BA (Hons) Illustration

On BA (Hons) Illustration, you'll learn to experiment, test, and develop your work through the diverse world of illustrative practices in our studio environments.

All undergraduate courses at AUB offer an optional placement year, to be taken between your second and third years of study.

If you’re unsure about this optional placement, you don’t need to decide now. Once you’re here and studying with us, the course team will discuss the placement options with you, so when the time comes, you can make a decision that’s right for you.

Level 4 is all about experimentation and taking creative risks as you're introduced to the diversity of illustration.

The emphasis is on learning through gaining practical experience and critical reflection, in order to form your own unique visual vocabulary. You’ll attend workshops led by our dynamic group of tutors, as well as visiting lecturers with expertise in specialist areas.

You'll undertake independent learning to help you develop ideas and outcomes through ongoing studio practice. You’ll test and discuss your ideas during tutorials and group critiques and benefit from regular formative feedback.

We encourage you to undertake independent research, evaluating and analysing your findings in relation to your Illustration practice.

At Level 5, your practice will become increasingly independent and critically reflective. You’ll develop a critical understanding of key concepts and principles. You'll consolidate your practice as developed through Level 4, with the addition of deeper technical and conceptual enquiry.

Level 5 units give you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the eclectic nature of image-making through exploring the synergy between traditional and digital modes. In doing so, we encourage you to challenge the parameters of your illustration practice.

You’ll be supported in the challenge of articulating your ideas through core strategies and concepts as they relate to audience and illustrative practices. In this process of further consolidation, you'll be encouraged to push the boundaries as they relate to your own developing practice. You will utilise your own bespoke technical framework, incorporating aspects as far ranging as printmaking to computer generated image The focus of this framework is dependent on the individual practitioner and the necessity of their practice.

In this exploration of the evolving contents for illustration and the individual place of your practice, you’ll learn the professional skills that provide the foundation for the development of an independent, audience-aware practice, ready for Level 6 study.

At Level 6 the emphasis is on professionalism, ambition and innovation. With the support of your tutors, you’ll be encouraged to manage your own practice, set your own goals and move into a position where you can solidify a post-degree context for your work.

Through the first part of your Level 6 experience, you’ll identify the subject matter and contexts that influence and position your practice. You'll be encouraged and supported with locating your work within an external audience; considering the possibilities of what you do as sustainable post-degree practice.

The decisions you make and the direction you discover will then be developed, tested and refined within the Major Project and Professional Practice units.

You'll be encouraged to relate your research and learning to your professional aspirations, to develop your own bespoke post-degree creative strategy. With this goal in mind, you’ll be supported in building a portfolio of work in specific awareness of your own potential career opportunities within the creative industries.

• Winner | D&AD New Blood, Wood Pencil Award
• Winners | Pictoplasma (#Secretsidekick)
• Winners, Highly Commended | The Macmillan Prize
• Winners, Highly Commended | The Cheltenham Illustration Awards, Student Award
• Winner, Bronze Award | Creative Conscience
• Second and Third place, shortlisted | Penguin Book Prize, Children’s Cover Award
• Finalist | Northern International Illustration Prize
• Finalist | Lauren Child's Illustration Awards
• Runner-up | Batsford Art Prize: Illustration
• Highly Commended | Carmelite Prize

Our BA (Hons) Illustration graduates have created:

• Children's book illustrations for Penguin, Puffin Books, Macmillan, Nosy Crow, Little Tiger Books, Ladybird, and Flying Eye.
• Illustrations for esteemed authors such as Philip Ardagh, Enid Blyton and David Olusoga.
• Editorial Illustrations for The Independent, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Google.
• Advertising, campaign and promotional materials for Jamie Oliver, Carluccio's, Marks and Spencer, Siemens, Waitrose, Lush, J&B Whisky, Adidas, Sony, Walmart, and Google.
• Promotional materials and music videos for the music industry for artists such as Enter Shikari, Lice, Pip Blom, Weird Milk, Coach Party and Justin Bieber.
• Animated content, idents, shorts, music videos and graphics for media production houses such as Channel 4, BBC, Sky TV, Nick Jr, Adult Swim, and MTV.
• Jewellery, homeware, ceramics and textiles for Tate Modern, John Lewis, Peagreen, and Eudon Choi.

You can find out more about what some of our BA (Hons) Illustration graduates are up to below – click on the alumni below to read more.

As part of BA (Hons) Illustration, you may also get the opportunity to take part in course trips, previous trips have included:

• London
• Stourhead
• Oxford

*These trips are optional and some may incur additional costs

The following Visiting Tutors also contribute to the teaching on the course:

• Joe Kessler
• Maria Midttun
• Erica Donovan
• Salvatore Rubbino
• Paper Cinema
• Richard Allen