Storyboards and narrative illustration
Time: 18:00 - 21:00
Location: Keeley Street
Storyboarding (telling a story through a sequence of images) is an essential skill for children’s book creators, illustrators, and moving-image practitioners. Not only do drawings need to communicate character, setting and action, but these must be consistent across the whole sequence. Quite a tricky skill to master, but one that will enable creators to get ‘buy in’ from editors and art directors at the early stages of a project.
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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.
Choose a start date
- Course Code: VZ440
- Dates: 13/06/25 - 11/07/25
- Time: 18:00 - 21:00
- Taught: Fri, Evening
- Duration: 5 sessions (over 5 weeks)
- Location: Keeley Street
Course Code: VZ440
Choose a start date
Duration: 5 sessions (over 5 weeks)
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 will teach you the fundamentals of storyboarding; how to take a narrative and translate it into imagery, with consideration for composition and framing. Whilst at the same time, dividing it into a sequence, with consideration of flow and pace.
What will we cover?
Practical skills
•Image composition conventions such as, the ‘rule of thirds’ and the ‘axis line’.
• Creating ‘thumbnails’.
• Perspective drawing, to create depth.
• Using Adobe software (Photoshop and InDesign) for image creation and manipulation, editing your sequence, and adding text.
• Reviewing and revising images, based on feedback, to improve clarity and communication.
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 storyboarding specifically, just of visual communications 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.
