Book cover design: weekend workshop
Time: 10:30 - 16:30
Location: Keeley Street
If you’re an author/illustrator submitting picturebooks to agents and publishers – a compelling cover design is essential. And the same goes if you’re self-publishing, of course.
Learn from a seasoned designer/illustrator all the ingredients of brilliant cover design, and, most importantly, how to create one for your book – be that something you’ve created yourself, or a favourite tome you want to pay homage to.
You’ll journey from traditional media to Photoshop, applying the keystone principles of layout design as you go. You’ll also learn about effective typography, and how to apply type to your designs.
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Take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool, with our Visual Communication Workshops.
Workshops 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 conceptual or contextual elements, although this varies by course.
- Course Code: VZ406
- Dates: 05/04/25 - 06/04/25
- Time: 10:30 - 16:30
- Taught: Sat-Sun, Daytime
- Duration: 2 sessions
- Location: Keeley Street
- Tutor: Alison Barratt
Course Code: VZ406
Duration: 2 sessions
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
This course provides a ‘101’ in book cover design; from practical beginnings creating images with traditional media, you’ll segue into manipulating these in Adobe Photoshop software (once scanned-in, of course). All the while, you’ll apply the principles of layout design (having learned about them first, of course), including proximity, hierarchy, contrast and repetition. You’ll explore typography and learn how to select and manipulate type for your cover, exercising your understanding of layout design as you go.
What will we cover?
Practical skills
• Visual idea generation
• ‘Working-up’ ideas from thumbnails into more ‘finished’ illustrations
• Colour palettes
• Basic Photoshop image manipulation
• Working with type in Photoshop
• Layout design principles
• Overview of the book market
• Key ingredients of effective book covers
Conceptual Skills
• Critical evaluation of your own and others’ work will be facilitated throughout the course.
Context
• Examples of relevant works by historical and/or contemporary creatives will be drawn upon at strategic points throughout the course.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
Use the specific process, media or tool you have been studying – at least to a competent skill-level.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for intermediate learners; you do not need to have prior experience of graphic design specifically, just of visual communication in general.
English-language competency is required: you should be able to follow verbal and written instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information. You may need to take short written notes for your own use and take part in group discussions.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
- Presentations
- Demonstrations
- Practical work
- Individual and group tutoring
- Group discussion
Additional/extension activities may be set for you to complete at home or outside of the course hours. Completion of additional tasks is encouraged to help you get the most out of the course. Where required your tutor will discuss these with you.
This course is supported by Google Classroom as a Virtual Learning Environment. When you log on you will be able to access course material, presentations, and handouts etc. and may be asked to complete learner progress records. You can find help via the student help centre on the City Lit website.
Please note it is important that you sign up and log in to your course Google classroom prior to the first session. Joining detail will be sent to you via email (check your junk/spam folder).
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
At City Lit, access to basic materials and resources are available as part of this course. We advise you to bring a A5/A4 sketchbook for the recording of ideas and an A3 folder and/or a USB drive to transport work to and from City Lit. Additional materials required as part of the course will be discussed by your tutor if required.
Need art supplies? Our partner London Graphic Centre has everything you need from pencils to printing services, at 15% off.
To get 15% LGC discount, you will need to show proof/ confirmation of enrolment and being a student at City Lit. You can apply in-store or by simply emailing info@londongraphics.co.uk with a scan or photo of relevant confirmation. Student discount does not apply to products that are already discounted or on offer. More information can be found here- https://www.londongraphics.co.uk/student-discounts/.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
We recommend looking at our range of workshops in graphic design, illustration, children’s book illustration and graphic novels to see what’s on offer.
For more information about any of the courses on offer, please visit our website.
Alison Barratt is an illustrator, graphic designer, artist, academic. She gained a BA at Chelsea School of Art and trained for an MA at the Royal College of Art. Since then she has worked in London as an illustrator/designer. In addition she became Programme Leader for Illustration at the University of Sunderland in 2006, travelling between London and Sunderland. In 2017 she based herself wholly in London. Alison works as an illustrator for clients from publishing, corporate, advertising, supermarkets to editorial. These include Quadrille, Conran Octopus, City of London, NHS, English Heritage, Waitrose, M&S and the Sunday Telegraph. As a designer she has worked for design studios, newspapers and magazines including Condé Nast, Sunday Times, Observer, Sunday Telegraph. She has designed corporate identities, logos and books for Northern Arts and various art galleries. Whilst at the University of Sunderland she set up a research relationship between The National Centre for Children’s Books in Newcastle and her students. In 2014 she was a speaker at the 2014 ICON conference in Portland, Oregon. Alison has been a visiting lecturer at City University and the University of Stirling.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
