Over the past few years I have had the opportunity to work with a number of different year groups at Pleckgate High School, returning regularly to deliver illustration workshops with the students. It is always a pleasure to be welcomed back and much of that comes down to the dedication of the staff in the art department. They work incredibly hard to create a supportive and inspiring environment for the students and it really shows in both the atmosphere of the classroom and the quality of work being produced.

Each visit offers the chance to see how creative confidence develops as students move through the school. There is a real sense that the students are encouraged to explore their ideas, experiment with techniques and take pride in their work. The result is a vibrant mix of creativity and individuality and it is clear that there are some seriously talented young people coming through the department.

Every year I deliver my Digital Portrait Illustration Workshop with the Year 11 students and they never fail to impress. The session focuses on building portraits using digital drawing techniques, combining observation with stylised illustration methods to create bold and expressive outcomes. It is always fascinating to watch how quickly the students take hold of the process and begin to push their ideas further.

What makes these sessions particularly rewarding is seeing how each student interprets the techniques in their own way. Even when working from the same starting point, the finished portraits develop into a wide range of styles and approaches, each reflecting the personality and creative instincts of the individual student.

They are consistently a pleasure to work with and I am always impressed by the work that emerges by the end of each session. It is a real testament to both the students’ enthusiasm and the strong support provided by the school’s art department.

Take a look at some of their images below… 🎨

EMELBI (“,)

This was my second visit to Rode Heath, returning to deliver a repeat of last year’s Digital Portrait Illustration Workshop with the current Year 6 class. It is always nice to revisit a school and see a new group of students respond to the same creative challenges. Once again the results were fantastic.

The workshop introduces pupils to the process of building a portrait through layers and making confident use of colour. By working step by step, the students quickly discover how simple techniques can come together to create striking and individual images. By the end of the session the iPad screens are usually full of colour, texture and a wide range of imaginative portraits.

One of the ideas we explore during the workshop is colour itself. We spend a little time looking at the colour wheel, thinking about complementary colours, limited palettes and how colour choices can change the mood or impact of an image. For many pupils this is an opportunity to experiment in ways they might not normally try.

Some students choose to work with more natural or conventional colours, which can be very effective, while others enjoy pushing things a little further by experimenting with unusual skin tones or unexpected colour combinations for clothing and backgrounds. This freedom to explore often leads to some really interesting and diverse outcomes, with every portrait developing its own personality.

As with last year, the pupils produced some brilliant work, full of bold colour, inventive textures and confident ideas. It is always rewarding to see how quickly young artists embrace the process and make it their own.

Rode Heath is a lovely school to work with, supported by a great team of staff and enthusiastic students. It is always a pleasure to spend time there and see the creativity that emerges during the workshop.

EMELBI (“,)

I spent a full week at Birkby Junior School, working with both Year 4 and Year 6 students and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience from start to finish. By the end of the week, I had a free session on Friday afternoon which I decided to turn into a special treat. The students who had worked particularly diligently and demonstrated exceptional behaviour were invited to join me for an extra creative session, building on the portrait illustration skills they had developed during the week.

For this bonus session we used the iPads once again and the program Procreate to explore Character Illustration. The students quickly got to grips with multiple layers, different brushes and a variety of creative tools having used these methods during their portrait workshop. This allowed them to experiment and play freely with their ideas. This sense of freedom encouraged them to take risks, push their designs in unexpected directions and ultimately produce a more diverse and imaginative set of outcomes.

To kick things off, I created a quick character illustration as a live demonstration, showing them how rapidly a strong, impactful and fun image can come together. Watching me build the character step by step gave the students confidence and sparked ideas of their own. We followed this with a short Q&A session to cover some technical tips and tricks and then I set them loose to create their own characters.

The energy in the room was fantastic. Students were eager to experiment with tools, try out new techniques and see where their imagination would take them. By the end of the session there was a lively mix of inventive characters, each one showing how much creativity can be unlocked when technique meets playful experimentation.

This video shows the process of the quick illustration I did as part of the tutorial.

These images below are the characters that they came up with.

I think that they did a great job in such a short time.

Some more impacting digital portrait illustrations from Year 6 at Birkby Junior School.

This workshop is one of my favourite workshops to deliver. I love the way that the students really get involved with the task and the amount of diverse imagery that comes out of these sessions is always impressive.

Once again, the Year 6 students at Birkby really delivered with their hard work. It can be a challenging workshop, as the students have to take on quite a broad array of instructions and new information all at once in order to learn the involved process that is required to make these images.

Check out their efforts below.

EMELBI (“,)

This was my first time working with this school and I was immediately struck by their enthusiasm for the arts. Creativity is clearly celebrated at every level and the school is filled with inspiring displays of the children’s artwork around every corner. Walking through the corridors, it felt like a place where imagination is truly valued, so I felt right at home from the very start.

After introducing myself and sharing a little about the work I do, Year 6 dived straight into their Digital Portrait Workshop using iPads and the Procreate app. The day was full of energy and creativity, with students exploring layers, brushes and colour in ways that were both experimental and confident. Watching the portraits develop throughout the session was a real highlight – the students’ ideas, attention to detail and willingness to try new techniques made for some genuinely impressive results.

The children were a pleasure to work with: well behaved, engaged and clearly enjoying the opportunity to create. They put a lot of care and thought into their work and it really showed in the finished pieces. By the end of the day there were plenty of vibrant, dynamic portraits, each one reflecting the individual personality of the student who created it. Some students got their images printed so that they could take them home. They wanted to show their parents and carers what they had been creating as they were really proud of what they had achieved.

It was a wonderful school to visit and the combination of talented, enthusiastic students and supportive staff made the day a real success. Don’t just take my word for it, check out these fantastic images that Year 6 produced during the workshop!

EMELBI (“,)

This year’s digital portraits at Birkby Junior School were as strong as ever, and it was a real pleasure to see the Year 6 students in action. The Digital Portrait Workshop continues to grow in popularity and it’s easy to see why. The session is a fantastic way for students to explore how layers can be used to build up digital imagery, how to apply colour flats like professional comic colourists and how to experiment with texture and graphic interest to make each portrait truly unique.

One of the highlights this year was the line work. Many students demonstrated a strong eye for detail, taking care with every stroke and gradually shaping their portraits with confidence. It was inspiring to watch these images develop from initial sketches into fully realised digital pieces, each reflecting the student’s own creativity and style.

The workshop also encourages playful experimentation. Students were not afraid to try new colour combinations, explore different brush effects and layer textures to give their portraits depth and personality. These explorations added energy and variety to the work, ensuring that no two portraits looked the same.

Overall, it was a brilliant effort from all the Year 6 students. The combination of careful technique, imaginative choices, and willingness to experiment made for a truly impressive set of outcomes.

Take a look at their work below!

Check out these wonderful images that Y6 created below.

I have worked with this school for a number of years now and the children always come up with the goods. There are some super, creative and talented pupils among the children at Birkby Junior School.

The digital portrait workshop that year 6 took part in this year brought some really striking results. Based on their own portrait photos, the children explored a set of techniques using the program Procreate on the iPad. The resulting imagery is bold and striking.

I am always fascinated in the results regarding individual style. Especially after the students are taken through the same set of processes regarding technique. Regardless of age, I find that people creating any type of artwork will always apply their own unique set of ideas or experiences to the process. This is what makes each individual piece of art diverse and unique and have its own energy.

Check out these wonderful images that Y6 created below.