BA (Hons) Illustration & Concept Art

“Concept Art is the birthplace of ideas, while Illustration breathes life into those ideas, shaping worlds and narratives.”
Iain McCaig, world renowned Concept Artist (‘Star Wars’ films franchise, ‘The Avengers’, ‘Guardian of the Galaxy’, ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’, Terminator II, ‘Outlander’ ...)

On our exciting and unique Illustration & Concept Art degree you'll learn from experienced lecturers/practitioners and engage with innovative, industry aligned curriculum that encourages you to push boundaries and explore new approaches. With hands-on experience, digital fluency, a diverse creative skillset, professional and entrepreneurial abilities, our graduates are equipped to hit the ground running, and launch their careers creating distinctive, high quality visual content for the publishing, editorial, advertising, animation, film, television and video games industries

At both levels 5 and 6 students engage directly with industry professionals, in both requesting assignment briefs and receiving feedback. Some examples being renowned concept artists and illustrators Andrew Porter, Tyler Edlin, Marco Bucci, Viviane Schwarz, Korky PauI, Keith Robinson, including two of our own graduate alumni Stephen Harris and Darren Watford.

Our students take part in both national and international annual competitions, including the World Illustration Awards (AOI), Bologna Book Fair - Children’s Book Illustration Competition, V&A Illustration Awards, Picture Hooks Competition, The Rookie Awards (Illustration, Animation, Concept Art, Video Games, VFX, VR and Design), Cheltenham Illustration Awards, Macmillan Prize for Illustration and Folio Book Illustration Award.

We are a member of the AOI (Association of Illustrators) which provides students, tutors and professionals with excellent on-line and published resources, including opportunities to attend specialist one-day workshops, benefit from industry guest speakers, and be included in student portfolio surgeries.

Overview

Join us and be part of a vibrant studio culture and community of students working individually and collaboratively to help shape the future of the U.K.’s Creative Industries.

On our exciting and unique Illustration & Concept Art degree course you will learn from experienced lecturers/practitioners and engage with innovative, up-to-date, industry aligned curriculum that encourages you to push boundaries and explore new approaches. With hands-on experience, digital fluency, a diverse creative skillset, professional and entrepreneurial abilities, our graduates are equipped to hit the ground running, and launch their careers creating distinctive, high quality visual content for the publishing, editorial, advertising, animation, film, television and video games industries.

We understand the importance of collaboration and interaction to seamlessly connect on-campus students with distance and flexible learners. Whether you are studying in one of our studios or studying remotely, you’ll be able to engage in real-time discussions, work on group projects, and participate in group critiques. This ensures all students, regardless of location, benefit from the same high quality educational experience and the opportunity to build a network of peers and contacts.

At both levels 5 and 6 you will engage directly with industry professionals in both requesting assignment briefs and receiving invaluable personal feedback. Some examples being renowned concept artists and illustrators Andrew Porter, Tyler Edlin, Marco Bucci, Viviane Schwarz, Korky PauI and Keith Robinson, including two of our own graduate alumni Darren Watford and Stephen Harris.

We are a member of the AOI (Association of Illustrators) that provides students, tutors and professionals with excellent on-line and published resources, including opportunities to attend specialist one-day workshops, benefit from industry guest speakers, and be included in student portfolio surgeries.

The key to success is for you, whether as a student or graduate, to stay passionate, continue learning and growing, and be open to new opportunities and experiences.

What you’ll study

The primary way of delivering this course is online and teaching includes a combination of live/recorded lectures, small group seminars, workshops, presentations, guest lectures, and one to one discussion with your tutor.

Students will receive 12 hours of teaching time per week throughout this course at each level. Additional one-to-one online tutorial meetings will provide further support and allows a perfect opportunity for you to review and reflect. Online students will also have the opportunity to collaborate and share work with their on-campus peers during sessions.

Students are provided with online platforms (recorded Microsoft Teams sessions), our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is also via Microsoft Teams, including student forums, one-to-one and group tutorials, plus email feedback. All module project handbooks and learning support materials are made available to access online via our VLE programme areas.

At undergraduate level, an increasing emphasis is placed on independent study when progressing through the programme. Independent study can take place at home, and our on-campus students can also access their specialist studios, plus the Higher Education (HE) Learning Resource Centre (LRC), Monday to Friday. The LRC is also accessible on-line, and students have access 24/7 to many specialist student resources, including on-line specialist books, journals and magazines. Student independent hours per week are approximately 24-28 hours.

For each level /year of the course students need to complete a total of 120 credits, that is made up of several individual modules and equates to 1200 hours of learning.

Has mentioned earlier, teaching consists of online live/recorded lectures, small-group seminars, presentations, guest lecturers, workshops, including one to one and group tutorials. These are core modes of teaching that inherently facilitate your learning - used interchangeably and are often combined to suit a particular learning activity.

In terms of module structure, scaffolded learning is applied, as this helps level 4/year 1 to level 5/year 2 students to acquire, develop and build their technical and creative skills, extend specialist knowledge, learn from feedback and critique, and self-directed learning skills. Level 6/year 3 students apply their accumulated knowledge and skills to more independent and autonomous study modules. This encourages the development of self-directed learning skills and prepares you for real-world demands of the creative industries when you graduate.

Experimentation also plays an important and intrinsic role within the creative design process at all levels of the course; with both your personal art style and voice evolving as you progress through each level.

Course Structure

During each module and level of the degree ongoing formative feedback and suggestions are provided on your work and performance. In addition, summative assessment provides grading, plus written feedback and feedforward at the end of each project. Tutor and peer recommendations at group presentation stages are constructive and identify where improvements can be made.

How you’ll learn

Assessments and ongoing formative feedback are provided via tutorials, one-to-one/group discussions, presentations, peer reviews, and critiques to ensure students fully understand how to improve their work and achieve high grades.

Entry requirements

As part of the application process, a traditional or digital portfolio of art and design-related work, plus a sample of formal writing must be presented that evidence creative ability, and suitability for the course. A detailed portfolio guide is provided to all applicants.

If you have any questions about our portfolio requirements or the interview process, please feel free to contact the Programme Leader at carey.sizer-coy@dncolleges.ac.uk

Where it leads

• Entry-level positions:Entry-level positions, such as junior 2D character/creature/environment concept artist, junior 2D/3D visualizer, junior 2D storyboard artist or junior designer are often available to recent graduates. These roles typically involve working under the guidance of more senior artists/designers or art directors developing diverse skills and learning the ins and outs of the industry.

Graduates who have ambitions for career progression within their desired fields may also seek and undertake courses in management, leadership, and entrepreneurialism. Collectively these help graduates to stay current with industry trends/needs, gain a competitive ‘edge’ in the job market, and achieve desired career aspirations.

Graduate Quote

“If it wasn't for all the guidance and support, I have had from my tutors, I would not have achieved what I have to date. ... Over the entirety of my course, my tutors propelled me forward, helping me to grow not only as an illustrator but as a novice looking to seek work in my chosen industry.

Undertaking the Illustration & Concept Art course through University Campus Doncaster has opened many doors for me. During my time there I was taught how to work and present myself at industry level, and because of this, I have been fortunate enough to gain audiences with some of the UK’s top publishing houses. Additionally, to the wonderful support I received from my tutors, I was given the opportunity to attend workshops and work with some highly prestigious individuals in my field that will stay with me for many years to come. Not only has the course provided knowledge and development skills, but on completion I gained a place on the illustration master's at my chosen university and began employment within a local school.”

(Graduate E.G.-14.09.2023. Currently working on freelance commissions and exhibiting, plus as a part-time art, design and media facilitator/lecturer in a F.E. college)

Fees and costs

• Books (you’ll have access to books from your module reading lists in the library and in PDF format, but you may want to buy additional publications of specific interest.)
• Adobe Training manual: £20
• Printing and photocopying (annual cost): £20
• Annual trips and enhancement opportunities (non- compulsory): £150: £400
• Traditional art materials: £150 - £300
• Specialist Mac or PC laptop: £300 - £600
• Digital Tablet and Pen: £160 - £228
• External hard drive: £30 - £50

Detailed equipment lists are provided to all students prior to the commencement of their studies.

*Specialist software (Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk, Maya and Blender) via the university’s own licences is available free to all of our students. You can access, download and use on your personal computers (Mac or PC), and receive online support from the university’s IT support team.