Professional Diploma in Creative Multimedia Illustration

Build a solid foundation in observational drawing, human figure studies and professional illustration. Through hands-on studio practice, you will explore traditional media and learn drawing techniques while developing your visual language and personal style.  

Suitable for:  
Beginners and creative practitioners seeking structured training in drawing and illustration.

M1: Illustration Studio
Drawing techniques

What you will learn  

• Work with charcoal: Understand form, proportion, light and shadow, tonal value and chiaroscuro  
• Work with pastel: Apply colour theory, colour blending and tonal techniques  
• Develop effective compositions using linear perspective and spatial depth  
• Work with watercolour: Observe and render organic forms  
• Experience the illustration process, from observation and visual research to final artwork    

Add to your portfolio  

• Observational drawings of man-made and organic objects (charcoal and pastel) 
• Animal painting (watercolour) 
• Completed illustration artwork

M2: Analytical Illustration
Human Anatomy, Figure Drawing and Portraiture

What you will learn  

• Study the skeletal and muscular structures of the human body, and understand proportions, balance and anatomy  
• Analyse the anatomy and construction of the head, face and hands  
• Draw facial features with greater accuracy  
• Capture gesture, movement, rhythm and flow  
• Apply anatomical knowledge through life drawing

Add to your portfolio  

• Skull and skeletal sketch  
• Gesture and movement sketch  
• Portrait study  
• Creative self-portrait

M3: Art of Illustration
Visual Language, Professional Practice and Personal Style

What you will learn  

• Examine the history and evolution of illustration, and the relationship between illustration, art, culture and technology  
• Compare traditional and contemporary illustration, explore different illustration formats and market needs  
• Communicate ideas through visual language, narrative and symbolism  
• Work with acrylic and coloured pencils: Experiment with different forms, styles and advanced drawing techniques  
• Explore interesting illustration techniques and develop personal style through creative thinking  

 Add to your portfolio  

• Visual style and technique studies  
• A final artwork showcasing your personal visual language and illustration style (mixed media) 

	DE424129D	DE424130C
Intake	11	11
Commencement	14 Nov 2026	14 Nov 2026
Target  Completion	8 Apr 2028	17 Apr 2027
Class Day	Sat	Sat
Class Time	14:00 - 19:00	14:00 - 19:00
Venue	HKDI	HKDI
Early Bird   Deadline	20 Oct 2026	20 Oct 2026
Online Application

Remark: Fees paid are non-refundable and non-transferable unless the course is cancelled.

Understand digital illustration processes and build practical skills in 3D visualisation and animation. Through hands-on practices, you will explore digital illustration, character design, 3D modelling and motion techniques to transform ideas into engaging digital and animated artwork.

Suitable for:
Individuals interested in digital illustration, animation and 3D creation.

M4: Digital Illustration
Photoshop, Digital and Vector Illustration Techniques

What you will learn  

• Set up Adobe Photoshop workspace and a tablet for digital illustration  
• Apply essential Photoshop tools, brushes, colour, texture and lighting techniques to create and enhance digital artwork  
• Apply photo retouching and image compositing techniques  
• Create vector illustrations in Adobe Illustrator and integrate them with Photoshop artwork  
• Develop a personal digital illustration style through character and portrait projects  

Add to your portfolio  

• Illustrations created using Photoshop features  
• Photo-composite illustration  
• Vector illustration  
• Character poster re-creation  

M5: Motion Narrative
Skeletal Animation, 2D Rigging and Software Techniques  

What you will learn  

• Understand the principles and production workflow of skeletal animation  
• Create 2D rigs and loop animations, and apply mesh functions using Blender and other software  
• Create motion graphics using Adobe After Effects  
• introduce animation production for commercial and artistic applications  
• Present and refine an original animation idea with professional feedback  

Add to your portfolio  

• Rigged character animation  
• Looping skeletal animations featuring your own character  
• Animation using mesh functions  
• Skeletal animation and motion graphics  
• A set of animated emojis for social media    

M6: 3D Visualisation
3D Modelling, Sculpting, Texturing and Animation

What you will learn  

• Understand the fundamental concepts and production workflow of 3D digital art  
• Learn Blender techniques and create 3D models and animations using sculpting, UV mapping and unwrapping, Photoshop texture painting, lighting and animation  
• Animate a 3D character within a designed environment  
• Publish and present 3D artwork  

Add to your portfolio  

• 3D models of different objects  
• UV-mapped and textured 3D artwork  
• A short 3D character animation set in a 3D scene 

Remark: Fees paid are non-refundable and non-transferable unless the course is cancelled.

Prepare for professional practice as an illustrator. Establish your personal style and apply illustration across commercial, sculptural and narrative contexts. Through practical projects, you will explore professional practice, character prototyping and visual storytelling while building a distinctive portfolio.  

Suitable for:  
Creators with foundational drawing skills seeking to become industry-ready illustrators.  

M7: Commercial Illustration
Personal Style, Business Development and Professional Practice  

What you will learn  

• Understand the illustration industry, business models and market trends for independent and freelance illustrators  
• Strengthen your personal style through visual research, experimentation and creative thinking  
• Promote your work and build a professional identity through portfolios, biography writing, business card, websites and social media  
• Manage client communication and project expectations, and prepare quotations, invoices, proposals and funding applications  
• Present and refine a commercial illustration project with professional feedback  

Add to your portfolio  

• Personal style research and a mood board  
• A business proposal and business card design  
• Key visual illustration  

M8: Sculptural Visualisation  
Character Design, Sculpting and Prototype Development  

What you will learn  

• Understand character design processes  
• Develop original character concepts through research, sketching and design thinking  
• Visualise character forms with a 3D mindset through clay dummy practice  
• Develop character sculpting skills and learn to manipulate relevant tools and materials  
• Develop and refine character prototypes, including form, proportion, structure and details through hands-on sculpting  

Add to your portfolio  

• Character concept development, design sketches, and clay modelling  
• A character sculpture and its visual guidelines  

M9: Visual Narrative Illustration  
Storytelling, Character Imagery Design and Illustrated Book Production  

What you will learn  

• Understand the significance and diverse forms of visual narrative, including comics, graphic novels and illustrated stories  
• Analyse the key elements of effective visual storytelling through case studies  
• Develop expressive characters that communicate emotions, scenarios and roles  
• Study visual-verbal communication and apply typography, calligraphy and decorative patterns as narrative elements  
• Prepare sample prints by applying fonts, colour arrangement and page layout principles  
• Illustrate a storybook by planning story structure, page composition and pacing through thumbnails and storyboards  
• Develop a unique visual style for narrative illustration  
• Present and articulate creative concepts through critique and peer review  

Add to your portfolio  

• A printed illustrated book  

Remark: Fees paid are non-refundable and non-transferable unless the course is cancelled.

Basic Qualification

Mature Applicants
Mature applicants, i.e. those aged 21 or above with at least two years’ relevant working experience, can be admitted. Where appropriate, the applicant may be required to pass an entrance assessment, which can be in an oral and/or written form.

Documents Required for Application
1) Completed Application Form (Online)
2) Upload Copy of proof for Academic Qualifications
3) Upload Copy of proof for Working Experience

Chow LEE
Chow is a Hong Kong-based illustrator. In the 1990s, he established Chow Lee Illustration Studio and has been participating in illustration teaching in Hong Kong and Macau, promoting cultural and creative industries.
In 2010, Chow won the Gold Award in the 1st Greater China Illustration Awards - The Best Illustration (Advertising). He has also organized numerous joint illustration exhibitions as a curator and exhibitor.
Since 2012, he has co-organized the Professional Diploma in Creative Multimedia Illustration with the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI). In 2014, he was a winner of the "Ten Outstanding Designers Award".
Chow's illustration works cover different creative media, including print advertising, film, TV programme illustrations, stamp illustrations, animation and outdoor murals.
Website

Lange WONG

Lange is a Hong Kong game developer. She has worked in various types of game companies, including 3D animation and user interface design. In recent years, Lange focuses more on hand-drawn illustrations and has created artwork for a diverse range of projects: The movie "The Way We Keep Dancing" T-Shirt illustration for the hip hop artist Heyo, designed concert visuals for the band "De Tesla", created cover art and illustrations for the novel, and produced themed illustrations for Menya Musashi and CCCC/select at the Langham Place store.
LinkedIn   |   Instagram

Johnson CHIANG
Johnson is the creator of the character 'JohnDog", the curator of Hong Kong Art Toy Story 2022 (Thailand Exhibition). He is a professional member of the Hong Kong Society of Illustrators, and was the chairman from 2014-16. In 2013, he published the book “Come on, Creative!” on how to use creativity. With over ten years of experience at three major 4As agencies in Hong Kong, he has been responsible for a wide range of tasks, including brand management, marketing strategies, and advertising tactics.
Website