Students in grades 10-12 can explore illustration, build a creative practice, and discover where their ideas can take them.
What happens when an idea moves from the pages of a sketchbook into the world? In Visual Arts: From Sketchbook to Studio, teens will explore illustration as a tool for storytelling, communication, and creative problem-solving. Over nine weeks, students will develop ideas through real-world design briefs, experimentation, feedback, and revision—while gaining insight into pursuing art and design in college and beyond.
Led by RISD alum and Providence-based illustrator Michelle Perez IL ’20, the online course guides students through the creative process, from initial concept to finished work. The course is part of RISD CE’s Teen Work Readiness series which teaches students how to thrive in college, careers, and future creative opportunities. Students complete coursework that mimics real-world projects and applications while gaining essential skills needed for future success. Weekly live Zoom sessions give students opportunities to share work, participate in critical discussions, and build skills alongside a dedicated peer community.
From sketchbook to final form
Students will complete 3 design project briefs spanning magazine cover design, product design, and illustration. Along the way, they’ll learn how to generate and refine ideas, make purposeful visual decisions, respond to feedback, and bring a concept to its final form.
For Michelle, illustration is an extension of her curiosity about the world around her—and a way to explore ideas through storytelling and visual communication.
“My course teaches the storytelling techniques of illustration within the context of real-world illustration prompts and projects. We’ll learn the process of taking an illustration from sketchbook to final, and how to build on our ideas through the feedback we receive along the way.”
Michelle Perez, Illustrator, and instructor for Visual Arts: From Sketchbook to Studio
Above: Weybosset Parade, an exterior mural painted on the facade of the Old Providence National Bank on Weybosset Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island in the summer of 2023, by Michelle Perez.
Learn from an illustrator working across disciplines
Michelle brings a broad professional perspective to the classroom. Since graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, she has worked across editorial illustration, graphic design, and public art, developing a practice grounded in curiosity, storytelling, and visual communication.
Michelle brings a spirit of exploration into her teaching, encouraging students to see illustration not simply as a technique, but as a way of thinking and communicating.
Build your artistic voice, learn from guest speakers.
Discussion and feedback are central to Michelle’s approach. Students will practice articulating their ideas, responding thoughtfully to different perspectives, and developing confidence in talking about creative work.
“One of the skills that will serve you best in your artistic journey is the ability to speak about your own ideas as well as others.”
Guest speakers from relevant creative industries, like illustrator Franco Zacha, will also share perspectives on exhibiting work, building sustainable art-making practices, and finding a place in the creative landscape.
A creative next step
Designed for students in grades 10–12, Visual Arts: From Sketchbook to Studio offers a hands-on complement to high school academics and an opportunity to explore what studying and working in art and design might look like.
Whether students are developing a portfolio or simply curious about where their creative interests could lead, the course provides a supportive space to experiment, receive feedback, and discover how their ideas can take shape.
Explore illustration through storytelling, experimentation, and real-world creative projects—and discover where your sketchbook can take you.
MOTIF Magazine Halloween 2023 Cover by Michelle Perez, inspired in part by memories of late night walks around the east side of Providence, and by New England vampire lore. AD: Gina Lerman
Get a jump on your creative journey this fall.
Visual Arts: From Sketchbook to Studio for teens begins online October 3.
Selected Works: Michelle Perez
