Term 2 2026 | Character Illustration – Tips, tricks and Markers with Ruby Thamm (MON)

Lecturer: Ruby Thamm Mon 27 Apr – Mon 1 Jun 4.00pm – 5:30pm Teens – Year Levels 7 to 9 Over this six-week course, you will be taken through a series of different illustrative techniques, from the anatomical structure of figure drawing to poses and fun facial expressions. Starting by taking you through some basics and building up confidence in character development through a series of fun and innovative guided drawing exercises. Students will gain an understanding of anatomical drawing fundamentals and learn how to bring characters to life on paper. Participants will also be introduced to materials such as fineliners, drawing ink and alcohol-based markers, where they can learn ways of polishing off a well-developed illustration. Alongside character design, participants will learn some great tips and tricks when it comes to using alcohol-based markers, from lighting techniques to blending and even creating some cool effects. By the end of this course, each participant will have either drawn their very own unique character or drawn a fully completed illustration of a character that they are interested in. At the end of this course, each participant will have created their very own traditional illustration of their developed character- Human, animal, or fantasy. Whether you’re new to character design or want to develop your skills further, this course offers a practical foundation and fun techniques to create eye-catching illustrations. What you need to bring: A3 Sketchbook HB Pencil (x2) 2-hole sharpener Kneadable eraser Regular eraser Ballpoint pens (two different colours of your choice) 0.05, 0.1, 0.3,0.5, 0.8 Black fineliner set Black brush pen Dip pen Black drawing ink (you can get this at Officeworks or any artshop) White gel pen A3 Marker Paper (Highly recommend- Reeves Bleedproof Marker Paper at Spotlight) ***Alcohol-based Markers and coloured pencils will be supplied*** Images: courtesy of Ruby Thamm Ruby Thamm is an emerging multidisciplinary artist and illustrator who is based in Adelaide, South Australia. She works across the fields of drawing, painting, mixed-media, video, installation, textiles and sculpture. Her practice is situated in the realms of Queer theory, fantasy, Drag, other worlds and non-conformative gender identities. She received a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Hons) from Adelaide Central School of Art in 2024 and her Bachelor of Visual Arts in 2023 also from Adelaide Central School of Art. Please read the Terms and Conditions before completing your enrolment. Book before 20 March for the 5% Early Bird discount!