Illustrating Children's Book Characters From Sketch to Final Art

Master character illustration for children’s books—go from rough sketch to polished artwork with ease and confidence.

Overview :

Creating characters for children’s books isn’t just about drawing—it’s about giving personality a face, emotion a gesture, and stories a spark. This course guides you through each step of developing visually engaging and expressive characters, from initial pencil lines to fully realised digital illustrations. You’ll learn to balance imagination with storytelling, making your characters feel at home on any page they appear.

Whether you're a self-taught illustrator, graphic designer, or just love drawing little oddballs and animals in jumpers, this course offers a structured yet enjoyable journey into children’s book illustration. We keep things clear, friendly, and focused—without overwhelming jargon or long-winded theory. Think of it as a smart sketchbook with purpose. By the end, you'll have the tools to confidently illustrate charming characters ready for storybook adventures.

Learning Outcomes:

• Sketch dynamic characters with personality using basic shapes and lines.
• Develop unique visual styles suitable for young audiences.
• Refine sketches into clean, expressive final illustrations.
• Apply digital colouring techniques to enhance your character art.
• Understand character consistency across multiple scenes or pages.
• Build an illustration-ready portfolio suitable for children's publishing.

Who is this Course For:

• Artists who enjoy storytelling through illustrated characters.
• Beginners wanting to learn character drawing from the basics.
• Graphic designers exploring book illustration as a new direction.
• Children’s authors aiming to illustrate their own manuscripts.
• Students studying illustration and expanding their skillset.
• Digital artists focusing on expressive character creation.
• Hobbyists passionate about drawing cute and quirky characters.
• Creatives building a portfolio for children’s publishing markets.

Career Path:

• Children’s Book Illustrator – £27,000 per year
• Freelance Character Designer – £25,000 per year
• Digital Illustrator – £30,000 per year
• Storyboard Artist – £32,000 per year
• Junior Concept Artist – £28,000 per year
• Graphic Designer (Publishing) – £26,000 per year