Children's Book Illustration

Level(s) of Study: Short course
Course Fee:
£495
Start Date(s): 17 August 2026, 6 October 2026, 12 January 2027
Duration: Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week or Tuesdays 6 - 8.30 pm, ten weeks
Study Mode(s): Part-time
Campus: City Campus
Entry Requirements: More information

Introduction:

Course dates:

17 - 21 August 2026, Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week

6 October - 8 December 2026, Tuesdays 6 - 8.30 pm, ten weeks

12 January - 16 March 2027, Tuesdays 6 - 8.30 pm, ten weeks

This course will introduce you to the world of illustrated children’s books, focusing on the picture book (for younger children).

This is a very practical course involving drawing, writing and design.

It’s suitable for everyone from beginners to the more experienced who wish to build their portfolio, and writers who want to learn how to illustrate.

It's also ideal for anyone wanting to explore the writing and illustration process so that they can create unique work for family and friends.

You’ll be part of a design community in our creative studio culture; one that promotes discussion and collaboration, and encourages experimentation and the constant swapping of ideas.
With a limited class size you'll have the one-to-one attention you need to ensure you leave with the skills to continue developing your designs at home or work.
Benefit from learning with an experienced tutor who has established links to the profession and significant experience working in varied practices.
On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance.

"I had an idea for a children's book, but needed dedicated time to work on it, and practical advice on how to shape my idea into a suitable structure. I feel confident in what steps I have to take to finish my project, and I am inspired, with new ideas for future projects having completed the course. I enjoyed the presentations which exposed me to new artists and ideas, and the session on materials and drawing exercises. The balance of different activities felt good. The tutor really encouraged us to be playful in the class, and in our approach to our work which created an atmosphere where I felt comfortable, confident and happy to share my work with the group."

"I wanted to give myself a nudge to start a creative practice and had an idea I wanted to explore on the course. I got so many ideas, techniques and encouragement during the course and the confidence to try something new. I enjoyed experimenting, building up step-by-step with guidance and support from the tutor and the class. I could have done more of all of it! Really enjoyed it. The tutor is superb! Really lovely style and so encouraging - I've really enjoyed and benefitted from doing this course."

"What a great tutor - I would have loved the course to have been longer! I wanted to do the course to get back into doing some art and learn new skills. I've gained confidence in illustration and photoshop too. The tutor was so passionate and it was great to share and develop ideas with others."

"I have an interest in graphic novels and I wanted to do something creative, so this course sounded perfect for me. I have taken away a lot of confidence when it comes to creating a narrative and choosing images to tell the story. I have increased motivation and really enjoyed sharing my progress as well as hearing about my classmates' projects. We got lots of suggestions and input with examples of other people’s work, and with a small class size it was possible to share ideas in detail and get personalised feedback. It's so sad the course has finished! It was very well designed and well-paced. Thank you for a very interesting course! Great tutor, giving plenty of ideas and encouragement"

"Our tutor was very friendly and helpful. The class atmosphere was relaxed and focused. I've really enjoyed this experience and will take away a lot from it. I want to publish children's books and now have a better understanding of start-to-finish process of producing a book. I enjoyed the practical elements and the discussions, I could have done more of all of it!"

'From doing this course I have lots of ideas for illustrating my short story. I have the confidence in using new mediums and motivation to sketch more.'

'I most enjoyed the practical aspects of the course and meeting the other students and our very knowledgeable tutor.'

What you’ll study

You'll leave the course with an understanding of how to create stories and illustrate children’s picture books.

have a combination of group and one-to-one tutorials
learn about character development, storyboarding, visual language, structure, sequence, pagination and page design
learn how to create your own roughs and dummy books
define your audience
get advice on working as a professional illustrator.

Student Work

Tutor profiles:

Joseph Namara Hollis (summer course) is a multi-award-winning illustrator. After graduating from the prestigious MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art, he won a V&A Illustration Award. His debut title, Pierre’s New Hair, went on to win the Klaus Flugge Prize.

With a client list including Andersen Press, Tate Publishing, Laurence King, and Sourcebooks, Joseph brings a wealth of commercial experience to his teaching. He has lectured at Nottingham Trent University, Loughborough University, and Cambridge School of Art. He’s also spoken at international events including the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and the Asian Festival of Children’s Content.

You can view Joseph’s work here.

Lee Wildish (term time courses) is a freelance illustrator in children’s books and has sold over 3 million books worldwide.

He has published more than 40 picture books and over 25 young fiction books for clients including: Hodder, Penguin Random House USA / UK, Usborne, Franklin Watts, Harper Collins, and Scholastic, some of which have gone onto children’s national television.

Lee has four top ten New York Times bestselling picture books and won awards for his work including the Red House Children’s book award and shortlisted for many more.

He enjoys illustrating Children's books and finds them funny through adding slight adult humour into the illustrations to appeal to the adult purchaser too. Lee believes that there is nothing more warming than seeing people enjoying and laughing a book you have written or illustrated.

Careers and employability

On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance, which will further enhance your CV.

Campus and facilities

You will be based in the School of Art and Design on the City Campus.

You'll find bright studios and workshop spaces to develop your ideas and create exciting work.

You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.

You will receive an email one week before the course starts with joining instructions on where to go for the first day.

Entry requirements

Level: Beginner

Entry requirement: No drawing or writing experience is required. An idea for a storybook is useful, but not essential.

You must be over the age of 18 to attend this course.

Fees and funding

The fee for this course is £495.

Payment is due at the time of booking - ask us if you'd prefer an invoice sent to your company.

Your course fees cover the cost of studies, including great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.

Please bring with you to the first session:

A3 cartridge pad
charcoal, pencils and pens
a watercolour pad, coloured pencils and/or paints.

If you want to do some pre-course reading then there is an extremely good book called 'Illustrating Children's Books' by Martin Salisbury which you might want to buy or loan.

Also begin making some notes and sketches relating to any ideas you might have.

You can read the terms and conditions of booking here.

Looking for accommodation for a summer course?

Accommodation on the NTU city campus can be booked separately from your course. Rooms are only a few minutes’ walk from our studios and classrooms and cost £266 per week.

These are single rooms with a private bathroom in shared apartments in Nottingham’s city centre.

Book accommodation at Nottingham Trent University City Campus

You can read about other short-stay options on the Visit Notts website:

Where to Stay - Visit Nottinghamshire