Illustration Schools and Programs in Madrid, Spain

About Illustration Schools and Programs in Madrid, Spain

Illustration is the craft of making images that tell something: the pictures in a children's book, a comic, a book cover, an advertising poster, a newspaper infographic or a piece for an app. Students learn drawing and graphic techniques, both traditional and digital, and also how to read a brief, plan a project and prepare images for reproduction.

In Madrid, students can choose between official qualifications of the Spanish education system and courses or master's programmes of private art and design schools, which award their own certificates.

The official route: the higher cycle in Illustration

The specific official qualification is the higher-level cycle (ciclo formativo de grado superior) of Artes Plásticas y Diseño in Illustration, part of Spain's professional arts education. It lasts 2,000 hours and leads to the title of Técnico Superior de Artes Plásticas y Diseño en Ilustración, at MECES level 1 (EQF level 5). The study plan includes drawing applied to illustration, graphic expression techniques, traditional graphic techniques, computer tools, photography, the history of illustration and illustration projects, plus a final integrated project and a work placement in companies, studios or workshops.

To enter, applicants need the Spanish Bachiller or a vocational Técnico qualification and must pass a specific aptitude test; the arts track of the Bachiller exempts students from that test. People without these qualifications can enter by passing an entrance test once they are 19. The title gives direct access to higher studies in Design and also allows entry to university bachelor's degrees.

One level up are the higher arts studies in Design (enseñanzas artísticas superiores de Diseño), organised in two cycles, grado and máster, and university degrees in fine arts and design, where illustration is usually a subject or an elective.

Private schools and their own certificates

Several private schools in Madrid offer courses, one-year programmes and their own master's programmes in illustration or related fields. ESDIP, for example, is an art school with courses in animation, illustration, comics and video games, and at IDEM, a school of styling and fashion, fashion illustration is one of the subjects taught. These programmes are usually shorter and more practical and focus on building a portfolio, but their diplomas are certificates of the school, not official qualifications. Check the length, timetable, teaching staff and how well the programme fits what the industry asks for.

International students

Students with secondary education from another country who want to enter a Spanish university bachelor's degree usually apply first to UNEDasiss, which assesses international students' academic records; they then apply to each university, which sets its own admission criteria. For the arts cycles and for private schools, the requirements are set by each school or by the education authority, so ask them directly.

Careers

According to the Spanish Ministry of Education, graduates in Illustration can work freelance or in teams at companies and institutions in communication, advertising, design, publishing, the press or audiovisual media. The careers it lists include specialised illustrator or draughtsperson, creator of original illustrations for books, print media and advertising, developer of interactive or three-dimensional projects (pop-ups), and specialist in scientific, technical, architectural, fashion, interior or product illustration.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official qualification in Illustration in Spain?

Yes. The higher-level cycle of Artes Plásticas y Diseño in Illustration, of 2,000 hours, leads to the official title of Técnico Superior de Artes Plásticas y Diseño en Ilustración.

What do I need to study the higher cycle in Illustration?

The Bachiller or a vocational Técnico qualification and a specific aptitude test, which students with the arts track of the Bachiller do not need to take. Without these qualifications, you can enter through an entrance test from the age of 19.

Does an illustration course at a private school give an official qualification?

No. Private schools' own courses and master's programmes award a certificate of the school. They can help you train and build a portfolio, but they are not equivalent to an official qualification.

What jobs can an illustrator do?

Illustrators work in book and press publishing, advertising, graphic design, audiovisual media and scientific, technical or fashion illustration, either freelance or within a company.