Courses - Online & in London

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.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

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.

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.

City Lit Studios provide time each week for you to commit to working on a personal project or portfolio, alongside your peers. A tutor will be on-hand to provide insights and guidance, as and when you need it.







Illustration can be an isolating journey, so having a space to engage with like-minded people will naturally provide a supportive and inspiring environment for your practice to flourish.







Our ‘Studio’ courses provide you with a space to share your learning journey with your peers, and to tap into tutor expertise, on a specific project or practice, through one-to-one tutorials and group crits. Learners will benefit from the professional experience of tutors who will be able to provide inside knowledge of a variety of aspects of the creative industry.







Come with a project that you would like to develop, or should you need a starting point, our tutors will be able to provide you with industry-relevant briefs based on your interests, sensibilities, and visual language.







STUDIOS are for experienced learners with a burgeoning creative practice they wish to hone, in a supportive environment. For example, those who have completed a Beginners and Developing course in a relevant subject, or have equivalent industry experience.

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 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.

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