Digital Illustrator Specialization

This course requires the successful completion of the Concept Art and Illustration Foundations career track or a portfolio submission and an accompanying reel/resume. To read our portfolio submission rules and guidelines please head to our FAQ page.

If you don't have basic drawing competency, we offer a short Beginner Drawing Course, which requires no prior drawing experience and will help prepare you for our more advanced concept art and digital illustration courses.

If you are unsure about your skill level, you can always chat with our team hello@cgspectrum.com.

Age Minimum
The general minimum age to be able to enroll in our industry certificate courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrollment process for applicants under 18.

Students under 16 will require a further assessment before they can officially enrol. This may include an interview with a course advisor and the creation of a study plan to ensure they have considered how they will manage a college-level workload.

English Proficiency
We expect our students to have a good understanding of written and spoken English. There’s no specific ’level'; however, you must be able to understand video tutorials in English (no subtitles) and speak with your mentor in English during your live Q&A session.

Computer Literacy
To be successful in this program, you will need basic computer skills and a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).

Software:

You will need to purchase Photoshop (Creative Cloud 'All Apps' plan with a student discount) for the length of your studies. 

Hardware:

You will need a computer that meets the minimum system requirements for Photoshop, and a graphics tablet (see digital painting software and equipment). We recommend a minimum of 32GB RAM. 

On completion of the Digital Illustrator Specialization you will have greater confidence in your abilities and a portfolio to show employers.

You will also have personalized career services with our Career Development Manager which can help when applying for junior illustrator jobs such as:

• Digital illustrator
• Comic illustrator
• Game illustrator
• Book illustrator
• Keyframe illustrator

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

Both require strong artistic fundamentals but serve different roles in the creative pipeline within film, games, and publishing. Concept art focuses on designing characters, environments, and props, with a focus on iteration and bringing ideas to life. Digital illustration, on the other hand, is about creating more polished, standalone images with a stronger focus on composition and storytelling. 

For a more thorough breakdown of the differences, please read our blog Concept Art vs Illustration: Understanding the Difference.

This Digital Illustrator Specialization builds upon the skills offered in the Concept Art & Digital Illustration Foundations course and completes our career track offering. Students who are serious about pursuing a career in illustration have an opportunity to explore the world of digital painting more deeply, study composition more intensely, and progress further with creative techniques, including 3D paint-overs.

The Specialization course also offers an entire term dedicated to getting students career-ready. This includes building necessary job skills while working on your professional portfolio, with support and feedback from your mentor every step of the way.

We cannot offer guaranteed employment as the film and game industry is competitive, and there is no way of knowing what the market will demand when it comes to digital illustration.

The students who experience the greatest success are those who take responsibility for their careers, put in the hard work to raise their skills to industry standards, leverage their mentor's invaluable expertise, and take advantage of every opportunity to excel.

Taking an advanced digital illustration course not only keeps students focused while they grow as artists and build their portfolios, but it also increases their social scope as they make more contacts with more time and work, a key component in securing a job. 

To help students find employment, we have a range of career services and a dedicated career coach who regularly hosts exclusive career-focused webinars, Q&As, artist interviews, and workshops for CG Spectrum students and graduates and is available to answer career-related questions.

The Specialization course also dedicates a full term to career and industry preparation. With your mentor's guidance, you'll refine your professional portfolio, build essential job skills, and learn how to market yourself.

If you have any questions about our career services as they relate to your personal career goals, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

As with any venture, it will be what you make of it! The best animators are constantly growing, evolving, and learning new skill sets. 

A specialized illustration course is an excellent way to sharpen one’s skills, open doors to exciting new methods and practices, refine your showreel, and continue to grow and network as an artist and member of the digital painting community.

The benefit of doing the Digital Illustrator Specialization at CG Spectrum is receiving mentorship from an industry professional who can share their workflows and techniques with you. If you choose the 1-on-1 private mentorship option, there is also some flexibility to customize the program to meet your particular needs and career goals.

You can also get additional support from our career coach if you are looking to take the next step in your career, whether that be a promotion or switching your specialization.