is an illustrator and educator living and working on the south coast of the UK. Toby’s work is largely character-driven...

Illustration gallery

Illustrated line-up of anthropomorphic animals, including weasels, a rat, a rabbit, a mole, a swan with a chick, a badger and a snail.

An illustration of an elf holding a staff with leaves swirling around them standing in a forest.

An illustration of a bear walking up the steps of a tower with an arch-shaped window on the right. Text appearing on the left reads, "Freddie was hoping he would be able to see home from the top of the tower."

An illustration of crocodiles sailing on the wind

An illustration of a bear walking in the woods holding a map. Text appearing above reads, "What good is a map without a torch," thought Freddie. "And all these lines and squiggles don't look anything like a forest!"

A student is digitally illustrating the bride of Frankenstein

Character sitting on a planet reading whilst another character paints on a canvas standing on another planet

Four head and shoulders illustrations of different characters.

Man holding a stylus while using a drawing tablet.

Beyond the course

This could just be the start of your creative journey! After this course, you could further your digital design skills with another short course or look to the future and explore our creative qualifications that can prepare you to further your current career, enable you to retrain to an alternative career path or prepare you for future creative arts studies.