Step into the shadows…
Create illustrations filled with fantasy, mystery, folklore & storytelling
Where ink, texture and line become visual stories alive with myth, folklore and mystery.
About This Course
“This immersive five-week course invites you into the world of dark fantasy illustration, where ink, texture and line become visual stories alive with myth, folklore and mystery. Using classical illustration materials and techniques, working with ink dip pen and pencils, you will learn how to create mysterious visual stories and worlds of your own.
This course welcomes all levels, with assignments adapted to suit your experience, whether you are exploring illustration for the first time or developing your artistic practice or portfolio. There is no pressure to perform—just space to draw, tell stories, experiment and explore together.
You’ll leave with practical skills, creative tools and a clear understanding of dark fantasy illustration, alongside new inspiration, personal feedback and a creative community of your own.” — Ailisha Shannon (Illustrator of New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling fantasy books)
Course Information
5-week live and interactive online course
Dates: Tuesdays, 20 October–17 November 2026
Time: 20:00–22:30 Amsterdam time (CEST/CET)
Location: Live online via Zoom
Duration: 12.5 hours of live classes, with one 2.5-hour class each week
All levels welcome: This course is a warm and inclusive gathering for beginners through to professional artists, with assignments adapted to your experience. A little drawing experience—even some high-school sketching—will help you get the most from the course.
In-depth personal feedback throughout the course
All classes recorded exclusively for students, making it easy to catch up on a missed class or revisit a session
Class-exclusive WhatsApp group to share progress and inspiration, stay connected and meet your fellow students
Class size: Minimum 12 and maximum 23 students
Materials list emailed before the course begins
Language: English, with Dutch translation available
Extra technique assignments available upon request
What you’ll learn
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This week, you will be introduced to classical line-and-ink illustration using East Indian ink. We’ll start with exercises to loosen your hand, explore style and get out of your head, followed by your first storytelling and illustration assignment. Each student can adapt the assignment to their own level and comfort.
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This week, we will explore how to tell a story using contrast, style and composition.
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Through live storytelling and inspiring assignments, you will learn how to plan, sketch and build an intricate illustration, giving you the skills to create the artwork you envision.
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This week, we will dive deep into symbols and archetypes and explore how they can be used to tell a story. Which compositions belong to which archetypes? Which rules are made to be broken, and which illustration traditions can support your story and personal style?
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During the last class students will pick whether they want to focus on creating a full page editorial illustration or a book cover: We will close the course by taking time to reflect on one another’s work.
Meet your teacher
Ailisha Shannon is an illustrator, artist and educator who has taught art since 2009, specialising in visual storytelling and traditional illustration. Her dark fantasy illustrations appear in Melissa K. Roehrich’s New York Times bestselling Legacy series, as well as in the deluxe editions of The Aesymarean Duet and The Esprithean Trilogy by Bree Grenwich and Parker Lennox, amongst others. She is one half of the illustration duo
Studio Duco. Working entirely by hand with traditional dip pens and East Indian ink, Ailisha creates supportive, immersive classes rich in storytelling that help students develop their skills and discover who they are creatively.
Get to know your teacher
Get to know Ailisha Shannon, her art, illustrations and how she teaches on Instagram.
Join the Dark Fantasy Illustration course, today
This 5-week course offers an open, supportive and inclusive creative space where creatives of all levels can experiment, learn and develop their Dark Fantasy illustration skills with personal guidance from an experienced teacher







