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  • Berkeley Global

Illustrating Children's Books

DESIGN X437

40708

Develop a portfolio as a children's book illustrator. You will learn the creative process of designing art for picture books, as well as build your design skills and stretch your imagination. Discover the magic of book making from simple concept to finished and portfolio-worthy artwork. You will learn how to transform basic drawing through personal style and use of colors to develop your own character designs by using visual details to create a compelling storybook.

In this Illustrating Children's Books class, you’ll master the principles of successful children's books, pacing and creating a story arc. Learn about the importance of character consistency, page design, sequence, type placement and the double-page spread, and how to design all details accordingly. Understand why it’s important to have visual variety in one’s book and then identify your own style and technique. While in class, we will discuss the legal and practical aspects of publishing and an artist’s submission package to editors and art directors working at publishing houses.

Did you know that instructor Julie Downing has published more than 45 picture books in her career as a children's book artist?

Sonoma illustrator Gianna Marino, a graduate of our program, teams up with Chelsea Clinton on a children’s book called Don’t Let Them Disappear.

Course Outline

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We design the best possible online learning experience for you with an unparalleled illustrating children’s books syllabus to prepare you with the skills and a quality portfolio to become a confident design professional.

  • Create a book dummy with finished work to present to publishers and art directors
  • Design characters and environments for a picture book
  • Design appropriate imagery for double-page spreads and spot illustrations
  • Demonstrate advanced concept development skills
  • Make appropriate media and publishing choices (traditional and/or digital)
  • Articulate your intentions and analyze whether or not objectives are met

What You'll Learn
Create an industry-ready picture-book submission package that includes a book dummy, character sketches and final art. You will improve your visual narrative skills while learning to creatively work within the framework of the book.

  • Principles of successful children's books
  • Pacing and creating a story arc
  • Using visual details to create an interesting character
  • The importance of character consistency
  • Page design, sequence, type placement and the double-page spread
  • Importance of visual variety
  • Composition exercise and visual perception
  • Importance of research
  • Using color to enhance your story
  • Cover letter and type manuscript
  • The importance of covers
  • Legal and practical aspects of publishing

How You Learn
We are online! All of our design classes are conducted remotely, including video classes, mentor-led learning and peer-to-peer support through our student online platform, Canvas.  

  • Lectures
  • Reading assignments
  • Small-group activities
  • Homework assignments
  • Capstone project

Is This Course Right for You?
Illustrating Children’s Books is intended for any student or working designer who is interested in the process of creating art for picture books. Our experienced instructor provides practical information in design skills and monitors your development, along with peer-to-peer support on our student online platform.
Other classes to be considered: Illustrator I, Photoshop I

Learner Outcomes

Instructor Julie Downing example work of what you'll learn while taking Illustrating Children's Books.

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View the Graphic and Interactive Design Flickr gallery.

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Fall 2025 enrollment opens on June 16!

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We do not share your information with other organizations for commercial purposes.

We only collect your information if you have subscribed online to receive emails from us.

We do not partner with or have special relationships with any ad server companies.

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This course applies to the following programs:

Professional Program in Graphic Design

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Required Courses

  • Visual Design Principles
  • Illustrator I
  • InDesign
  • Typography Fundamentals
  • Photoshop I
  • Web Design With HTML5 and CSS3
  • Graphic and Web Design Portfolio

Courses for Further Advancement

  • Essentials of Motion Graphics
  • Adobe Digital Tools
  • Diagramming and Prototyping for UX
  • Illustrating Children's Books
  • Essentials of User Experience (UX) Design
  • User-Interface (UI) Design
  • Branding

Learn More About This Program

Notes

Departmental contact: extension-graphicdesign@berkeley.edu

Instructional Types

Live Online
Live Online courses provide an interactive learning experience with scheduled synchronous online sessions held via Zoom video conferencing (Pacific Time). Learn more about the Live Online format.
Online, Start Anytime
Continuous enrollment course begins when you enroll. You have a minimum of 90 days and a maximum of 180 days to complete the course.
Online, Fixed Date
Enroll in this course by its start date and complete it by its specified end date. There are no live sessions, but plenty of opportunities to collaborate with your classmates and instructor.
Classroom
Take classes in-person at one of our buildings or partner locations.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

All of our courses are taught in English. If English is not your first language, please use the following test scores as guides in order to be successful:

  • TOEFL: 90
  • IELTS Academic Format: 7
  • DAAD: C1
  • TEM-4 or TEM-8: Level 70
  • Duolingo: 125

Note: You do not need to submit test scores.

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