Illustration
Visual Research and Practice
Milan
ENG
Summer and Winter Courses
Language
English
Start date
June 2026
Frequency
Full time
Fruition
On campus
Duration
3 Weeks
Price
2.800 €
Learn to observe. Turn ideas into images. Begin your journey into illustration.
Illustration is much more than a simple accompaniment to text: it is a visual language capable of telling stories, interpreting reality, and giving form to complex ideas.
The Summer Course in Illustration: Visual Research and Practice is designed for those who want to approach illustration from its foundations while developing an initial creative working method. During the course, you will learn how to observe carefully, interpret what you see, and translate it into meaningful images. Analog drawing becomes a tool for thinking, exploring, and building a personal visual research practice.
Through guided exercises and moments of discussion, participants will be supported step by step in the development of a complete project: from the analysis of initial ideas and visual references to the definition of a concept, and finally to the creation of a single illustrated piece or a small coherent series of images.
The course proposes a conscious and hands-on approach to image-making, placing observation, manual practice, and the creative process at the center, in contrast to the logic of automated image production.
By the end of the course, you will have acquired the foundations of visual literacy and a working method that can be applied to different contexts: editorial projects, independent publishing, illustration for books and magazines, or as a first step toward more advanced studies in the field of illustration.
By the end of the course, you will have developed a solid foundation in visual literacy and a design methodology that you can apply across a variety of creative contexts.
These skills will enable you to navigate fields such as editorial design, independent publishing, and illustration for books and magazines with greater confidence. They may also serve as a first step toward more advanced studies in the field of illustration.
Information to decide
The Summer Course in Illustration: Visual Research and Practice follows a progressive learning structure that integrates theoretical introductions, case study analysis, research activities, and project development.
The first part of the course focuses on visual literacy and the analysis of editorial and cultural illustration through observation exercises and analog experimentation.
In the second phase, students develop an individual project based on a selection of proposed themes, working in the studio to define the concept and produce the images.
The course also includes critique sessions and external activities within the Milanese cultural context, used as tools for observation and research.
The program concludes with the finalization of the projects and a collective final presentation. The final output consists of either a complex illustrated piece or a coherent series of images, compiled into a digital portfolio.
The Summer Course in Illustration: Visual Research and Practice is intended for international students interested in illustration and visual culture, coming from backgrounds or experiences in visual arts, design, visual communication, fashion, publishing, or related disciplines.
The course is introductory and designed for those who wish to strengthen their visual foundations and develop greater critical awareness in image-making.
Basic drawing and manual representation skills are required for admission. Advanced technical skills or the use of digital software are not required: the course does not start entirely from scratch but guides participants toward illustration as an editorial and cultural language through a progressive learning path.
Take advantage from the special promotion for our Summer Courses in Italy
Book and complete now your enrollment process and you will benefit from a special discount on the tuition fee.
Syllabus
C
Foundations of Editorial Illustration and Image Culture
This module provides the theoretical and analytical framework for the course. Through lectures and guided discussions, students analyze both contemporary and historical examples of editorial illustration, with particular attention to cultural, independent, and research-oriented contexts.
The work focuses on reading images, understanding visual codes, and exploring the relationship between content and form. Topics include composition, use of space, figure–ground relationships, visual rhythm, and seriality.
Visual Research and Project Methodology for Illustration
This module introduces the working method of the editorial illustrator. Starting from proposed cultural themes, students develop visual research through the collection and analysis of iconographic references, visual mapping, direct observation, and drawing as a research tool.
Particular attention is given to the transition from research to concept: transforming an abstract theme into a structured visual idea.
Analog Illustration Workshop and Project Development
The core of the course focuses on image production and the development of the individual project.
Through analog techniques and experimentation with materials, marks, and compositional solutions, students progressively create a complex illustrated piece or a coherent series of images aligned with their concept. The instructor supports the process through tutoring, technical guidance, and methodological suggestions, encouraging the conscious evolution of each project.
Critique Sessions and Mid-Project Reviews
Collective critique sessions dedicated to the presentation of works in progress. These moments allow students to articulate their visual choices, engage with peer feedback, and integrate constructive input into their process.
Visits and Observation within Milan’s Cultural Context
External activities within the urban and cultural context of Milan, including visits to exhibitions and places connected to visual culture. These visits are intended as guided observation and sources of inspiration, integrated into the research and translated into references useful for the project.
Portfolio Preparation
A module dedicated to selecting, organizing, and presenting the final works. Students work on sequence, readability, and the construction of a visual narrative aligned with editorial and cultural illustration practices, while also highlighting the quality of the creative process.
Final Project Review
A final collective review with the presentation of the completed project and portfolio.
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