• Original DesignClass

    Learn how to illustrate a children's book and bring life to the beautiful story you have to tell.

  • Forever Access

    Enroll today to access exclusive videos, materials, and hands-on challenges. Learn at your own pace on any device.

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Learn how to illustrate your own children's book from start to finish.

Join Ryan McCabe, an illustrator passionate about traveling the world and using his art for good.


This DesignClass is perfect for anyone who is passionate about illustration & visual storytelling.

Join artist & illustrator Ryan McCabe as he shows you how to illustrate a children's book.

In this practical and step-by-step DesignClass, Ryan shows how artists of all skill levels can illustrate a children's book. He begins with just an idea and goes through every step of turning it into a completed illustration in real-time; showing you the process behind each decision. 

Follow along as he goes through every step of the process from ideation to sketching, tracing, shading, coloring, and even prepping for traditional publication or self-publishing using tools like Lulu xPress.

He will talk about the challenges of character design and world building and what you should keep in mind when bringing your vision to life.

If you aren't an expert artist, that's ok! This DesignClass is perfect for anyone curious about children's book art and the unique satisfaction of bringing joy to others through visual storytelling. 

This DesignClass is a great way to gain the confidence to start something you've always wanted to accomplish.


Exclusively on DesignClass

Learn directly from Ryan about ideation, design, sketching, tracing, coloring, shading, character development, world building, and how to prep your drawings for publication. His lessons are practical and based on 12 years of professional illustration work.

Each lesson features exclusive videos and step-by-step guides to help you learn quickly and effectively. 


What Students are Saying

Join 50+ Enrolled Students

5 star rating

A great place to start

Frank de Swart

Ryan's class is a valuable start to creating a children's book. His easy-going brief style introduces you to the basics and it's easy to get going from there...

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Ryan's class is a valuable start to creating a children's book. His easy-going brief style introduces you to the basics and it's easy to get going from there. A great course - well worth your time.

Read Less
5 star rating

Great course!

Veronica Karlsmoen

Really liked this course! Learned a lot about the process of making a children's book. Now I feel more confident and motivated to tackle my own project. Than...

Read More

Really liked this course! Learned a lot about the process of making a children's book. Now I feel more confident and motivated to tackle my own project. Thanks, Ryan!

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5 star rating

Good Primer

Ingrid Kreitz

This was a good primary. I would have liked to see more on illustration rather than publishing. It doesn't seem like it belongs here but it was well explaine...

Read More

This was a good primary. I would have liked to see more on illustration rather than publishing. It doesn't seem like it belongs here but it was well explained. Content is geared towards the USA, however, I'm reviewing the course from Canada. FYI ISBNs in Canada are free and are obtained by contacting the Library and Archives of Canada.

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What You'll Learn

Access exclusive videos, materials, and hands-on challenges

  • IDEATION

    Learn how to approach an illustration from the start and flush out the idea.

  • SKETCHING

    Learn how to sketch your ideas to quickly capture the story and flow in simple drawings & thumbnails

  • DEVELOP

    Learn how develop your illustrations, add movement, text, and story progression.

  • COLORING

    Learn how to add pop and emotion through color to your illustrations.

  • CHARACTERS

    Learn how to approach drawings that add life and personality to your characters.

  • DIGITAL

    Learn how to use an iPad to digitize your drawings and get them ready for publication.

  • COMMUNITY

    Connect with fellow members of the Children's Book Illustration with Ryan McCabe DesignClass inside an exclusive community

Learn how to get your children's book on Amazon

8+ Chapters on Publishing & Marketing

This DesignClass goes beyond the basics of sketching and coloring to bring you fast and inexpensive ways to sell your children's book to the world.
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Access exclusive videos, materials, and hands-on challenges. Learn at your own pace on any device.

  • 1

    Welcome

  • 2

    Ideation

  • 3

    World Building

    • Building Your Characters

    • You Don't Have to Be Picasso

    • Building the "Where"

    • Atmosphere and Being Free
  • 4

    Planning

    • Into to Planning

    • Write & Sketch Together

    • Page Sizes & Common Practices

    • Creating Dynamic Thumbnails

    • Thumbnails Help with Layouts
  • 5

    Development

    • Developing Your Artwork

    • Emotion Through Color & Color Theory

    • Bring Life to Your Story

    • Simple Shading Tips

    • Delight In The Details

    • Keep Details Consistent

    • Text is Part of Storytelling

    • When is A Drawing Finished?

    • What if you hate it?
  • 6

    Layout

    • Templates for Publishing

    • How to Organize your Book

    • Mockups: Making your Book Real
  • 7

    Publishing

    • Traditional Publishing

    • Self-Publishing: Introduction

    • Self-Publishing: On-Demand Printing

    • Self-Publishing: Bulk Printing

    • A Primer on Crowdfunding

    • What You Need to Know about ISBNs

    • What You Need to Know about Barcodes

    • Get Your Book on Amazon
  • 8

    Closing Thoughts

    • My Closing Thoughts

    • Please Review this DesignClass

Ryan McCabe

Visual Storyteller Extraordinaire

I have been drawing since I was able to hold a pencil and art has always been a part of my life. It is a personal endeavor that allows me to tell stories I value and bring life to the world. Children's books bring a certain joy and freedom to my work that is tough to match anywhere else.
Ryan McCabe DesignClass

FAQ

  • How long will I have access to the course?

    Purchasers will have access to the course forever.

  • Do you have a satisfaction guarantee?

    Yes! If you are not completely satisfied, let us know and we will make it right.

  • Who is this DesignClass for?

    This DesignClass is perfect for anyone who is has dreamed of creating their own children's book.

  • Do the videos have captions?

    Yes, every video in this DesignClass has English captions. We may introduce more language options based on user feedback and requests.

Starting a kid's book is scary,
joining this course isn't.

If you are not completely satisfied,
let us know and we will make it right.




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