Comics (with Foundation Year)

Why choose this course?
Our comics degree will help you develop both your own style and flair for creative sequential storytelling. The course covers the practical, professional, and artistic sides of working as a comic artist with an individual artistic voice, equipping you for a successful career in the creative industries.

You will:
-Learn how to create compelling images, work to professional standards, and understand how your work fits into the industry.
-Be introduced to a broad range of creative skills, from the generation of ideas to their technical production through printmaking, bookbinding, 3D materials, life drawing, traditional and digital media, with an emphasis on drawing and the development of a unique personal style.
-Be introduced to professional creative processes and encouraged to expand your abilities through workshops and practical projects.
-Learn how to interpret a brief, identify, and solve problems, develop creative individuality, and produce a professional portfolio.
-Gain personal, professional, and entrepreneurial skills including working as a freelance artist: from marketing and self-promotion to contracts, invoices and working with clients.
-Be encouraged to work on live briefs and competitions.

Key Course Features:
-Includes a foundation year to prepare you for further study. If you have been out of education for a while or looking for a career change and undecided as to which discipline to choose, a foundation year is an opportunity to explore and develop core skills in art and design. A foundation year can be a standalone accreditation or a precursor for a chosen degree programme.
-You will be part of a vibrant and creative community of commercial artists including illustrators, animators and graphic designers.
-You will be taught by a teaching team with a broad range of experience working professionally in the creative industries.
-We encourage our students to self-publish and learn how to produce high-quality production prototypes to pitch to the publishing industry through the use of our in-house Bindery.
-The conclusion of the course involves a formally curated gallery exhibition of your final project.
-Our students have won awards such as the prestigious Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards award as well nominations for the Silver Reuben Awards. Students have also been awarded for illustration prizes and awards such as the Oxford University Press Illustration competition, the Macmillan Children’s Book competition, the Caldecott Society and D&AD awards.

What you will study
YEAR 1 (FOUNDATION YEAR)
The foundation year will introduce you to the key elements of art and design. You will explore the creative thought process relating to various art and design disciplines, developing your ability to put ideas down on paper quickly. There will be a range of practice assignments that will increase your recognition of strong ideas and original concepts.

MODULES
Study Skills for Success (Core)
Arts Engagement (Core)
Visual Language (Core)
Creative Reasoning (Core)
Arts in Context (Core)
Progression Project (Core)
Welsh for First Time Learners (Optional)

YEAR 1 (LEVEL 4) - Core skills
The first year introduces students to the fundamental principles of illustration that will help you develop your illustrative style. This includes developing an understanding of the tools and creative techniques you will be using, the historical contexts and theories of comics, creative writing, print, production, bookbinding techniques, an understanding of the industry and newer digital applications.

MODULES
Semester 1
History & Context
Visual Communication
Digital Communication

Semester 2
Social Design
Story Telling: Theory and Practice
Interactive Design

YEAR 2 (LEVEL 5) - Advanced skills
The second year enables you to develop your individual approach to character design, scriptwriting and visual storytelling, the practical aspects of making comics as well as exploring the basics of running a business as a freelancer.

MODULES
Semester 1
Motion Design
Print and Production
Critical Thinking

Semester 2
Creative Futures: Making a Living
Design Project: Comics

YEAR 3 (LEVEL 6) - Specialism
The third year is focused on your specialism. You will work with staff to pitch the projects that demonstrate your flair for storytelling, your skills and abilities, your ambition, and your understanding of the comics industry.

MODULES
Semester 1
Specialist Project: Comics

Semester 2
Creative Futures: Professional Practice
Live Brief

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the programme that will take the form of either core or option modules. Modules are designated as core or option in accordance with professional body requirements and internal academic framework review, so may be subject to change.

Teaching & Assessment
There are no set exams. Assessment is continuous and relates to all aspects of the programme, providing more carefully defined emphasis on formative assessment and feedback on your coursework throughout the academic year. We will advise you on your level of attainment and direct you towards a strategy for further progression as assignments and modules are completed.

There are varied formats of assessment to encourage your learning through group seminars, critiques, and tutorials. This can be through group interaction with critical analysis where you will submit a range of work including sketchbooks, design sheets, finished artwork, screen-based work, technical/ production files, journals, essays, and audio-visual presentations. There are reviews of work at key points before Christmas and before Easter and this provides time for you to reflect on your progress prior to a final or summative year end assessment.

TEACHING AND LEARNING
The majority of the active teaching and learning is studio/workshop based and practical in nature supported with lectures, demonstrations, tutorials, seminars and critiques and talks by specialist guest speakers

Wrexham University is committed to supporting our students to maximise their academic potential.

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.