Beginning with visual problem solving, you'll develop your conceptual skills as you explore a range of thinking strategies. You'll also take part in life drawing and other themed visual studies sessions, and learn about critical theory and illustration's historical contexts.

Travelling to London, you'll learn about illustration in the design industry from influential art directors and illustration agents, and take part in a major illustration forum.

Modules

Visual Problem Solving

This module focuses on conceptual thinking and consists of a range of projects. It will provide you with strategies for generating conceptual solutions to prescribed visual problems, including systematic and intuitive thinking.

Visual Studies 1

Forming an exploration of visual language, this module will provide you with opportunities to experiment with a wide range of media and mark making techniques and drawing styles. In this way, you'll begin to identify and strengthen your own visual language. Life drawing, printmaking and digital skills sessions will alternate with studio-based sessions that will allow you to engage in an experimental approach to media, process and mark-making.

Applied Illustration

In this module, you'll undertake text-based, thematic projects and explore in depth some of the main contexts of illustration. You'll explore how illustration is applied within the industry of visual communication, while also considering your audience. We'll also cover the major domains of illustration: editorial, advertising, narrative and information.

Visual Studies 2

This module focuses on the development of visual language, providing you with further opportunities to experiment with media and mark making techniques and drawing styles.

You'll start with a series of applied illustration projects, spanning advertising, book cover design, editorial illustration, children's book illustration and information illustration.

Putting your knowledge into practice, you'll then manage and develop your own projects, finding a unique direction and focusing on a specific area of the industry.

Modules

Contextual

You'll be introduced to the main contexts of illustration through a series of projects in which you'll evaluate and put into practice the knowledge you've gained so far. Projects will relate to a key context of contemporary Illustration practice and will enable you to make decisions about the future direction of your work.

Visual Language 1

This module offers new opportunities to evaluate and evolve existing strengths and weaknesses within your visual language. Through digital workshops and seminars, you'll be provided with the tools to experiment with a variety of media and learn strategies with which to develop and refine your personal visual language. Practical work will be supported by reflective analysis of images related to your chosen themes and should demonstrate a depth of understanding, supported by annotation.

Negotiation 1 (Development)

In this module, you'll begin to establish a personal direction within the field of illustration while fostering both independent and collaborative working practices. Collaboration could one of many forms, such as collectives, zines, joint exhibitions, student-led discussion forums, external community outreach projects, or external industry collaborations.

Visual Language 2

Through continued experimentation with a range of processes and techniques, you'll identify strengths and interests within the broad spectrum of Illustration. You'll develop and refine your visual skills throughout the module, and by continuing self-reflection and intellectual analysis of the work produced, ultimately develop an emerging authentic visual language.

You'll develop a physical and digital portfolio of work, write a research project and produce a professional practice dossier. Connecting with industry, you'll have the chance to show your portfolio to the best art directors, editors and designers, either in the UK or aboard, receiving valuable feedback.

During this final year of your illustration course, there'll also be an opportunity to take part in a placement or internship to gain industry experience.

Modules

Negotiation 2 (Consolidation)

Through continued negotiated projects, you'll identify strengths and interests within the broad spectrum of illustration. You'll experiment visually and intellectually, and refine your skills and self-reflection in order to develop an emerging signature visual language. The projects that you design via negotiation will help you to push and challenge yourself in your chosen areas and enable you to develop fundamental skills accordingly, such as research, visual problem solving and technical visual skills. Work undertaken at this level will provide a platform for you to demonstrate knowledge and critical awareness of insights, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of the discipline.

Research Project

Negotiation 3 (Completion)

Continuing to work on negotiated projects, you'll build a body of work based on your strengths and interests, demonstrating your intellectual, technical and self-reflective skills, in order to consolidate an emerging authentic visual language. Professional practice forms a key part of this module, and you'll prepare for a career within the creative industries through a programme of lectures.