Crafting 3D Dioramas for Illustration and Children's Books

Everything You Need to Know to Get Started with Paper Stories for Illustration and Children's Books

Workshop starts October 10th!

Course summary

Let’s build a tiny world together, shall we?

Paper Stories: Crafting 3D Dioramas for Illustration and Children’s books is a class for anyone who loves making things by hand and telling stories with pictures. Together, we’ll build a little stage where your drawings and cut-paper characters can step out into the world.
Perhaps you’ve tried paper before but felt unsure how to make it stand tall, or wondered how to layer it so your scene feels alive. Maybe you’d like to know how to light your work so it glows, or how to capture it in a photograph that looks as magical as it does in real life.
Over 10 days, we’ll take foamcore, paper, paint, and glue and turn them into a little 3D diorama — a small stage where stories quietly come to life. We’ll cut and fold, layer and paint, crafting a miniature world full of light and depth. 
This workshop is for anyone who loves making things by hand, telling stories, or simply wants to enjoy the gentle joy of creating something new. No experience needed — just curiosity and a little time to play. 
When your tiny world is ready, we’ll capture its magic through photography — transforming it into a beautiful, print-ready image that pops off the page! 
A quick note: a DSLR camera is required to complete the photography part of this course, so we can capture all the fine details and depth of your diorama. Don’t worry if you haven’t used one before, I’ll guide you through all the settings step by step.
Handcrafted forest diorama featuring rich autumn foliage, oversized flowers, and butterflies, with one panel showing a child observing a snail and another of a mother helping her child cross a log.

Many artists love paper but aren’t sure how to turn it into something sturdy, layered, and visually striking. They wonder: 

How do I build a diorama stage that feels professional and stable?
How do I cut, fold, and construct with confidence?
What materials and tools give the best results without being overwhelming?
How do I think in layers — background, middle ground, and foreground — to tell a story in     3D?
How can I light, photograph, and polish my handmade work so it shines?

This course breaks everything down into simple, structured lessons with step-by-step video tutorials and practical assignments. Along the way, you’ll learn how to: 

Design and sketch your scene for 3D storytelling.
Experiment with painting and texturing paper to add richness and character.
Master paper construction techniques, from folds and tabs to hidden supports.
Build your own theatre stage to frame your scene.
Light your set and capture professional-quality photos using natural light, and a DSLR camera.
Use focus stacking and Photoshop edits to polish your final image. 
By the end of the course, you’ll have created your own finished 3D paper diorama — a miniature stage where your illustrations come alive. This class is your foundation for hand-built illustration, preparing you for more advanced explorations in visual storytelling, paper art, and beyond.
Mixed paper diorama showing colorful harbor boats docked at a wharf, alongside a vibrant underwater coral scene with seaweed, starfish, and fish made of paper.

What you'll learn

How to design and sketch a layered 3D illustration
Techniques for cutting, folding, and constructing with paper and foamcore
Tips for painting textures using gouache, crayons, and colored pencils
Clever tricks for building depth, structure, and stability in your scene
How to light your diorama using natural light and simple DIY tools
DSLR photography tips for crisp, detailed images
Focus stacking techniques to keep every layer sharp
Editing essentials in Photoshop for a polished final piece
How to tell a visual story with depth, dimension, and charm
The joy of crafting something magical by hand — from idea to final photo!
Colorful paper-cut style illustration of a whimsical forest floor scene with mushrooms, leaves, pinecones, a snail, and a green caterpillar on a log surrounded by autumn foliage.
CLAIM YOUR SEAT!

About the Instructor

Instructor Samantha Cotterill adjusts a small paper car in front of a handcrafted miniature house, highlighting the intricate detail of her diorama setup.
Samantha Cotterill

Samantha Cotterill is an award-winning author and illustrator celebrated for her inventive 3D paper dioramas and picture books, including such titles as A Grand Day, Thankful, Just Add Glitter and Look. Known for her tactile, theatrical approach to illustration, she transforms paper, cardboard, and light into miniature worlds that feel alive. As the New York Times wrote of A Grand Day, hers is “a picture-book world you’ll want to reach in and touch.” Samantha also teaches at SVSlearn.com, and is represented by Kirsten Hall at Catbird.

SCHEDULE & Curriculum

10-day course duration
*All times are Pacific Time
MODULE 1: DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
October 10th 10am PDT
Livestream
Lesson 1 - Sketching & Prepping the Illustration
October 12th
Lesson 2 – Paper Techniques & Mixed Media
October 13th 5pm PDT
Livestream
October 14th
Lesson 3 – Scene Composition & Pre-Assembly
October 15th 10am PDT
Livestream
MODULE 2: LIGHTING, PHOTOGRAPHY & POST-PRODUCTION
October 16th
Lesson 4 – Lighting the Scene
October 17th 5pm PDT
Livestream
October 18th
Lesson 5 – Camera Basics (DSLR/Phone)
October 20th
Lesson 6 – Focus Stacking
October 21st 10am PDT
Livestream
October 22nd
Lesson 7 – Editing in Photoshop
October 23th 5pm PDT
Final Livestream

SIGN UP NOW!

Sign up now to claim your space by October 9th, 2025.

What Our Students Say

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Mike Babich
Past Student

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Nunc
a non donec euismod fringilla venenatis
convallis. Ut sit amet tincidunt et lorem
semper. Non id nunc dictum duis. Arcu
pretium dictumst sit proin ut.

Mike Babich
Past Student

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Nunc
a non donec euismod fringilla venenatis
convallis. Ut sit amet tincidunt et lorem
semper. Non id nunc dictum duis. Arcu
pretium dictumst sit proin ut.

Mike Babich
Past Student

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Nunc a non donec euismod fringilla venenatis convallis. Ut sit amet tincidunt et lorem semper. Non id nunc dictum duis. Arcu pretium dictumst sit proin ut.

Mike Babich
Past Student

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Nunc
a non donec euismod fringilla venenatis
convallis. Ut sit amet tincidunt et lorem
semper. Non id nunc dictum duis. Arcu
pretium dictumst sit proin ut.

Mike Babich
Past Student

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Nunc
a non donec euismod fringilla venenatis
convallis. Ut sit amet tincidunt et lorem
semper. Non id nunc dictum duis. Arcu
pretium dictumst sit proin ut.

Mike Babich
Past Student

This class is what I’ve been looking for for a while and I wish I’d taken it sooner. A lot of other courses seem to be more geared to just making a children’s illustration portfolio, but this class covers the entire process of making a book. Before taking this class I really wasn’t sure how to approach pacing, page turns, when to use spots vs. pages/spreads, etc. It was also helpful to see how to schedule and break down a long term project. It’s well worth the investment, especially considering that you get access to the material and [chat] group even after the course is over.

Shannon Szczepanski

The wisdom of 3 prolific artists offer a lifetime of learning in just 10-weeks leaving you breathless. After being an SVS subscriber for almost 2 years, I can wholeheartedly say Children’s Book Pro is by far the most comprehensive course available, which absolutely opened my eyes to so many ideas, process improvements, differing methodologies and provided me with insights to help me pursue my writing and artistic ventures on a whole new level. I’m especially grateful for finding the SVS community through the 3-Point Perspective Podcast and for the amazing opportunity to enroll in the first-ever Children’s Book Pro course. As a 42 year old husband and father just beginning to explore making children’s books part-time, this course is an invaluable resource and roadmap to keep me working towards my dreams of being a successful children’s book illustrator.

Jeremy Ross

This was an amazingly comprehensive course and with three experienced teachers who each give their own perspective is so valuable. I'm going to go back and retake several of these classes in the future, as I progress. Even though I already work in the industry, I felt I learnt a bunch. It's a real deep dive into the world of creating amazing children's books!  Thank you guys for creating this!

Kajsa Hallström

This is the perfect Course for aspiring Children's Book Illustrators or Author/Illustrators. The content curated by Jake, Lee, Will and David is professional, important, and needed if you want to be an illustrator or author/illustrator. The information and learnings in this course will cut years off of your Children's Picture Book journey. In my case it also shed light on what areas I need to focus on to get to the next level.

Lynn Sandacz

I went into this course with a very basic understanding of how a children's book is designed. Now I feel like a pro! I understand how pages are put together, when to focus on each part of the process, how to control the speed and flow of the story, how to design pages, how "rough" a dummy should be and what it should look like when it's ready to submit. I feel so much more confident in my ability to do this thing that I've been dreaming about for so long! Watch out publishing world, because I'm coming at you! Thanks guys for all the value you've packed into this course.

Kirsten McGonigal

This class is what I’ve been looking for for a while and I wish I’d taken it sooner. A lot of other courses seem to be more geared to just making a children’s illustration portfolio, but this class covers the entire process of making a book. Before taking this class I really wasn’t sure how to approach pacing, page turns, when to use spots vs. pages/spreads, etc. It was also helpful to see how to schedule and break down a long term project. It’s well worth the investment, especially considering that you get access to the material and [chat] group even after the course is over.

Shannon Szczepanski

The wisdom of 3 prolific artists offer a lifetime of learning in just 10-weeks leaving you breathless. After being an SVS subscriber for almost 2 years, I can wholeheartedly say Children’s Book Pro is by far the most comprehensive course available, which absolutely opened my eyes to so many ideas, process improvements, differing methodologies and provided me with insights to help me pursue my writing and artistic ventures on a whole new level. I’m especially grateful for finding the SVS community through the 3-Point Perspective Podcast and for the amazing opportunity to enroll in the first-ever Children’s Book Pro course. As a 42 year old husband and father just beginning to explore making children’s books part-time, this course is an invaluable resource and roadmap to keep me working towards my dreams of being a successful children’s book illustrator.

Jeremy Ross

This was an amazingly comprehensive course and with three experienced teachers who each give their own perspective is so valuable. I'm going to go back and retake several of these classes in the future, as I progress. Even though I already work in the industry, I felt I learnt a bunch. It's a real deep dive into the world of creating amazing children's books!  Thank you guys for creating this!

Kajsa Hallström

This is the perfect Course for aspiring Children's Book Illustrators or Author/Illustrators. The content curated by Jake, Lee, Will and David is professional, important, and needed if you want to be an illustrator or author/illustrator. The information and learnings in this course will cut years off of your Children's Picture Book journey. In my case it also shed light on what areas I need to focus on to get to the next level.

Lynn Sandacz

I went into this course with a very basic understanding of how a children's book is designed. Now I feel like a pro! I understand how pages are put together, when to focus on each part of the process, how to control the speed and flow of the story, how to design pages, how "rough" a dummy should be and what it should look like when it's ready to submit. I feel so much more confident in my ability to do this thing that I've been dreaming about for so long! Watch out publishing world, because I'm coming at you! Thanks guys for all the value you've packed into this course.

Kirsten McGonigal

This class is what I’ve been looking for for a while and I wish I’d taken it sooner. A lot of other courses seem to be more geared to just making a children’s illustration portfolio, but this class covers the entire process of making a book. Before taking this class I really wasn’t sure how to approach pacing, page turns, when to use spots vs. pages/spreads, etc. It was also helpful to see how to schedule and break down a long term project. It’s well worth the investment, especially considering that you get access to the material and [chat] group even after the course is over.

Shannon Szczepanski

The wisdom of 3 prolific artists offer a lifetime of learning in just 10-weeks leaving you breathless. After being an SVS subscriber for almost 2 years, I can wholeheartedly say Children’s Book Pro is by far the most comprehensive course available, which absolutely opened my eyes to so many ideas, process improvements, differing methodologies and provided me with insights to help me pursue my writing and artistic ventures on a whole new level. I’m especially grateful for finding the SVS community through the 3-Point Perspective Podcast and for the amazing opportunity to enroll in the first-ever Children’s Book Pro course. As a 42 year old husband and father just beginning to explore making children’s books part-time, this course is an invaluable resource and roadmap to keep me working towards my dreams of being a successful children’s book illustrator.

Jeremy Ross

This was an amazingly comprehensive course and with three experienced teachers who each give their own perspective is so valuable. I'm going to go back and retake several of these classes in the future, as I progress. Even though I already work in the industry, I felt I learnt a bunch. It's a real deep dive into the world of creating amazing children's books!  Thank you guys for creating this!

Kajsa Hallström

This is the perfect Course for aspiring Children's Book Illustrators or Author/Illustrators. The content curated by Jake, Lee, Will and David is professional, important, and needed if you want to be an illustrator or author/illustrator. The information and learnings in this course will cut years off of your Children's Picture Book journey. In my case it also shed light on what areas I need to focus on to get to the next level.

Lynn Sandacz

I went into this course with a very basic understanding of how a children's book is designed. Now I feel like a pro! I understand how pages are put together, when to focus on each part of the process, how to control the speed and flow of the story, how to design pages, how "rough" a dummy should be and what it should look like when it's ready to submit. I feel so much more confident in my ability to do this thing that I've been dreaming about for so long! Watch out publishing world, because I'm coming at you! Thanks guys for all the value you've packed into this course.

Kirsten McGonigal

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to start your journey?

Discover the magic of storytelling through handcrafted dioramas for children’s books.