Illustration
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits, 45 credits must be graded at Level 3
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Higher
T Level
Pass (C and above)
UCAS Tariff
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
Present a portfolio
About this course
Want to become a great illustrator? One who takes a line and conjures worlds that compel and transfix? Technique is important. Courage is needed. But individuality is demanded. That’s why we’ll give you the space, resources and inspiration to find your voice. That’s why, with our help, you’ll make art that makes a difference.
We are unique amongst university illustration courses in giving you a thorough grounding in graphic design, allowing you to also potentially work for a design studio as a designer.
**Course Overview**
On our illustration degree, we will help you develop strong drawing, composition, and colour skills that will underpin your personal visual language, allowing you to develop a unique voice as an artist. You’ll gain the experience, confidence, and advanced technical skills you need to succeed. And once you find your voice as an artist, your personality, passion and the quality of the work in your portfolio will get you noticed. You’ll receive extensive feedback, support, and advice throughout your studies and have access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, as well as the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, including ‘live briefs’ to develop and hone your skills.
We are unique amongst illustration courses in giving you a thorough grounding in graphic design. You’ll have the necessary skills and experience to stand out from the crowd.
**On this course you will...**
- Study illustration within a university institute recognised by the industry as a course provider that engenders strong drawing skills. Through doing so, we provide our graduates with the backbone of a long career in illustration.
- Be encouraged to develop an individual approach to illustration - allowing you to develop a personal style that stands out from the crowd.
- Have regular and meaningful contact with tutorials, workshops, and discussions - reinforcing your practice with the support of tutors and peers who know you and your work inside and out.
- Be included in deciding what direction the course/module/brief should take. Small group sizes mean a supportive and open community of practice.
- Have access to a large professional studio space that is open plan and shared across all-year groups. Stock up on supplies with our in-house shop and experiment in our reprographic department.
**What you will learn**
In a professional sense, the word ‘lllustration’ represents an exciting and very varied discipline that ranges from self-authored graphic novels and comic art, through concept art for film, TV, and games to the more traditional work for magazines, books and advertising, animation, and much, much more. What links all of these disciplines is the ability to connect audiences with ideas, information, or products through engaging and memorable illustrative communications.
Our aim is to inspire you to become an innovative, individual illustrator. We’ll help you develop strong drawing skills as a firm foundation for your life as an illustrator, but our uniquely-designed course will also expand your design skills to give you an insight into one of the major markets for illustration work.
**Year One**
- Introducing Visual Communication
- Cultural Contexts
- Collaborative Practice
- Multi-Dimensional Illustration
**Year Two**
- The Illustrators Toolkit
- Drawing
- Illustration Projects
- The Critical Illustrator
**Year Three**
- Advanced Illustration Projects
- Independent Research Paper
- Illustration Showcase
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Carlisle - Brampton Road
Institute of the Arts
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
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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Design studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
£13k
£16k
£19k
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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Graduate field commentary:
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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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