Game Art

This course delivers the expertise required to design and produce artistic elements for creative game projects. You’ll explore character and environmental work, game production, and design software to build a high-quality art portfolio.

You will:

• Gain valuable experience and insight by having the creative freedom to manage the development of your own game projects

• Have full access to the Creative Industries Building, including primary access to our modern Game Development Suite, Design Studio, Podcast Suite, and TV Studio

• Enjoy the benefits of close industry engagement with regular visits, notable guest speakers, presentations, discussion groups, and social events

• Benefit from our internal Mentorship system, providing the opportunity to be matched with an experienced postgraduate student

• Build a strong set of critical employability skills across technical and professional areas to support you into industry or self-employment

• Join the flourishing network of Welsh creatives

Course Modules

This degree is primarily designed for those who want to pursue a career in the game art and associated design industries. It explores all key aspects of game art production processes, drawing upon your imagination and using a variety of techniques from 2D concepts to 3D production on screen, including 3D modelling, sculpting, level design and mixed screen-based media. Emphasis is placed on your personal and professional development, communication and entrepreneurial skills so that you are well equipped to enter a diverse and rapidly changing industry.

YEAR 1 (LEVEL 4)

In the first year of study, you will be introduced to a variety of themes that relate to the production of game products across design and art modules along with opportunities expand on your skills in a full game project. You will begin studying game design, 3D software and 2D Design in the first semester, and build on this to utilise Unreal Engine in semester 2 to create narratively inspired environments and trailers.

MODULES

• Game Design and Interaction

• Game Asset Production

• Design Workshop

• Game Environments and Narrative Design

• Character Design and Digital Sculpting

• Game Industry and Agile Production

YEAR 2 (LEVEL 5)

The second year of study will build off the foundations of the first and will encourage you to continue specialising in your own area. In the first Semester you will study 2 specialist modules and explore the world of environmental design in a more detailed way, as well as producing game characters that can be interacted within a game engine. In the second Semester, the focus will shift to student-led, multi-disciplinary 3D game project in which you will be required to manage and deliver a significant vertical slice of a 3D game whilst maintaining a professional management methodology.

MODULES

• Character Production for Game Engines

• Real-Time Environmental Art for Game Engines

• Asset Production for Game Engines

• Serious Game Design

• Group Project

• Indie Studio Management

YEAR 3 (LEVEL 6)

The final year of the course will further build on your subject specialisms, as the course starts to explore what graduate opportunities you have in the games industry – whether that be in a larger studio or in your own indie studio. You will have final core and specialist training modules; however, the area of development will be through the large-scale games project which will run from the start of the year until the summer.

MODULES

• Game Industry Specialist

• AAA Asset Production

• Advanced Asset Production and Technical Art

• Advanced Game Design and User Engagement

• Project

Teaching & Assessment
This course is portfolio focused and as such, there are no formal exams. Students will focus on developing technical and theoretical skills via practical assignments and research & development activities.

Teaching and learning on this course are designed to support students from a variety of diverse backgrounds. Students will be able to access their tutors both during sessions and outside of sessions to get help and support from their tutors. Where relevant, additional staff may be part of the learning environment to support, such as Learning Support Assistants, Personal Assistants, and Sign Language interpreters.

This course uses a combination of learning environments including significant use of computer lab rooms, production and assessment meeting rooms, collaborative working environments, and lecture theatres. All delivered sessions will be supported by our VLE platform Moodle, with content such as internal and external videos, lecture slides, additional notes, and important links and files that will always be available.

During your first year of study, you will be timetabled into four tutor-led sessions a week, usually over three days, with the remaining time suggested for self-directed learning. These directed sessions will run at between two or three hours each depending on the module. Some modules will be taught with the wider games suite and will include students from other games courses, and some will be purely for students on Game Art. All modules are delivered within the games team with the games suite.

How you’ll be assessed

Due to the nature of the subject, the course is portfolio-focused with students creating work that represents their development and has no formal exams.

Assessment methods include the production of games and game elements, practical work, presentations and pitches, assessment meetings, technical documentation, production data, and portfolio submissions. Additionally, during project modules, additional strategies will be in place to track and balance work within teams to ensure fair assessment and consistent development over longer periods of time.

Teaching and Learning

We offer workshops and support sessions in areas such as academic writing, effective note-making and preparing for assignments.

Students can book appointments with academic skills tutors dedicated to helping deal with the practicalities of university work. Our student support section has more information on the help available.

In terms of particular needs, the University’s Inclusion Services can provide appropriate guidance and support should any students require reasonable adjustments to be made because of a recognised prevailing disability, medical condition, or specific learning difference.