Back in 2020, during lockdown, I was searching for resources to kickstart my career in children’s book illustration. One day, I stumbled upon the wonderful world of online classes and workshops and instantly became hooked. As a working professional with undergraduate and graduate degrees in unrelated fields, going back to school full-time wasn’t an option, so I needed a more flexible, short-term solution. I started by taking a mix of self-paced/asynchronous and live/synchronous courses but quickly discovered through trial and error that I needed the accountability and 1:1 time with an instructor that live courses offered. I found that live, online courses provided the hands-on experience I was looking for, along with real-time critiques and feedback—all from the comfort of my home and at a fraction of the cost of traditional for-credit university art programs. In short, these live courses offered me three very important things: 1) flexibility/accessibility, 2) accountability, and 3) affordability.
To help other aspiring children’s book illustrators, in this post I’ve compiled a list of courses in children’s book illustration offered through university Professional and Continuing Education or Extension programs. These live, online courses are accessible to learners at a distance, more affordable than for-credit options (averaging around $500), and taught in English. They also cater to illustrators at all levels, from beginners to more intermediate and early professional illustrators.
When choosing which course to take, I personally recommend researching the instructor. This can give you a good idea of the types of art they specialize in and help guide you toward the right fit. Country, cost, duration, and meeting times are also important things to consider when choosing the right course for you. Below, I have broken down the list by country.
USA
- School of Visual Arts (SVA) NYC: https://sva.edu/academics/continuing-education/illustration-and-comics/online-courses/children-s-book-illustration-25-cs-ilc-2559-ol
- Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): https://cereg.risd.edu/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=1029229 and https://ce.risd.edu/courses-to-bring-your-childrens-book-to-life/
- UC San Diego (UCSD): https://extendedstudies.ucsd.edu/certificates/children-s-book-illustration
- UC Berkeley: https://extension.berkeley.edu/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=40708
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD): https://www.mcad.edu/academics/continuing-education/courses/introduction-childrens-book-illustration-online-4
- Montgomery College, Maryland: https://montgomerycollege.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=17649
- Otis College of Art and Design: https://extension.otis.edu/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=20947#courseSectionDetails_3560423
Canada
- Alberta University of the Arts: https://auarts.ca/childrens-book-illustration
- George Brown College: https://coned.georgebrown.ca/courses-and-programs/childrens-book-illustration-online
- Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD): https://continuingstudies.ocadu.ca/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=2844701
- Red River College Polytechnic: https://catalogue.rrc.ca/Programs/WPG/Parttime/GRACP-CT/CoursesAndDescriptions/MUME-1042
International
- University of the Arts London: https://www.arts.ac.uk/subjects/illustration/short-courses/narrative-illustration/illustrating-for-books-online-short-course-csm and https://www.arts.ac.uk/subjects/illustration/short-courses/narrative-illustration/book-illustration-short-course-chelsea
- VCUarts Qatar: https://qatar.vcu.edu/illustrating_young_readers_the_art_for_children_book_cover/
Let me know if you found this resource helpful! And feel free to share it with anyone who you think might benefit.
Did I miss any courses? Reach out to me at salmaillustrate@gmail.com. I’ll gladly update the list and give you credit!
**Disclaimer: Please note that I am not affiliated with any of these programs or institutions, nor have I been compensated by them in any way. The information shared here is purely for your reference and should not be considered an endorsement or recommendation. If you have any questions about a particular course, I encourage you to contact the respective program or instructor directly.
