All digital illustration courses

Highly skilled illustrators are in demand due to the ever-growing gaming and movie industry. These industries are always looking for talented individuals to work on a variety of projects. Outside of the film and video games industry, illustrators are also hired to create trading card game art, book or comic book cover illustrations, movie posters and more.

These roles are extremely competitive (just head to ArtStation to see the standard of work top illustrators are producing!), so if you want to make it as a digital illustrator, you have to put in the work!

Firstly, you need to develop your skills and expand your portfolio. This can be done by taking an illustration course, studying the work of other artists, and practicing as much as possible.

Secondly, you need to network and build relationships with people in the industry. This will give you the opportunity to learn about new projects, get your foot in the door, and show off your skills.

Finally, you need to be patient and persistent. It takes time and hard work to succeed in any field, but if you're passionate about art and willing to put in the effort, then a career as a digital illustrator could be right for you.

For CG Spectrum's digital painting courses, basic drawing competency is required, as these are not drawing courses. If you are unsure if you qualify, please contact our admissions team.

Alongside basic drawing skills, you will also need basic computer skills as you will be using Photoshop and other software to learn how to create digital art. 

Our complete digital illustration study pathway (from introduction to advanced) gives you a solid foundation in digital illustration, as well as concept art (knowing both can open up additional career opportunities). You'll also have free access to career services including portfolio/CV reviews, application help, a jobs database, interview preparation and more.

Depending on your level of commitment, skills, and the quality of your portfolio, you should meet the minimum requirements to start applying for junior digital painting jobs such as:

• Digital Illustrator
• Concept Artist
• Comic Illustrator
• Game Illustrator
• Book Illustrator
• Keyframe Illustrator
• Character Designer
• Environment Designer
• Asset Designer

Discover more about these digital painting jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:

CG Spectrum's digital illustration course pathway covers everything you'll need to know to create professionally polished art for the film, video game and publishing industries. 

How long it takes to learn digital illustration depends on a few factors, including your natural ability and how much time you're willing to dedicate to learning.

It's possible to become proficient in digital illustration within a few months. But to make a career out of it and produce an exceptional portfolio that meets industry standards, it will take longer. For even the best artists, art is a lifelong learning journey.

Our digital illustration study pathway is a total of 18 months, and is focused on creating a job-worthy portfolio. On completion of the full pathway, you will be ready to start applying for junior jobs. (Some of our most dedicated students have found work before graduating!)

One of the major benefits of our courses is having an industry mentor guiding you every step of the way, and sharing insider's knowledge based on their own experience as a successful working artist.

Yes! You can do digital illustration on a laptop. Though some artists prefer to work with a larger screen.