Explore UAL Short Courses in London or online

Illustration Short Courses

Designed to suit every level of expertise, our illustration short courses cover all areas of this wide-ranging discipline, from children's illustration, fashion, cartooning and character design. Develop your storytelling skills and bring your ideas to life.

Discover your creative passion, learn a new skill or develop your knowledge
Learn from our expert tutors, all practitioners in their own right
Study in UAL colleges, workshops or online
Meet like-minded students from all over the world
A digital badge to display on your CV or portfolio, and a certificate of completion

You can also explore our self-paced short courses which offer full flexibility in learning through pre-recorded sessions on our student learning hub. You can study from any location at a time that suits you.

Illustration

Book Illustration Short Course

£880

Hone your drawing skills and develop your visual language. Understand how to develop your abilities as an illustrator and present a portfolio to a publisher.

Dates - 3 August 2026 to 7 August 2026
Schedule - Monday to Friday

Illustration

Character Design Short Course

£660

Design engaging characters. Learn the fundamentals of character design and bring your creations to life.

Dates - 17 August 2026 to 19 August 2026
Schedule - Monday to Wednesday

Illustration

Children's Book Illustration Short Course

£680

Create captivating illustrations for children's books. Develop your style and storytelling skills.

Dates - 16 January 2027 to 6 February 2027
Schedule - Saturdays

Illustration

Digital Illustration Online Short Course

£540

Explore digital illustration and learn techniques from painting to animation with expert guidance. Discover this growing creative field.

Dates - 19 August 2026 to 23 September 2026
Schedule - Wednesdays

Illustration

Graphic Novels and Comic Book Art Short Course

£800

Introduction to creating graphic novel-style sequential art. Topics include story development, storyboarding, page layout design, inking, lettering and colouring.

Dates - 5 April 2027 to 9 April 2027
Schedule - Monday to Friday

Illustration

Illustration Short Course

£430

Be introduced to the wide-ranging discipline of illustration and gain an improved understanding of the possibilities of image-making. From book illustration and publishing to animation and motion graphics.

Dates - 29 September 2026 to 20 October 2026
Schedule - Tuesday

Illustration

Creating Your Own Children's Picture Book Online Short Course

£350

Learn how to create, self-publish and share your very own children’s picture book to connect readers and communities, guiding you from idea to finished print with feedback and support along the way. This self-paced course offers flexible learning

Self-paced

Illustration

Illustration for 16 to 18 Year Olds Short Course

£710

Develop your illustration skills. Create compelling visual narratives.

Dates - 17 August 2026 to 21 August 2026
Schedule - Monday to Friday

How to become an illustrator

Not sure what it takes to start a career as an illustrator? We've provided a handy guide with 6 tips you need to consider when beginning your journey into the wonderful world of illustration.
Artwork by Michelle Freeman

Discover the art of book illustration with a short course

We caught up with illustrator, Michelle Freeman, to hear about her experience on the Book Illustration Online Short Course. ⁠
Develop your illustration skills with a short course

We hear from 3 students who each attended the Introduction to Illustration Online Short Course with Central Saint Martins. They tell us what motivated them to do the course and how they’ve applied to skills they learned to change careers and launch new personal and professional endeavours.