Illustration

Why study BA (Hons) Illustration at BNU?
Industry Connections
We aim to emerge students on this course within the industry from the get-go. During your time with us you’ll get direct access to industry-professionals and guest lecturers, often coming in to set live project briefs, hold master classes and talks on the industry.

We also have an extensive network of successful alumni now making waves in various areas of illustration, both nationally and internationally. We often call upon them to come back in for guest visits and to offer talks and workshops.

Led by our enthusiastic and dedicated team of design practitioners and experienced academics, you’ll benefit from their industry knowledge, as well as the network of professionals they bring to the course.

Facilities
Our Illustration course is situated in an open plan studio alongside the creative advertising and graphic design courses, meaning you get to experience how a working advertising and design agency would run in the real-world.

The course is located within the School of Art, Design and Performance, giving you access to a community of creative learners and diverse resources to help you achieve your creative outcomes. You’ll be encouraged to explore both traditional and current mediums to craft your design solutions, you can do this through our;

silkscreen equipment
plotter cutters
letterpress equipment
photography studios
litho equipment
laser cutting
3D printing technology
iMac Suites with Adobe Creative Cloud

You also benefit from our specialist technicians and demonstrators on site, who can support you in bringing your ideas to life.

What will I study?
On this illustration course you are encouraged to solve visual problems with your own unique aesthetic solutions, experiment with image and type and explore appropriate digital technologies.

Through practical hands-on, project-based learning you will explore the fundamental core aspects of the subject such as narrative structure, hierarchy, composition and layout, typography, information design, image creation and conceptual thinking skills. Students are encouraged to take risks in their work and learn to challenge established languages and processes through questioning and individual experimentation.

Central to the ethos of the Illustration course is the development of two aims; the first is self-authorship, where your point of view and vision play the pivotal role in identifying and communicating images and messages that are central to your own personal interests, opinions, and core values, and secondly a multi-disciplinary confidence and ability to accomplish communication tasks across a range of media and client bases. These aims reflect the current contemporary vocabulary of a modern illustrator.

This course is also offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year is a valuable stepping-stone, enabling you to enhance your academic study skills, bolster your confidence, and identify your individual strengths and areas for growth as you prepare for progression into the undergraduate program.

Through specialist modules in Editorial Applications and Narrative Illustration you’ll explore a range of media, techniques and theoretical ideas which build an understanding of the role of a professional illustrator. By investigating contexts and audiences through practical projects and live briefs, you’ll develop your personal visual language, consolidate critical and strategic thinking, complex problem-solving and presentation skills, to build an awareness of the wider contextual role of an Illustrator.

Upon graduating from this course, you’ll leave with your own distinctive portfolio that demonstrates your unique strengths and interests to prospective work opportunities.

Year one
Core Modules
Critical and Historical Thinking
Design Processes
Design Workshops
Projects
Conceptual Thinking

Year two
Core Modules
Design Research and Theory
Illustration Studies: Image Making
Illustration Studies: Narrative
Professional Studies: Graphic Design and Illustration
Industry Brief

Year three
Core Modules
Creative and Professional Development
Professional Practice
Personal Projects and Commissions
Dissertation
Final Major Project

During your time with us on the BA (hons) illustration degree, you'll study modules that are centred around your own career aspirations and, through guest lectures from industry specialists, seminars and live industry projects,

You’ll work alongside a diverse community of illustrators and graphic designers, each working on their own projects, just as a ‘real-world’ design studio would function. You’ll study in a close-knit tutor group where everyone’s input is recognised and valued. Not only will you make friends for life, you’ll also make important connections that will last through your career, and you’ll form a network, just like you’d find in any design group.

You’ll also work with professional illustrators who will give you feedback and pointers on how you can develop your imagery. Workshops, lectures and seminars with other students in the art and design department help you prepare you for life in an agency or studio environment where you will need good presentation and ideas generation skills as you meet and impress clients. We have many visiting tutors running workshop-based sessions in fields as diverse as stencil print, bookbinding, branding, ideas generation, storytelling, and ethical design.

You’ll also be assessed though; 1:1 or small group tutorials, Portfolio and presentations, written assessments, sketchbooks, group critiques and self-directed study. To build your experience, we also support work placements for the right students with companies that we have long relationships with. Students have worked for publishers, advertising agencies and magazines as well as winning awards such as the V&A Illustration Award.