Illustration for Comics (New College Swindon)

The programme is aimed at students who wish to enter the marketplace as Artists with a particular emphasis on Illustration for Comics and narrative sequential work. This includes the comic or cartoon strip; the graphic novel; film/TV/theatre/animation pre-production; storyboarding; instructional diagrams; children’s storybook; computer games characterisation and web graphical illustration.

The programme takes a broad approach to illustration for Comics practice and seeks to combine traditional hand skills with more contemporary digital practice. This provides students with the opportunity to study a wide range of creative approaches such as printmaking, animation, sequential illustration and digital applications.

Students are encouraged to embrace the studio culture and will predominantly work at New College Swindon College, where they will be part of a wider community of creative practitioners.

Students will develop the business acumen, critical sensibilities, and entrepreneurial skills to practice in a competitive marketplace. Students will be able to embark on a career not only familiar with the latest technology, processes, and wider comics community but also with the ability to create innovative illustrations for Comics that can shift the industry forward.

Overall, the programme favours active learning approaches such as practical sessions, seminars and workshop activities, discussions and problem-solving activities rather than a more transmission-based approach focused on lectures and note-taking. However, within this overarching approach, there are differences between individual modules and between levels. The primary aims of Level 4 will be to motivate and engage first-year students with the study of Illustration for Comics in practice to provide a sufficiently broad experience. The delivery is designed to provide students with a firm platform to successfully meet the progressive demands of Level 5 studies and support progression to level 6 of an honours degree.