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BUNDLE:
DESIGNING A CHILDREN'S BOOK
Explore two complete courses β Character Design & Illustrating a Children's Book β with 15+ modules and 60+ lessons!
Designing a Children's Book is hard? Wrong!
β¨ Have you always thought that only a few people are born with the creativity to design and illustrate a childrenβs book?
β¨ That creating expressive characters and bringing them to life on every page is something only βreal artistsβ can do?
β¨ That imagination just flows effortlessly for others?
Let us tell you something: those are myths!
Thereβs no secret art gene or magic formula. The charming books you admire are built through practice, patience, and passion,Β and those are all things you can develop too!
The Recipe for Creative Growth:
π‘ Patience to refine your drawings and ideas.
π‘ Dedication to keep creating, even on challenging days.
π‘ Passion to bring stories and characters to life.
Anyone willing to learn and practice can master the skills to design and illustrate a complete childrenβs book. And by starting this bundle, youβre already taking that first important step!
In these two courses, youβll learn to design expressive characters and illustrate engaging pages that capture the hearts and imaginations of young readers. Step by step, youβll go from an empty page to a finished story full of life, color, and creativity.
Design & Illustration Are Skills You Can Master!
Are you passionate about art and storytelling? Do you dream of designing characters and illustrating your own childrenβs book, but feel like youβre not yet capturing the warmth and charm you imagine? Whether youβre a beginner or a self-taught artist, this bundle is your path forward.
Designing and illustrating are skills that anyone can learn, refine, and make their own!
Across both courses, youβll learn how to create expressive characters, develop story worlds, and illustrate pages that truly connect with children. Youβll discover how to apply composition, color, and texture to make every scene feel alive and memorable.
Letβs turn your ideas into stories that inspire young readers and fill your portfolio with heartwarming art!
Hey, I am Josh Cleland
Since 2009 Iβve been creating high-quality, fun illustrations for clients all over the world including Highlights for Children magazine, Storytime magazine, Pinterest, and Wieden & Kennedy.
My whimsical illustrations can be found in picture books, billboards, iOS apps, album covers, websites, my parentsβ fridge, posters, newsletters, animations and more.
I'VE WORKED WITH
IMAGINE DESIGNING AND ILLUSTRATING YOUR OWN CHILDREN'S BOOK...
π¨ Imagine completing both courses:Β Character Design for Childrenβs Books and Illustrating a Childrenβs Book.
π¨ Imagine developing your own characters and bringing them to life on colorful pages.
π¨ Imagine holding a story that feels completely yours, one that children will love.
Maybe youβve admired other illustrators and wondered if you could ever reach that level. You might have felt uncertain, but now you can see the growth, commitment, and beauty in your own work.
How would that feel?
Today, you have the chance to invest in your creativity and your artistic future. Taking this step is one of the most meaningful things you can do for yourself.
Designing and illustrating childrenβs books not only strengthen your artistic skills but also nourish your imagination and bring a deep sense of joy and fulfillment.
In these courses, youβll explore techniques, principles, and tools that will guide you from your first sketch to your finished illustrated story and you wonβt be alone. Step by step, youβll be guided and supported on this creative journey. πͺπΌ
AT THE END OF THE COURSES YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:
Bring Stories and
Characters to Life
Discover how to design expressive, appealing characters with strong shapes, gestures, and emotions that connect deeply with young readers.
Build the Visual
World of Your Book
Learn to plan your story page by page. Youβll explore how to break down your text into effective layouts, thumbnails, and storyboards that guide the flow of your narrative.
Illustrate with
Confidence and Consistency
Master the use of color, composition, and digital tools like Procreate and Photoshop to create a cohesive, professional look.
COURSES CONTENT
The courses has 15 modules for 11+ hours of learning and practicing. You can pause and replay the videos as much as you want.Β The courses are suitable for everyone, teens, adults and children because there is no explicit content. It would be best to take the courses in order, because it will start from the basics to lessons at a more advanced level.Β
Practice makes perfect!
IN MY COURSES YOU WILL LEARN
Β CHARACTER DESIGN FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKSΒ
MODULES 1&2
Introduction to Character Design + Character Design β Coloring
Start by understanding what makes a character appealing. Youβll write attributes, gather references, and create rough sketches before refining shapes and finalizing your design. Then, move on to color: learn the basics, build your own palette, apply flat tones, add textures, shadows, and highlights to make your character come alive.
MODULES 3&4
Action + Character Design β Personality and Emotion
Discover how to convey movement and action through dynamic poses and line of action. Then focus on personality, explore facial expressions and emotions to give your characters life, creating a full lineup that shows who they really are.
MODULES 5&6
Surrounding Environment Design + Designing Secondary Characters
Design the spaces your character inhabits, from their workspace to their living area, exploring how environment adds depth to storytelling. Youβll also learn to create secondary characters with varied silhouettes and attributes that complement your main design.
MODULE 7
Wrap-Up and Bonus Exercises
Wrap up your final character sheet and challenge yourself with fun creative exercises like random shapes and blobs. Share your work, download your certificate, and enjoy closing reflections on your progress.
Β ILLUSTRATING A CHILDREN'S BOOKΒ
MODULES 1&2
Introduction to Book Illustration + Understanding the Manuscript
Learn what it means to illustrate for childrenβs books, discover different formats and publishing options, and then dive into understanding a manuscript. Youβll analyze, break it down into pages, and begin sketching your first visual ideas for the story.
MODULES 3&4
Character Design, Development and World-Building + Thumbnails, Storyboards and Sketches
Develop expressive, consistent characters and build the world they live in. Then, plan your story visually through thumbnails and storyboards, working on composition, pacing, and cover ideas that bring your book to life.
MODULES 5&6
Color and Creating Final Illustrations + Creating a Book Dummy
Learn about color, depth, and visual style while preparing polished spreads using Procreate or Photoshop. Then create your own book dummy, a full mock-up that lets you review your layout, get feedback, and refine your project before final publication.
MODULES 7&8
Preparing Files for Publishing + Finalizing Your Childrenβs Book
Organize your files, prepare print-ready artwork, and learn best practices to avoid common pitfalls. Finally, review your illustrations for consistency, make final adjustments, and complete your childrenβs book, ready to share or publish.
INCLUDED IN MY COURSES
Fundamentals & Materials
We will look together at the materials, basic techniques, and knowledge needed to begin this journey.Β Approaching a new technique means first learning how best to use the tools at your disposal.
Practical exercises
Theory is important, but what makes you a true artist is practice... Lots of practice! You'll find lots of exercises to get started with and from which to get inspiration.Β I will show you some tricks that will make your drawings truly unique and masterpieces.Β
Lifetime Access
Once you register for the courses, you will have lifetime access and you can watch them whenever you want!Β This will enable you to better learn even the most difficult notions.Β You don't have a deadline, you can take the courses even for 5 minutes a day!Β This possibility, doesn't it seem incredible?
Flexibility
This is one of the courses' strengths: being able to watch the videos wherever you want, whenever you want, and as many times as you want. The courses are available from any device, so you can watch them from the comfort of your home or take a single lesson on the train!
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Community of artists
As soon as you sign up for the courses, you will join a group of people who, like you, share this passion and are following the same courses as you. This means you'll be able to exchange ideas, tips or ask questions because you'll be surrounded by people who love art the same way you do!
My daily support
On this journey, you will never be alone! You can write to me and you will receive my feedback as soon as possible, so you will always feel supported. Sometimes, approaching drawing is not easy. You may feel that you are not enough, but don't worry: I will be there to help you, step by step!
... and much more!
SIGN UP NOWCOURSES STRUCTURE
These courses will elevate your artistic skills!Β What's better than improving yourself while having fun?Β Plus, you will achieve beautiful results in no time.
Let meΒ tell you more about myΒ methodology and the platform structure.Β
All videos are in FULL HD and you can adjust the speed, audio, quality and have English Closed Captions.
In all my videos, I try to use as many visual elements as possible, such as pictures and references, so you can take some inspiration and you can practice. You can follow each step as I show it to you, and you can comment and compare with other students under each video or in the group so you can resolve any doubts you have and learn new tricks!Β
The course is designed to be as practical as possible, even teaching you the basics of color and how to use the tools. You can review the lessons as many times as you want, where you want, and when you want!
Doesn't that sound amazing?
BONUSES
Extra content that you will get for free with theΒ courses
Conversation with writers Donna Gephart and Lori Haskins Houran
Donna and Lori co-wrote the Woofmore series (which I illustrated). We discuss their backgrounds, the journey to get Woofmore published, and what itβs like on the writerβs side of childrenβs book publishing. They also share tips for aspiring book authors.
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($47)Β FREEΒ
Conversation with art director/agent, Chad Beckerman
Chad is an award-winning art director and designer whoβs worked on some truly iconic booksβlikeΒ Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Questioneers, Origami Yoda, and Nathan Haleβs Hazardous Tales. He also works as an art agent with the Cat Agency, helping illustrators grow their careers. We discuss his approach to working with artists and illustrators, and what he likes to see in an artistβs portfolio (hint: itβs not the standard advice).Β
($47)Β FREEΒ
Conversation with author/illustrator Josh Lewis
Josh illustrated the four LEGO Little Golden Books series and recently wrote/illustrated his own book, Rayβs Big Day. We discuss his journey to becoming a professional illustrator and his transition into being an author/illustrator. We also discuss how he secured the book deal for Rayβs Big Day.Β
($47)Β Β FREEΒ
Random shapes and blobs
This bonusΒ will teach you how to create unique and playful character designs by starting with random shapes and blobs to spark creativity and imagination.
($47)Β FREEΒ
Tips on exploring your style
Β In this bonus, you'll get practical tips for exploring and refining your unique artistic style, helping you create character designs that are authentic and stand out.
($27)Β FREEΒ
Idea Generator
Idea generator offers endless combinations of traits, features, and scenarios, allowing you to easily create unique characters and develop engaging stories around them, sparking fresh ideas every time you use it!
($47)Β FREEΒ
WHAT MY STUDENTS SAID ABOUT THE COURSES
REGISTRATIONS ARE CLOSING SOON!
Learn how to design and illustrate a children's book once and for all!β¨
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TWO OPTIONS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALSΒ
If you get the two courses individually, the final price will be $597.
However, by taking them together, you save $100!
Here you can find two options that only differ in how you want to pay. The first option is a one-time fee, and the second is a monthly option with six installments. The price displayed below is in dollars, but you can pay withΒ ANY currency.
Let's go learn how to design and illustrate a children's book together β¨
My Guarantee to Every Student
If you are not satisfied with the courses for any reason,Β you have the right to obtain a full refund within the first 30 days. This is my guarantee to you. I want all my students to be satisfied. Also, this means there isΒ no risk at all!Β Give it a try and experience the programs first-hand!
