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Nadia's Thursday, two ways

8 lessons · 23 prompts

A day in the life of an Illustrator: what changes with these prompts.

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Nadia, a freelance children's book illustrator in Leeds.

Nadia has a middle grade book cover due Friday. The editor wants a girl who fixes clocks, warm but not old-fashioned. Before the course, she would stare at the brief for an hour. Today she opens ChatGPT and uses the Concept Development Basics prompt: 'Give me ten cover directions for a clock-fixing girl, each with a mood, a setting, and one object that tells a story.' She picks a rooftop workshop at dusk.

Next she opens Claude and tries the Character Design and World Building prompt: 'Build a backstory for June, a twelve-year-old clockmaker's apprentice. She keeps a brass key in her boot and talks to a sleepy crow.' Claude gives her ink-stained fingers, goggles pushed up, and a crow named Tick. Nadia sketches June with the crow on her shoulder.

For color, she asks Gemini with the Color and Composition Planning prompt: 'Suggest a palette for dusk blues, brass gold, and one warm lamp. Show a composition with June in the lower third, a clock tower behind her, and the crow near her shoulder.' Gemini offers a few swatches and a simple layout. Nadia adjusts the lamp to feel warmer.

Before lunch, she uses the Client Communication and Feedback prompt in ChatGPT: 'Draft a short email to my editor explaining why the cover has a night sky and a small crow. Ask if they want more warmth in the lamp.' She edits two lines, sends the sketch, and closes her laptop. She takes her dog to the canal before dinner and starts a small zine about local pigeons.

Before

  • Briefs sit open while I stare.
  • Emails pile up after drawing hours.
  • Palettes feel like guesswork at midnight.
  • Deadlines creep closer than I like.

After this course

  • First sketches go out before lunch.
  • Client notes feel calm and clear.
  • Color choices come with reasons.
  • Evenings are for my own art.

What you'll learn

  • Concept sprints: Use AI to turn a brief or theme into several clear illustration directions.
  • Character worlds: Build character backstories, visual traits, and settings that feel lived in.
  • Color plans: Plan palettes and compositions with AI help and simple color theory.
  • Visual prompts: Write detailed prompts for image tools or translate client briefs into visual notes.
  • Client notes: Draft professional emails, explain creative choices, and respond to feedback with care.
  • Project timelines: Break illustration projects into tasks and set realistic deadlines.
  • Print files: Understand print specs, fix file issues, and choose the right formats.
  • Style guides: Keep a consistent style across pieces and solve advanced technical problems.

How this course works

  1. 8 lessonsOne task of your job each, from concept development basics to style consistency and advanced techniques.
  2. Ready-to-paste promptsCopy, fill in the parts in {{brackets}}, paste into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
  3. Tick and completeTick the prompts you tried and mark each lesson complete.
  4. Get certifiedFinish and keep the prompts as your own library.