Student work by Oliver Harbour
Discover how to create professionally polished art for films, video games and publishing! The Digital Illustrator Specialization helps you build critical job skills and a portfolio to impress employers.
Why study digital illustration with us:
With mentorship from an established artist and a curriculum focused on job outcomes, you'll master complex illustration techniques and learn how to communicate effectively through art, creating work that captivates and inspires.
Industry Certificate
9 months
20 hrs weekly
Advanced
November 4th, 2024
December 2nd, 2024
January 6th, 2025
Weekly live online classes
Video lectures
Mentor feedback
Access to vibrant community
Whether changing careers or upgrading your skills, our specialized expert-led illustration programs help you build practical job skills that serve throughout your career.
Plan your studies around your work and family commitments
Learn from mentors who have worked on major films and games
Build practical, relevant job skills that studios are looking for
Options to help you pursue your passion and start working sooner
Discover how to use your human or creature figure to convey the story of your artwork. Explore advanced painting techniques to mimic traditional media, and practice fine art portraiture and digital painting. Examine how famous artists approached paint handling and gesture. Then experiment with composition to guide viewers to the action, and see how light, color and shape enhance your story.
The end goal of a successful illustration is to accurately tell a story and sell a product. Explore various commercial markets and learn about creating book covers, card gaming art and marketing art for film and games. Experiment with hand painting, photo-bashing and 3D paint-overs. Assignments are treated like real commissions with hard deadlines so you learn to work under pressure.
This final term is dedicated to getting you job-ready! With your mentor’s guidance, you’ll polish your best pieces for your illustration portfolio and learn how to develop your competitive edge, market yourself, and make the best possible impression in front of employers. You'll also receive additional 1-on-1 career support, portfolio reviews, and industry insights from CG Spectrum's Career Coach.
The 9-month Specialization Course is the second half of our Career Track, preparing you for your first day in the industry. Your future awaits!
Eric is a New York Times bestselling Illustrator, 2020 Chesley Award Winner for best hardback book cover sci-fi illustration, and has been featured in multiple volumes of Spectrum Fantastic Art, Expose, and Imagine FX. He was also a finalist in the ARC International Salon. Over the past decade he's created art for film, TV, advertising, publishing, animation, comics, video games and even costume design.
With a focus on portfolio preparation, we help students craft impressive, high-quality work that stands out in a competitive industry. See what they are creating.
Our commitment to job outcomes and a focus on career development have helped graduates find work at studios worldwide.
This course requires the successful completion of the Concept Art and Illustration Foundations career track or a portfolio submission demonstrating professional experience and an accompanying reel/resume.
You must know the difference between concept art and illustration (as you will need to decide between taking this specialization and the Concept Artist Specialization) and demonstrate competent use of perspective, anatomy, color, and colorization in Photoshop, linework, composition, and iterative design as these skills and knowledge are all required in this more advanced course.
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 (photography plan only) 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).
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:
Discover more about these jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:
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.
While CG Spectrum's advanced students have a high job success rate (83%), 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.
I have never experienced such an explosive evolution in my art since attending CG Spectrum.
I have learnt an incredible amount, not only from my amazing mentor Eric Wilkerson but from the entire CGS community. Being part of such an amazing program has opened my eyes to techniques that have streamlined my process and increased my confidence tenfold. I highly recommend the Advanced Illustration Course. Buckle up, and knuckle down – this could be the course that changes everything for you.
Not just for people wanting to break into the industry, it's also for professionals already in it.
I am a concept artist at Paradox Interactive in Sweden, and I wanted to expand my illustration skills, so I decided to take the Digital Illustration Course. I am loving it!! If you're a professional and want to learn a new skill, I would say go ahead! Expand your set of skills!
Results of this course exceeded my expectations.
Eric Wilkerson is by far my favorite art teacher. He is patient, super helpful and encouraging. I had some self-discipline challenges but when I started the course, but he immediately set me on the right path and I started drawing and learning every single day.
Thanks to CG Spectrum, I am a lot closer to my dream of being a concept artist.
The curriculum structure is very reasonable, with both academic basic theories and useful suggestions for career paths. Thanks to my mentors, Brian Huang and Victoria Sarkissian, who not only taught me drawing skills and design techniques, but more importantly, they also gave me the confidence to continue working hard.
The staff are really awesome. They genuinely care and they work very hard for you.
There are plenty of extra curriculars on offer. You can drop in on fundamentals classes every week. The Technical Assistants run friendly competitions. They have workshops and Q&As with big-name studios like Industrial Light and Magic. You get out what you put in, but they do their best to make a lot of good available to you while you're there.
This school WILL put you on the right path.
The knowledge and skills have helped me grow tremendously as an artist. I took both the Intro and Advanced courses with Brandon, and cannot speak highly enough of him. Not only does he genuinely care about his students, but he has years of experience that are invaluable. The courses are not easy, but designed to constantly push you in many ways. I recommend this school if you are willing to put in the time and effort, it is worth it!
Eric Wilkerson is truly an excellent mentor.
It is a pleasure to be in his class. Firstly, he is so knowledgeable and his tutorials are packed with valuable information. Secondly, he is very patient and always takes time to find the best solution for problems his students encounter. On top of that, he is an AMAZING artist!
Experienced, successful and friendly mentors.
CG Spectrum has pushed me closer to my dream of being a concept artist. The mentors are amazing, which really is their unique selling point! Very glad to have taken both the illustration and concept art course, and the advanced concept art course.
It was literally the absolute best thing that has ever happened to my career and professional life.
I feel like I’ve improved not only as an artist but as a professional as a whole, as the classes integrate every single detail of the artist life. The doors really open for us all and there’s nothing I’d change.
These courses helped me learn much faster than in any other school or classroom.
I spent so much time trying to learn on my own using free resources - which worked up until a point. But it's that extra push a mentor will give you that really ties it all together. I couldn’t be more grateful for all the support this community and my mentor Eric Wilkerson have given me. Taking a rough concept to a fully-rendered illustration is something I never could have done before, and now I finally have the skills to make it happen.
It's one of the best discoveries of my life.
Never been so happy to study before. I've learnt so much in such a short time, and not only with the awesome mentors here, but thanks to this big community too! Thanks, CG Spectrum!
They give you the right tools for the right job.
I enrolled in the Concept Art and Illustration course without any art background (theoretical and practical). Thanks to my enthusiastic mentors, Eric Wilkerson and Brian Huang, and knowledgeable fellas in group chat, I was able to improve my skills in a short time.
Highly recommend this school!
My teachers were very helpful and I have learned so much about the industry. The highlight I think is the community they nurture—I have great relationships with other students, alumni, and mentors from my time at CG Spectrum.
Study options for all skill levels, from short introduction courses, specialized industry tracks and accredited programs