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
- Affinity photo: introductionCourse start date: Wed 2 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Michael HardingAffinity Photo is a British engineered and fully featured cross-platform editing alternative to Adobe Photoshop. For photographers at all levels. We’ll show you how to use it effectively to process and edit your images to the highest standard.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Botanical illustration workshopCourse start date: Fri 4 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ciara FloodLearn how Botanical Illustrators accurately depict flowers, leaves, stems and seeds - for the purpose of genus and species identification by Botanists and Biologists.
Work from both primary and secondary source material to create an array of illustrative work, including anatomical and/or decorative. - Procreate for illustrationCourse start date: Fri 4 Jul 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lucia VintiProcreate is an innovative digital drawing software taking the illustration world by storm! In this workshop you will explore a number of different techniques to create striking illustrations on Procreate.
Please note* you will need your own iPad with Procreate installed, and a stylus such as an Apple Pencil.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Creative collage: weekend workshopCourse start date: Sat 5 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pam WilliamsFrom the early 20th century onwards, the advent of ‘mass’ media – newspapers, magazines, leaflets, packaging - led to some of the most innovative artistic movements in Western culture: Dada, Surrealism, Bauhaus, Punk.
Arguably, these movements (all of which centralised ‘collage’), have had more of a bearing on contemporary graphic design than anything else. Think of the countless adverts, websites, and social media posts which owe a debt to Jamie Reid’s ‘Sex Pistols’ album designs (which, in turn, owe their existence to the Dadaists).
The methodology of collage should therefore play a role in any good design practice.
Our Workshops enable you to take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool.
They throw the spotlight onto niche areas of the visual communication field, enabling you to hone higher-level skills and gain deeper insights.
Workshops tend to have a practical focus, with little or no theory or context, although this varies by course.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £169.00 - Colour communicationCourse start date: Thu 10 Jul 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Maya WildColour influences mood, meaning, even decision-making! In short, colour communicates. Learn how to use colour in your creative work, to make it as communicative and influential as possible.
Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Pet Illustration: weekend workshopCourse start date: Sat 12 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Explore techniques to create an impressive illustration of your pet.
Over two days you will explore a range of image-making techniques from drawing and painting to digital image manipulation, collage and table-top printmaking. At the end of the weekend you will take home a finished and unique illustration of your favourite pet.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £169.00
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