Courses in London & Online

Developing 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.

Our 'Introduction' courses provide a perfect way-in to a creative field.







Illustration is a form of visual communication which often exists alongside text. Illustrations can help to explain or clarify (or sometimes contradict) the words on a page. Most of all, you could say, they bring the message 'alive', by making it more immediate and exciting. For this reason, illustrations are found across books, magazines, newspapers, websites and social media channels.







Learn how to create powerful illustrations on our exciting range of Illustration courses.

Be inspired by the people of London and the architecture and environments they inhabit. This course all about drawing people and places, providing you with ample opportunity observe London life, situations and scenarios that will inspire your work.







Learn how to document and sketch from life in different locations and then develop artwork into compelling illustrations that are full of life.

The art of telling a story through a sequence of images is thousands of years old. In modern times we call it storyboarding. Being able to take a narrative and translate it into imagery is essential for children’s book illustrators, graphic novelists, animators and film makers. Learning this skill will allow you to successfully convey your ideas to art directors and editors at the early stages of any creative project.

Our 'Developing' courses help you take your next step in your chosen creative field.







Comics – once considered lowbrow, or seen as exclusively for children, now occupy a higher cultural domain. Partly thanks to a re-brand, (as ‘Graphic Novels’), no weighty subject is off-limits. A graphic novel has even been nominated for The Booker Prize!







Alongside official publishing channels, exists a lively ‘zine’ culture, where comic and graphic-novel artists can legitimately self-publish and sell their work through a network of independent shops and fairs.







Learn how to create Comics and Graphic-novels with City Lit, and – once you have developed your practice – how to navigate this thriving sector.

Take a deep dive into a specific process, media or tool, with our Visual Communication Workshops.



In this workshop, learn how to create compelling characters for illustration projects, and beyond.







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.

Learn 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 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.

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.

Learn 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.

Animals are all around us – even in London! From Trafalgar Square’s flocks of pigeons, to rodents on the Underground, to the dog-filled squares and parks. Despite their ubiquity, animals are notoriously hard to draw – as, anatomically speaking, they’re so different to humans – as well as to each other! And, they don’t like to pose!







Learn how to overcome these challenges in our ‘Illustrating Animals’ workshop.







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.

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.

Be inspired by the people of London and the architecture and environments they inhabit. This course all about drawing people and places, providing you with ample opportunity observe London life, situations and scenarios that will inspire your work.







Learn how to document and sketch from life in different locations and then develop artwork into compelling illustrations that are full of life.

Our ‘Developing' courses help you take your next step in a chosen creative field.







This course will help progress your illustration practice by further exploring the practical skills (using a variety of analogue and digital media) and conceptual skills (researching and developing your ideas) integral to the discipline. You will also begin to consider which of the many ‘applications’ of illustration your developing personal style might lend itself to; for example, editorial, fashion, book, or product illustration, to name a few.