Fees

Regular Fee: £1,325
Early Bird Fee: £1,175

Dates

The course runs over four weeks, with two x four-hour sessions per week.
10:00am – 2:00pm BST per session with optional networking up to 30 min after each session
2027 dates pending

Location

Live Online

Watch the course video

Human beings have a natural need for storytelling. Every day we may recall autobiographical incidents, reflect upon memories, gossip or simply chat. But it is much more difficult to create a narrative that can engage a wide audience. We soon become aware of the importance of form. A narrative needs structure; it has to be built. Composition, tone, colour, pacing and tempo are the things we have to engage with. This course offers a starting point to build your story.

Led by Andrzej Klimowski and Miguel Angel Valdivia, the Graphic Novel: Visual Storytelling offers a fresh approach to the subject. Aimed at releasing the imagination, this is an open opportunity for self-expression.

Read the video transcript

About the course

What will you learn?

At the end of this course you will have gained:

a deeper understanding of contemporary approaches to storytelling, visual narratives and illustration in the context of graphic novels
insights on the potential of location, characterisation, materiality and perception in the creation of visual narratives and graphic novels
confidence in creating your own illustration and visual narratives
skills to work in a range of settings from traditional to contemporary, from print to electronic, handmade or computer-generated.

How will you learn?

Through a series of workshops, lectures, practical exercises and presentations you will:

experience the RCA model of 'learning by doing' in order to develop design and presentation techniques while building a portfolio
work with practitioners and educators to develop a critical, creative and insightful practice in a safe and nurturing environment in which to experiment
develop an enhanced notion of what a contemporary illustration practice can be
expand your skills and grow confidence in making your own graphic novel.

Post-course, we may offer a 20-minute session per delegate with Professor Andrzej Klimowski and Miguel Angel Valdivia, where participants have an opportunity to get feedback on their work and discuss key take-outs from the course (optional).

Who should attend?

The course is aimed at students, practitioners and enthusiasts aged 21 years or above who wish to further their skills in creating picture-driven stories that can lead to the making of original graphic novels. It can also help those intending to embark on Master's-level studies or professionals seeking to discover alternative ways to expand their working methods. This includes but is not limited to:

illustration and graphic design students
recent graduates who wish to improve their illustration and writing skills
professionals working in illustration, visual communication and/or communication design
prospective RCA Illustration, Visual Communication and Writing students
anyone seeking an opportunity to experiment without professional constraints.

Course structure

This course is delivered online and is highly interactive, through live learning with self-directed work undertaken by participants between sessions.

The course will run over four weeks, with two x four-hour sessions each week with optional networking after each session.

Week one

Introduction to the course and its aims and objectives.
An illustrated lecture by Andrzej Klimowski.
Students present their initial response to the workshop theme in the form of sketches and drawings.
Tutors comments.

Week two

An illustrated lecture by Miguel Valdivia.
Second student presentation on Zoom and group critique.

Week three

An illustrated lecture by guest speaker Zoe Taylor.
Third student presentation on Zoom.
Group critique and discussion about Graphic Design, the dynamics of layout and the editing process.

Week four

Final presentation and a discussion on how to further one’s work in a professional context.

Disclaimer: The information given is accurate at the time of publication, however, the RCA reserves the right to amend the described course as circumstances dictate.

Please note for the course to function effectively, we strongly encourage participants to produce new work between sessions. Not every drawing needs to be finished or polished. If there is not enough time to create complete images, rough sketches, thumbnails, or preliminary drawings are perfectly acceptable and often extremely useful. What matters most is maintaining momentum and bringing new visual ideas into the discussion each week.

Course delivery

The course is organised in synchronous sessions in a live virtual environment that combines various digital platforms and tools.

Zoom

Using the videoconferencing service Zoom, the RCA's esteemed academics and facilitators deliver a mix of:

live lectures
case studies
guided assessments
presentations.

Participants interact with the faculty and peers in breakout rooms in real time.

Miro

Participants engage in cross-functional team work with the use of visual collaboration tools.

Through the online whiteboard platform Miro, participants get to:

interact with various formats and templates
plan and brainstorm ideas
create processes and workshop activities in the digital workspace.

Moodle

The College's learning platform Moodle is personalised according to the course's requirements to provide participants with a secure integrated system where they can access the course content.

The hub hosts a range of useful resources to enable the learning experience, including comprehensive timetables, pre-reading materials, course slides, curated videos, tutorials and session recordings.

Slack

Participants stay connected and communicate via the channel-based messaging platform Slack throughout the whole duration of the course.

In this space, the academics, facilitators and delegates get to network, plan the course activities, share documents and files during the live sessions or offline.

Course outcomes and benefits

A collection of original drawings.
Illustration – graphic novel publication (print and/or digital).
A certificate of online attendance at the end of the course.
A project idea to go on an RCA MA programme, if participants are interested in applying.

Read our case studies from our previous courses, this includes past participant work:

Course admission criteria

Participants must be 21 years or over. It is preferable for delegates to have:

an undergraduate degree in design or a background in illustration
a basic understanding of typography
a good level of English language.

* Limited number of places up to maximum 18 participants.

Course 2026 Guest Speaker

Zoë Taylor

Zoë’s illustrations have appeared in publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times and AnOthermag.com and she recently illustrated a collection of supernatural stories by David Rudkin for Strange Attractor.

Her comic Joyride was published by Breakdown Press in 2017 and featured in the Comics on Every Floor exhibition at the Pompidou Centre in 2024. Her sequences have also appeared in international anthologies. She published a small book, Mirror Vault Secret Door with Foot books in 2024.

Zoë has been on the editorial board of Varoom illustration magazine where she was a contributing editor between 2014 and 2017, highlighting innovations within fashion illustration the significance of various manga artists.

She is currently developing Let Me Work! a joint drawing and criticism research project with writer Jamie Sutcliffe, exploring the legacies of manga and anime pioneer Osamu Tezuka which will be published with Breakdown Press later this year.

She lectures on the BA Illustration course at the University of Northampton and occasionally as a guest at other institutions including the RCA.

“What distinguishes this course from many others is that apart from giving students sound technical and theoretical advice, it focuses on artistic freedom and offers space for self expression.”
Andrzej Klimowski Emeritus Professor of Illustration
“This course feels like a boot camp for anyone interested in creating sequential art and simultaneously finessing their drawing skills. I learnt so much in the space of a month: about the craft, my own process, communicating my ideas in a clear visual semiotic. I was also exposed to a broad range of graphic styles by other creators from all over the world who became my peers for an intense period of working, sharing and feeding back with each other. I have already recommended it to a friend!”
Bea Xu, Artist & Psychotherapist 2025 Participant
“This course helped me create a 36-image wordless graphic novel—something I never imagined I could do. It taught me that even the struggle to draw can serve the story, and that I can build my own visual language and narrative rules. Andrzej and Miguel were incredibly supportive and thoughtful, and the environment felt safe, inspiring, and deeply creative. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to explore storytelling beyond words, and discover new ways of seeing and making.”
Aditi Manvi, Senior Art Director at Aisle 2025 Participant
“I highly recommend creators who want to expand the boundaries of their creative language to participate in the graphic novel course. Here, you can learn basic narrative knowledge and have the opportunity to exchange ideas and receive feedback in an inclusive community, which will bring small but lasting inspiration.”
Jiayi Lu, Freelancer 2025 Participant
“The programme was professionally led with numerous resources and very accomplished tutors who provide excellent advice and really shape the course of your work until the very end even with aspects such as titles, never neglecting the smaller details”
Mia Jasmine Rhodes, The Courtauld Institute of Art Student 2024 Participant
“Great way to network with people from different backgrounds and countries. Excellent chance to get drawing in a supportive environment where you are given constructive feedback and encouragement by the course leaders and your peers. Good insight into developing your skills as an artist and storyteller for industry professionals”
Olivia Rissik, Secondary Teacher at Nord Anglia Education 2024 Participant
“An inspiring and quick-paced course during which pressure to consistently work on one's story is balanced with support, encouragement and wholehearted engagement shared by the course leaders and participants. It was a unique opportunity to partake in different trajectories of participants' stories and experience a variety of drawing styles, themes and approaches. A friendly litmus test for one's ideas.”
Anita Bernacka, Early Years Teacher 2024 Participant
“The course encourages you to deeply explore your instincts for the story you wish to tell. As a filmmaker, it was a much-needed exercise to free myself from the trappings of prescribed storytelling techniques. It was a thoroughly refreshing journey, mindfully guided by Andrzej and team.”
Adzlynn Fizra 2023 participant
“The tutors took genuine interest in what we wanted to learn and develop in. I felt that I got a lot out of it, on a practical and inspirational level.”
Chiara Robotti 2023 participant
“An amazing experience with people from diverse backgrounds and places, the course and the inspiring free approach the tutors propose, gave me the confidence to put my story-ideas directly into paper. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who wants to gain inspiration and confidence in illustration and narrative.”
Elli Kikidi 2023 participant
“A fantastic experience, open and pragmatic! The innovative processes explored are keys to unlocking an exciting and experimental visual narrative practice.”
Stephen Dunne 2022 participant
“The RCA course in Visual Storytelling helped me explore drawing techniques and tools. It taught me how to tell an enjoyable story and inspired me to be creative.”
Tobia Belluzzi The Graphic Novel: Visual Storytelling participant, July 2022
“The Graphic Novel Summer School at the RCA exceeded all my expectations. The course leaders, facilitators and fellow students created a space for exploration, expression and experimentation that was very special. I felt energised by the experience and would heartily recommend it to anyone who looking to build their confidence, as well as frame of reference – you will have your world expanded in the most beautiful way.”
Laura Brown 2021 participant
“As someone who works in the film industry, you think you know your way around visual storytelling relatively well...until you meet Andrzej Klimowski and his team who introduce you to an entirely new world of story-driven visual narrative you can only get after decades of experience.”
Daniella Mangani 2021 participant
“The course reinforced my desire to create visual stories, and my love for the graphic novel genre. It gave me the confidence to present my work. I left the course brimming with ideas and excitement for all the new stories I will be exploring.”
Sanya Gupta 2021 participant

Emeritus Professor of Illustration

During his career, Andrzej has made films and written graphic novels. He has designed theatre posters and book covers for leading publishers. He was Head of Illustration at the RCA for many years, and is now Professor Emeritus. He continues to produce graphic novels with his wife Danusia Schejbal, and works in graphics and produces illustrations. He also makes films. His work has been the subject of a retrospective at the National Theatre, London.

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Short course tutor

Miguel Angel Valdivia is an Italian visual artist currently living in Naples. He graduated from the Royal College of Art in the Visual Communication department in 2013, where he also taught as a visiting lecturer for three years. He recently published his first graphic novel, "Il divino inciampare”, in Italy. He is currently writing the storyboard for his second book.

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