BA (Hons) Illustration
THE COURSE
This course promotes an expansive notion of IllustratIon. It
recognises and embraces the potential for illustration to be a
‘wild frontier’. It explores the exciting synergy between and the
blurring across contemporary disciplines, whilst challenging and
interrogating preconceptions. Illustration is a way of seeing and
understanding the world, connecting and communicating the
emotional, psychological, cultural, socio-political and
historical.
The course will provide you with an active creative environment within which you will be encouraged to experiment, test and develop your work. You will explore drawing, painting and printmaking, as well as lens-based, digital, interactive and time-based media; this variety of media reflects the diversity of contemporary illustration. Our aim is to support and enable you to develop as an individual practicioner and to be prepared to work confidently and successfully within and at the forefront of the creative industries.
RESOURCES
All three years work together within two main studios with two
computer suites and a tutorial space for individual work. You will
also have access to the University College’s other facilities
including its print room and workshops. The course team has an
extensive range of expertise and interest in Illustration and
related ares. Guest lecturers and visiting tutors from industry are
also invited on a regular basis to bring additional experience and
practical knowledge of specific areas of illustration.
YEAR 1
Year 1: Experimentation. You will be introduced to the notion of
Illustration and its genres. You will learn the basic skills used
by illustrators and gain a broad understanding of the subject,
looking at the ways in which illustrators have worked in the past
and how they work now. Students look at drawing methodologies,
problem solving for clients, 2D and 3D digital imaging, working
with text, philosophy, forms of learning, life drawing and computer
skills.
YEAR 2
Year 2: Exploration. You will explore illustration concepts and
processes in more depth. Students consider the interpretation of
text, narrative, working with fiction, screen-based work,
magazines, interactivity, software and the professional practice of
the illustrator. Project work may be either print-based or
screen-based. You will also have the opportunity to push the
boundaries of your work and the concept of illustration, by
collaborating with other courses such as Fashion Studies and Film
Production.
YEAR 3
Year 3: Innovation. You will be
encouraged to manage your own learning and work independently.
Final major projects usually focus on your main interest and may be
linked to an outside client. Our industry links are well
established and we will help connect you to potential work
experience and third party projects. In this way our Year 3
students acquire an increasingly vocational appreciation of
illustration as it is practiced in the real world.
INTERVIEWS AND PORTFOLIOS
Through the presentation of your portfolio you should be able to
demonstrate that, besides possessing good drawing, design and
graphic skills, you are highly motivated and committed to a career
as an illustrator. We look for people with creativity and
originality evidenced by a variety of project work. A-level
candidates are very often recommended to possess a Foundation
Diploma in addition to their A-level grades. This is because this
course requires a high degree of skill, technical knowledge and
conceptual understanding that cannot always be demonstrated through
A-level study.
WHAT WE LOOK FOR
We look for candidates who are intellectually curious. You will
need to be open and questioning on a whole range of topics, be they
social, global, or environmental; all issues which are potentially
the raw materials and subject areas for illustration projects.
Besides good drawing skills, we look for visually literate people
who can talk confidently about what they like doing, the books they
read and the films they watch. Illustrators are people who are
interested in life in general and we look for people from different
backgrounds and those with enquiring minds.
SKILLS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Learning is underpinned by work experience and ‘live’ project
briefs and, although not a compulsory part of the course, our
students have recently worked for a number of creative businesses
including Digital Storm, Adrenaline magazine, Clarence Reed
Publishing and Topshop. Others have contributed to the annual Big
Draw event and another group successfully produced their own
exhibition in London. We aim to offer one international visit each
year to a destination such as Amsterdam and Barcelona, and students
may also apply for educational exchange opportunities. We also
arrange short visits to London and other cultural cities during
which students view studios and talk directly to clients.
Links with industry are excellent and recent successes include commissions for Channel 4, editorial commissions for magazines and sales at contemporary galleries. Graduates progress into many different areas of illustration, which might include freelance work for a variety of clients or employment within a studio or agency environment. Some students set up their own businesses, whilst others become teachers or further their research at postgraduate level. Our most recent graduates are now working for employers such as McLaren, MTV, Animal, The Sunday Times, The Independent, Planet 3 Publishing, Fujitsu and The Daily Express. We also have graduates working on film and television productions.
COURSE DETAILS
Mode of Study: Full-time
Course Duration: 3 years
Institution Code: A66
UCAS CODE
W220
COURSE LEADER
Lisa Richardson
CONTACT
Admissions
Tel: 01202 363228/363225
Email: admissions@aucb.ac.uk
