Illustrating Dark Fairy Tale with Shona Macdonald

Shona Macdonald is running a two-part workshop at the Museum & Art Gallery, Worthing on Saturday 30 January and Saturday 6 February, both sessions starting at 10:30am. Over the two mornings, she'll lead you through making a short illustrated sequence, drawing on dark fairy tales and traditional folk tales. The end result is a concertina booklet — one of those long, folding strips of paper that opens out like an accordion — with paper-cut elements worked into the pages.

It's a slow-burn project rather than a one-off. The first session is about getting the sequence down on paper, and the second is where the cutting comes in. Macdonald provides all the materials, so you don't need to bring your own kit, though there is some scalpel work involved in the second week, which is worth keeping in mind if you're not used to working with a blade. The sessions are open to all levels, so you don't need to be a seasoned artist to join in, though she notes that some drawing experience is useful.

There's an age guidance of 16+, and because it's a two-part course, you'll need to be able to make both dates to finish the piece. It's a good one if you've always wanted to try your hand at illustration but didn't know where to start, especially since you'll walk away with a finished object rather than just a few loose sketches. The price starts from £75.75, plus a £0.75 transaction fee, and it runs across two Saturdays in late January and early February, both at 10:30am at the Museum & Art Gallery.