Illustration for Commercial Application
Entry requirements
A level
Successfully complete Access to HE Diploma
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Successfully complete Foundation Diploma
T Level
Pass (C and above)
UCAS Tariff
UCAS tariff points can be made up of a mixture of Level 3 qualifications.
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
Present a portfolio
About this course
Our illustration degree programme will provide you with the skills, knowledge and industry links to forge a career as a comic-book artist, editorial illustrator, picture-book artist, product illustrator, concept artist, greetings-card artist or fashion illustrator. You will also be equipped with the business and creative skills to pursue a career in advertising, editorial, games, film, television, comics and publishing.
During your studies there will be access to a programme of inspirational ‘Live’ briefs, which provide you with the opportunity to get real-life feedback from publishers, clients or working illustrators – typically, we have a variety of guest speakers throughout the duration of the course. These have included Chris Riddell, Tor Freeman, Godmachine, and Sam Arthur, MD of NoBrow Publishing.
All of this is underpinned by excellent resources including Wacom Cintiqs and Macs - and a range of industry standard illustrative software.
The studio is located in a highly inspirational building dedicated to illustration and graphic design with staff who continue to practise in the industry.
We value the importance of a vibrant studio culture and you will work in a commercial, creative eviornment.
You will have access to traditional printing processes in our print room, where you can explore risograph and screen-printing methods to inform your projects.
**Commercial Experience**
Students have sold work at various commercial events, including:
Spitalfields Market, London
Coningsby Gallery, London
The House of Blah Blah, Middlesbrough
Ernest, Newcastle
Thought Bubble, Harrogate
Modules
In your first year (Level Four) you will explore:
- Creative Process and Visualisation
- Introductory Visual Culture
- Exploring Narrative in Illustration
- Exploring Contemporary Illustration
In your second year (Level Five) you will develop:
- Innovation in Illustration
- Visual Culture Theory
- Negotiated Commercial Illustration
- Illustration for Editorial and Advertising
In your third year (Level Six) you will produce:
- Project Research and Preparation
- Dissertation Report
- Final Major Project
- Final Show and Portfolio
Assessment methods
In course assessment. Each module is assessed upon completion and given a percentage mark.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
The Northern School of Art
Higher Education
What students say
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How do students rate their degree experience?
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Design studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
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After graduation
We don't have more detailed stats to show you in relation to this subject area at this university but read about typical employment outcomes and prospects for graduates of this subject below.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Design studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£12k
£15k
£17k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
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It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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