As an illustrator you will have a unique voice to challenge and change convention, and our aim to help you understand your role as a cultural producer in a broad, social, political and historical context.
This course offers you the opportunity to question, reflect and analyse your own work and its commentary in the context of the work of other designers, filmmakers, painters, sculptors, writers, etc. With our strong research identity, we encourage you to develop a breadth of expertise in a variety of fields including: typography, photography, drawing, artist’s book, web design, animation, graphic design and print making.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
Explore traditional and contemporary illustration while experimenting with a variety of media from print to animation, textiles to object and model making, to expressing your creativity by freely re-defining illustration
Develop knowledge of new image-making technology and benefit from industry-focussed professional practice elements of the course aimed at equipping you to compete in a commercial arena
Interact with our visiting speakers, all of whom are established professionals such as Craig Mackie (Commissioning Deputy Art Editor of The New Scientist) and Darren Garrett (Creative Director of Littleloud Animation Studios)
On this course you will develop strong creative and technical abilities in character animation, visual storytelling, compositing and editing. These skills are specifically tailored to enable you to find employment within the entertainment sector, wherever your strengths lie.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
artist book making
children’s book illustration
narrative illustration
print making
art direction
teaching
I really like the ‘free-ness’ of the course and how we are encouraged to go in the direction that we choose to; for instance, I have chosen to focus on children’s book illustration.
Amber Jefferson-Grant, BA (Hons) Illustration student 2013
In your first year you will study core elements of illustration alongside developing your practical abilities in areas such as print-making, etching, typography and IT software packages.
Core units in this year include:
Identity Through Print
Introduction to Professional Practice
Introduction to Visual Culture
Line and Colour
Narrative Illustration
Research Methodology
Year two
As the course progresses, you will develop a more in-depth knowledge of particular themes and topics within illustration. Take units that will allow you to specialise in specific areas and that focus on your professional development.
Core units in this year include:
Bookworks
Number Through Print
Sequential Illustration
Social Awareness
Options to choose from in this year currently include:
Professional Skills Development
Professional Experience
Student Enterprise
Visual Culture: Visions of the Body
Visual Culture: Cult Films and Postmodernism
Visual Culture: Design, Style and Identity
Visual Culture: Issues of Representation
Visual Culture: Technology and the Image
Visual Culture: Research Paper
Year three*
Much of this year is project work. You can develop your own particular strengths further within a series of projects and a self-elected final project/presentation, encouraging you to develop a portfolio that represents your identity.
Core units in this year include:
Illustration: Presentations
Illustration: Self-directed Research
Professional Practice - Projects
Professional Practice - Promotion
Options to choose from in this year currently include:
Visual Culture: Dissertation
Visual Culture: Research Project
We use the best and most current research and professional practice, alongside feedback from our students, to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional units may not run every year. If a unit doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative unit.
*This course is also available as a 4-year sandwich (work placement).
Placement year
Between the second and third years of study you will have the option to undertake a work placement year. There are two exciting options for the placement year:
Professional/industrial placements – work for a company or organisation on a professional placement year
We offer a range of salaried professional placements as part of your degree. You can gain invaluable work experience to help you prepare for your graduate employment. The University can provide you with advice on how to secure a work placement that matches both the needs of your degree and your future career plans, as well as giving you useful links and contacts.
Self-employed placement year – set up and run a business on your own or as a group
Interested in running your own business instead? We also offer students the chance to start-up and run their own company for a year as an alternative to the traditional work-based placement. Students who choose this option often start-up their companies with fellow, like-minded students, working together, as a bona fide operation, in an attempt to build a successful venture. The Faculty and University provide mentoring and support throughout the year.
We offer a variety of engaging teaching methods from workshops, lectures, projects and seminars, to individual tutorials. There is also emphasis on hands-on practical sessions as a strong studio culture develops within the subject area.
The time you spend in teaching activities may depend on the units you select. As a guide, students on this course last year typically spent their time as follows:
Year one students: 19% in lectures, seminars and similar learning activities, 81% studying independently and 0% on work placement
Year two students: 17% in lectures, seminars and similar learning activities, 83% studying independently and 0% on work placement
Year three students: 10% in lectures, seminars and similar learning activities, 90% studying independently and 0% on work placement
Assessment
There are no exams on this course and learning becomes more independent as the course progresses. Here’s how we assess your work:
written coursework
creative design group projects
self-led projects from initial concept to finished product
project presentations
sketchbooks and portfolio
The way you’re assessed may depend on the units you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
Year one students: 0% by written exams, 0% by practical exams and 100% by coursework
Year two students: 0% by written exams, 0% by practical exams and 100% by coursework
Year three students: 0% by written exams, 0% by practical exams and 100% by coursework
There are excellent facilities and workshops available
Design Studios
Purpose-built studios for material workshops and a variety of digital print studios
Guest Speakers
We organise a lively programme of visiting speakers
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment
Specialist Workshops
Take advantage of our many workshops, which include excellent facilities with specific areas for – screenprinting, letterpress, laser cutting, dye sublimation printing and digital fabric printing.
We also have a variety of digital studios with Macs and PCs running industry-standard software, our design facilities can cater to whatever project you are working on. In addition you will have access to our range of digital printing facilities, including large format, photographic and sheet fed printers.
Design Studios
As well as offering a dynamic and creative studio space with excellent access to the Eldon campus facilities, we foster a friendly and welcoming environment where you are encouraged to interact with both tutors and your peers.
Guest Speakers
We organise a lively programme of visiting speakers in order to encourage a vibrant culture of debate and industry contact. All have expertise in the areas of art, design and media from art direction, animation to illustration. Previous speakers have included Ross Holden and Graham Rawle (leading artist/illustrators).
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Budgeting for your studies
There are extra costs associated with studying, which you will need to consider when planning your expenditure.
Recommended texts:
If you wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow from the University Library, the average price is £50-£60. You may be studying up to 6 units a year, each with a standard recommended text.
General costs:
We recommend that you budget £75 a year for costs of photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.
Final year project:
If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose to develop.
Other costs to consider
2017/18
You will incur extra printing costs on portfolio work of around £100 - £600. Material and production costs vary from around £100 - £500 per year.
Any study trips are optional and you will be expected to pay full cost. Optional study trips abroad will cost in the region of £200 - £800. UK trips, where offered, will be £50 - £150.
We equip you with the knowledge of new image-making technology and the professional practice elements of the course are in line with current and future industry trends. Not only will this give you a competitive edge in the job market, but will help to develop your own individual style, enhancing your future employment prospects.
Our graduates are pursuing exciting roles across the whole spectrum of careers in art, design and media. They are working in a range of roles in design studios, web design, exhibition work, teaching, freelance work and book illustration.
Roles they have taken on include:
artist
bookmaker
illustrator
print designer
Work experience
Employment boosting opportunities
Here at the CCI’s Creative Careers Centre we are committed to improving your employability. Whether it’s placements, self-employed placements, internships, short-term work experiences, freelancing opportunities and volunteering, we will help you find valuable and relevant work experience to complement your degree. The experienced team is always on hand to offer advice on everything from producing high-quality applications through to preparation for a company assessment day.
Career planning
To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.
Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.
BA (Hons) Illustration student Jacob Hill-Gowing explains his final year project
