Graphic Design & Illustration Courses
At City Lit, our exciting range of graphic design and ilustration courses will give you a creative insight into working with images and text in an emerging and innovative area. Explore a range of concepts and creative processes, within the areas of graphic design, illustration, children’s book illustration and animation, learning how to produce work visually in a diverse and exciting way.
Working with industry professionals and experienced tutors in our fully equipped design studios, students will have access to everything they need to complete their next creative challenge. Our studios offer space for creativity with all the equipment your need, including Apple Mac computers, Adobe CC software, Wacom tablets, a range of printers and scanners including access to our 3D printing and laser cutting digital suite.
We encourage playful experimentation, working with both analogue and digital tools. Our courses range from drafting story boards and cartoon design to film poster graphics, from typography and magazine layout to printed creative packaging and digital illustrations.
We host exhibitions throughout the year at City Lit Gallery where our students showcase their amazing work.
To arrange a conversation with our Visual communication coordinator about your interests, options and courses available, please contact our Visual Arts team at visualarts@citylit.ac.uk
- Illustrating people and places
Course start date: Mon 16 Mar 2026 (and 3 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lucia VintiBe inspired by the people of London and the architecture and environments they inhabit. This course explores drawing people and places, providing you with ample opportunity to observe London life, situations and scenarios that will inspire your work.
Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Explore: book cover illustrationCourse start date: Sun 29 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alison BarrattOn this course, learn all the ingredients of brilliant book cover design, and, most importantly, how to create one for your book – perhaps something you’ve created yourself, or a favourite book you want to pay homage to.
Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Developing children's book illustration Course start date: Thu 16 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tim Ellis, Ciara FloodThis course is an intermediate and developing course, for learners to develop their practical and conceptual skills integral to the discipline of Children’s Book Illustration.
Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Logo and branding designCourse start date: Mon 20 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John SmythOn this course you will explore a variety of media and techniques, both analogue and digital to create your own logo/brand and then explore how it can be applied to both printed and digital medias.
Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Developing graphic novels Course start date: Mon 20 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Michael-Aubtin Madadi, Stephen MarchantThis course is an intermediate course, for more experienced learners to develop their practical and conceptual skills integral to the discipline of Comics and Graphic Novels.
Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Introduction to graphic design Course start date: Wed 22 Apr 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Andrew McCarten, Pam WilliamsGraphic Design is everywhere; in our books, magazines, and newspapers. Emblazoning packaging at the corner shop to the mall. On our screens- phones, TVs, computers and tablets.
In this introductory course, learn how to use image and type to communicate your messages and ideas through a variety of different ways.
Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Developing graphic design Course start date: Wed 22 Apr 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Andrew McCarten, Pam WilliamsOur Developing courses help you take your next step in your chosen creative field.
Graphic Design is everywhere; in our books, magazines, and newspapers. Emblazoning packaging at the corner shop to the mall. On our screens- phones, TVs, computers and tablets. To say it’s important would be an understatement.
Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Layout and grid designCourse start date: Thu 23 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John SmythLearn the skills required to create your own publication in this layout and grid design course. This course will teach you the design principles for layout design, exploring magazine layout and other publication design and empowering you to innovate and create your own publication.
Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Drawing cartoons Course start date: Fri 24 Apr 2026 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Stephen MarchantLearn the basics of cartoon drawing in this fun introductory course. Explore the fundamentals of drawing facial expressions, exaggerated features and body movements that will shape your characters.
Practice comic book creation, looking at frames, pacing and panelling that all add to the design of your very own comic strip or comic book.
Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Developing illustration Course start date: Wed 29 Apr 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lucia Vinti, Maya WildThis course in developing illustration will help progress your illustration practice further by exploring the practical and conceptual skills integral to the discipline.
Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Developing Illustration techniquesCourse start date: Thu 30 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Rod JudkinsDeveloping illustration techniques builds on from the introduction to illustration course and enables you to expand your illustration skills. You will experiment with a variety of different projects and work towards finding your own unique voice and style within illustration. There will be an exploration into a wide range of different media, materials, processes and techniques.Full fee £449.00 Senior fee £359.00 Concession £292.00 - Explore: Zine making Course start date: Sat 2 May 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pam WilliamsIn this Zine Making course, you will create your own zine from start to finish, from curating the content and designing the publication, exploring typography and experimental approaches to paper folding and zine creation.
Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Procreate for illustration Course start date: Mon 11 May 2026 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lucia VintiIn this Procreate for Illustration course you will explore a number of different techniques to create striking illustrations on Procreate.
You will need your own iPad with Procreate installed, and a stylus such as an Apple Pencil.
Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Explore: GIF making for illustration Course start date: Sat 16 May 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sophie WolfsonThis one-day course is an introduction to creating animated gifs using hand-drawn illustrated images.
Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £89.00 - Introduction to children's book illustration Course start date: Thu 4 Jun 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tim Ellis, Dee ShulmanThis course is an introduction to the practical, as well as conceptual skills integral to the discipline of Children’s Book Illustration.
Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00
Can't see a course you want?
Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.
Add me to waiting list