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13~17 year olds - Digital Illustration Summer Camp
About the course
Join us for an introduction to the process of digital illustration and an exploration of comic book culture at our five day summer school.
What will I study?
Learner hours: 25
Over the 5 days, you will learn about a different part of the comic-making process, with the opportunity to try different techniques on both paper, and Adobe Photoshop. You will learn how to design, compose, and colour a short story with the opportunity to learn new skills, and collaborate with your peers to create entertaining, dynamic, and colourful comics.
| Day | Lesson | Workshop |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Story Writing & Character Exploration | You will learn how to write a story and design a character using different techniques on paper and then transfer them to a digital platform. You will design multiple characters on paper, experimenting with shape, style, and posing then transfer your preferred design onto Photoshop where you will learn the basic tools for digital illustration. |
| Day 2 | Comic Jam & Pencilling | You will learn how to structure a comic page. You will look at panel layouts, different ways to divide your action, how to pose your character in the space, how to add speech bubbles in the appropriate places, and sound effects. You will then draw a rough panel of a collaborative comic on paper, pass it on to your peers, and finally transfer it onto Photoshop, adding your own text to the pages as well as your own creative flare to each panel. |
| Day 3 | Ink Comic Pages | You will have the opportunity to experiment with Photoshop and learn how to choose the appropriate brush for your comic, and how to change it to match your action. You will then start outlining your pages and adding detail. |
| Day 4 | Colour choices and discussion of comics and artists | You will learn how to choose suitable colours for your comic. You will look at limited colours, symbolic colours, and create your own colour pallet for your comic. You will then learn about the colouring process starting with flat colours and moving into patterns to create a finished page of your comic. |
| Day 5 | Lettering and finish comic pages ready for print | You will learn about the different types of backgrounds that can be used in graphic novels and how they are effective. You will then use the day to add backgrounds to your comic page and can finish off any of the previous elements that you didn’t finish or would like to improve on. |
Learning outcomes
This course is specifically designed for teenagers who have an interest in comic design and want to learn the processes and techniques involved in creating their own comics.
At the end of the course, you will leave with a short collaborative comic, refined, and stylized by you, and a short independent comic of your own design. You will also leave with the skills to create comics independently, and software knowledge to be applied to more digital illustration & story telling projects.
Where will I study?
Mode of delivery: Face to face
Our address is The School of Creative Arts, College Lane Campus, Hatfield, Herts AL10 9AB.
For Maps and Directions please visit our helpful ‘Where to Find Us’ page. Further details are sent by email when you have booked.
Important information
Times
Signing in is from 9.20am and 9.25am each day in the Art Gallery and the summer workshops will start at 9.30. We finish at 15.30pm. You will need to be picked up promptly at 15.30pm, again from the Art Gallery. Parents and carers, if you have any problems and think that you may be late, please let us know by calling 01707 285327.
Drop off/collection
The drop-off point is the Art Gallery, and you can find this through our wayfinding app here. We suggest you park in one of the bays around the nearby Lindop Building for drop-off. You can drop off anytime between 9.20am and 9.25am. Collection is promptly at 15.30. nb, there is free parking for 2 hours on campus.
The programme
We have an exciting programme of activities planned. You will find out more about art and design courses and you will be meet practising artists or designers. Each group will have an assistant art tutor with them for the whole time you are here, and you will meet them on your first morning. They can help you with any concerns you have while you are here.
Enrolment
Parents/Guardians: When registering, please enrol with your own details. There is a field on the enrolment paperwork where you can enter your son or daughter's name and age.
Emergency contact
We need contact numbers so we can contact parents/carers at any time. These details need to be confirmed on the form attached to the email. Should you need to contact us please phone the Short Course Office on 01707 285327. It is very important that we know in advance if you cannot for any reason be collected on time at the end of the day.
Clothing
Wear suitable and comfortable clothes as you may get messy and dirty (that is what art is all about!). An overall, apron or large shirt would be ideal.
Food & drink
You will need to bring your own packed lunch. Water will be available during breaks and lunchtime.
Materials
All materials needed for all the summer schools will be provided by the University.
Medicine
If you need to bring any medication with you, please make sure it is clearly labelled with your child’s name and any instructions. These can be administered by us provided the medical permission form enclosed has been signed by a parent or carer and handed in on arrival on your first day.
Booking deadlines
Bookings for all Creative Arts Short Courses will be reviewed two weeks before the start date of each course. This will allow the Short Course team to determine whether a course has met the minimum number of students needed for the class to run. If a class has failed to recruit, the class will be re-scheduled and you will be informed. Where relevant you will be offered an alternative class. If the course has met minimum numbers, bookings will stay open to the course start date or until it has met maximum numbers.
We encourage you to book early before the deadline to avoid disappointment.
Bookings for all short courses need to be made online through our online booking system, before a course commences. You cannot enroll or attend a class on the day the course starts.
Cancellations
If for any reason you change your mind about joining us after you have accepted the offer, you have a legal right to cancel your contract to study with us within 14 days. This cancellation period therefore ends at the end of 14 days after the day on which you accepted our offer. Find further details of our cancellation terms here.
How to apply?
| Start Date | End Date | Day | Time | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/08/2025 | 15/08/2025 | Mon to Fri | 09.30 - 15.30 | £250 | Apply online |
NB: If you are on a mobile device, turn to landscape to view the full table.
We now accept childcare vouchers. If you would like to pay by this method, please contact is via email or telephone on the contact details below.
Contact us
If you wish to discuss this or any other creative art short course please contact the Short Course team on 01707 285327 or complete our short course enquiry form.
| Contact | |
|---|---|
| Nick Thomas, Short Course Coordinator, School of Creative Arts | ad-shortcourses@herts.ac.uk |