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Graphic Design, Illustration and Visual Communication
The Art of Illustration

The Art of Illustration

Ages: 18+
Term: Autumn
Length: 10 weeks

Overview

Immerse yourself in the dynamic world of art, design, and illustration in this creative journey tailored to inspire and elevate your artistic practice.

To book your place today, simply click Book Now 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.

Course information

Throughout the course, you'll explore diverse approaches to image-making from traditional techniques to the latest digital tools, helping you develop a distinctive personal style while gaining a deeper understanding of illustration’s role in today’s visual culture.

Discover how to blend time-honoured methods with cutting-edge Adobe software to create exciting new possibilities in your work. Along the way, you'll curate your own collection of inspiring images, and use sketchbooks as a playground for ideas, research, and visual problem-solving. This process encourages confidence, experimentation, and discovery as you turn ideas and observations into compelling illustrations.

Whether you’re crafting narrative scenes, designing for publishing or packaging, or responding to creative briefs, you’ll learn to respond with innovation and flair. By the end of the programme, you’ll build a vibrant portfolio of original work – curated to reflect your interests and style that opens the door to new creative horizons and exciting opportunities.

Engage with the creative process through sketching, digital painting, collage, and more, all guided by industry-standard techniques and tools. This course is your chance to unlock your potential, refine your voice, and bring fresh ideas to life with confidence and originality.

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:

Feel confident approaching illustration in a range of mediums and techniques
Group share your work at the end of each session with the intention to support, inspire and encourage each other’s learning
Develop a sketchbook of experimental and finished works in a variety of mediums. This could be a bridge to further courses

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 academy@aub.ac.uk and confirm your name and the title of course you've completed.

Will I be assessed?

No, there's 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.

What you need to know

Autumn term 2026

Thursday 8 October – 10 December 2026 (10 Thursday evenings, 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: academy@aub.ac.uk or 01202 363222.

£375

Any additional costs

You’ll need to provide your own USB flash drive and materials. This will incur an additional cost if you need to purchase them for the course. Please refer to 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
Eraser
Sharpener
Pair of 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

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AUB Academy 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.

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AUB Academy booking T&Cs

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

Book your place today

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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.