Adult Workshops
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From Idea to Picture Book: A 90-Minute Taster Workshop
Tuesday 24th of November 2026, 19.00 – 20.30 GMT. Taught live on Zoom
Are you thinking about creating a picture book, but not quite sure where to start?
Come and spend 90 minutes with me exploring how a picture book begins — from that first little idea through to character, story and pictures. It doesn’t matter whether you already have an idea or are starting completely from scratch.
During the session, we’ll:
• Generate and develop a picture-book idea
• Create a character
• Look at how words and pictures work together
• Explore simple story structure
• Have a go at a mini storyboard
• Finish with a Q&A about picture books and my 10-week course
You don’t need to be an experienced writer or illustrator. And you don’t need to arrive with a finished idea.
Just bring a notebook, some Post-it notes and something to draw with.
£25
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Deep Dive Workshop: Illustrating People in Picture Books
Saturday 9th of January 2027, 13.00 – 17.00 GMT. Taught live on Zoom
Do you struggle to illustrate convincing, vibrant, human characters in your illustrations?
Learn how to simplify observational drawings of children and adults into charming picture book characters in three simple stages. Hear about the types of characters publishers are interested in and how to approach them with your work. I encourage interaction and offer individual feedback on your drawings throughout the day.
“I gained lots of confidence and now I know how I can start drawing people and human characters for picture books. So excited!” Laura-Kati
“I really loved this interactive character drawing session with Claire. You’ll be put at ease and given actionable steps to simplify the body and creating fun characters that are your own.” Rhiannon Pettie
“Claire demonstrates and gives hands-on practicals in a way which definitely gives confidence in how to create a character and experiment with achieving techniques for consistency when making pb characters.” Clare Yerbury.
£65
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Deep Dive Workshop: Mastering Composition & Backgrounds
Saturday 6th of February 2027, 13.00 – 17.00 GMT. Taught live on Zoom
(Formerly named, ‘Storytelling Compositions & Mastering Backgrounds’)
Are you background-phobic and compositionally befuddled?!
Discover a host of clever compositional devices to enhance the storytelling and atmosphere in your picture book illustrations. Using simple colour-limited palettes, you’ll experiment with inventive ways to depict backgrounds to stage the drama of your narrative beautifully, without distracting the eye away from the actions of your main character.
“Fantastic workshop! Engaging and insightful session on composition for children’s book illustration. Claire’s expertise truly shines through, making complex concepts clear to grasp. I left inspired and equipped with valuable skills to try again and bring to my stories. Highly recommend for budding children’s book illustrators!” Angela Vives
“A brilliant workshop that really helped me focus on the use of colour to add drama to my illustrated backgrounds. Thanks Claire!” Antonia Woodward
“Claire is a wonderful instructor – her workshops are always engaging and full of really helpful content. She’s supportive and knowledgeable at every skill level. I can’t recommend her courses enough.” Tera Pruitt
£65
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Deep Dive Workshop: Design a Character in Watercolours
Saturday 26th of June 2027, 13.00 – 17.00 GMT. Taught live on Zoom
Discover what makes picture book characters charming to commissioning editors and children alike. During this interactive workshop, you’ll explore animal characters from successful children’s books, then, guided by expert tips, you’ll sketch and experiment with watercolours to bring them to life in colour, gaining feedback throughout the session if you wish. The session wraps up with an interactive Q&A, where you can ask anything about writing, illustrating, and getting your work published.
Areas covered:
- Observational sketching
- Expressions, proportions & character consistency
- Controlling character age
- Watercolour techniques
- The art of anthropomorphism
- Industry do’s and don’ts of creating characters
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your portfolio, this creative and inspiring session is for you!
“I loved Claire’s practical and personalised feedback. She was also very generous in sharing her knowledge of the industry.”
“I had such a great afternoon! It was so interesting to hear from Claire and her insights and useful tips, and it was lovely to see work from other people too. I found the workshop challenging yet enjoyable.”
“The workshop was very well structured, with clear, actionable steps that were useful in developing my ideas. The tutor was knowledgeable, helpful, stayed on topic and kept to time, as well as offering helpful feedback throughout.”
£65
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