Games Art (15–18 years)

Ages: 15–18
Term: Summer
Length: 2 weeks

Games Art and Visual Development

Do you aspire to create your own digital characters and the game environments in which they exist?

This two-week intensive summer course is perfect for students aged 15–18 who are looking for an unparalleled insight into the realm of Games Art and Visual Development.

Bookings for this course will open soon. You can also sign up to our newsletter for summer course updates.

What you need to know

Summer 2027

Monday 2 August – Friday 13 August 2027 (including Saturday)

09.00–17.00 weekdays (Monday – Friday)
10.00–16.00 Saturday 7 August

Accommodation

12.00 Sunday 1 August – 10.00 Saturday 15 August

Teaching times

09.00–17.00 Monday – Friday

10.00–16.00 Saturday 7 August

Age

All students must be aged between 15–18 years at the time of attending the course. 

Experience or qualifications required

There are no formal academic entry requirements or qualifications needed to study this course. We only ask that you come with a passion for creativity and plenty of enthusiasm to develop your knowledge and skills!

English language

This course will be taught in English. We don't require you hold an English language qualification; however, we recommend you have an intermediate level of English to benefit fully from your experience and be able to communicate with your tutors and fellow students. 

If you'd like to discuss if this course is suitable for you, get in touch with us: academy@aub.ac.uk or call via +44 (0)1202 363222.

Package	Price	25% deposit
Course fee only	£1,899	£474.75
Course fee, accommodation and catering	£2,825	£706.25
Course fee, accommodation and catering plus airport* taxis	£3,160	£790.00

*Applies to London-based airports only.

Optional extras

You can choose to add the following optional extras to your course fee:

Accommodation and full-board catering
Accommodation and full-board catering plus private return taxi transfer to/from any London airport

The residential package includes full board catering, offering an engaging environment to learn, collaborate and thrive in a multicultural and international setting.

See below for further details about our residential package.

Deposit

You can secure your place on the course today with just a 25% deposit of your total fee. Choose this option when you book your place. Refer to the table above for prices. 

A camera or mobile phone to record evidence of personal work
Suitable clothing for creative activities
Notebook and pens/pencils to take notes
Plenty of warm clothes (it's the UK and although it’s the summer, it can still get cold) – there will be outdoor activities throughout
We advise bringing any personal portfolio work you may wish to be reviewed by AUB tutors
You'll receive a welcome pack containing more detail of what to bring if you're a residential student

Residential packages for 2-week summer courses (15–18yrs)

Experience life as an AUB student by booking a residential package as part of your Summer Course. You can even stay in AUB accommodation...

Six lengths of fabric of different patterns and colours hanging next to each other.

FAQs for 2-week summer courses

These FAQs have been carefully curated to answer any questions you may have about studying a creative summer course with us here at AUB.

Man kneeling on beach at sunset, holding a flaming torch above his head as a light shines down on him from the sky.

Terms and conditions for 2-week summer courses (15–18yrs)

Please read our terms and conditions before booking a summer course and contact us if you have any questions.

Safeguarding and student support on summer courses

At AUB Academy, we aim to provide the best possible experience for all students.

About this course

Bring your game ideas to life! Explore the exciting world of Games Art and Visual Development as you learn to design memorable characters, immersive environments, and props for digital games.

Through hands-on projects and creative experimentation, you’ll develop your 2D and 3D skills, explore concept art and asset creation, and build a portfolio of original work to showcase your creativity and support future study or career ambitions. The course culminates in a special showcase celebrating your finished work and creative achievements.

The UK gaming market alone is a growing industry, hitting record annual income generation exceeding £8 billion. To support this growing and evolving sector, and the creative talent to supply it, we've developed this hands-on summer course. This course is perfect for ambitious students who want to design imagery and assets for innovative games that could exist on a variety of different platforms. This course includes character and environment design, with a focus on visual narrative and play.

Throughout the course, you'll be introduced to the key technical skills, elements and principles of art and visual games design to support the creation of a credible portfolio of artwork. You can then build on your portfolio to showcase your individual talent and support an application to undergraduate studies and/or underpin future career aspirations.

Working in a fully collective, friendly, and inclusive environment, you'll be introduced to, and explore, the practical and analytical uses for games artwork and character development, through a series of immersive and practical group projects mirroring a production environment. You'll be exploring core concepts, components and practices of games art and character design focusing on the practical elements that will be underpinned by exploration and imaginative experimentation.

Beginning at the concept planning stages, you'll develop a strong set of core skills exploring and practicing concept art, asset production and indie development. These skills will support in the design process to create characters, props, environments, using 2D and 3D content creation software for a range of platforms, which could include console, web, mobile, computer, augmented and virtual reality.

You'll be supported by a series of inspirational talks by your lead tutor throughout the course, which will include visiting guest speakers and industry professionals to compliment your programme. The course will culminate with a special showcase to celebrate you and your fellow students’ imagination, skills, and creative abilities.

A broad history of the games industry
New and emerging technologies and digital media
Exploring the impact the digital revolution has made to the culture of graphic design, illustration, art and film, including the development of animation, games art and social media
Explore and apply the creative approaches required to create artwork for digital games
Experiment with image making, visual effects, asset creation and concept artwork
Storytelling through a range of imaginative projects using linear and non-linear narratives
Games history, architecture, and emerging digital delivery formats
Screening and critique
Receive a portfolio review
A full itinerary of extracurricular evening and weekend activities, including a weekend cultural excursion at no additional cost

This course aims to:

Develop confidence in your creative skills and abilities
Develop team participation and collaboration with your peers
Provide experience and appreciation of connected creative subjects including art, design, animation, film, special visual effects, film, graphic design, illustration, and visual communication
Develop a varied portfolio of creative work to demonstrate your skills and creative identity in games art and character design
Provide extended practical sessions to experiment with personal ideas and creative processes in a professional higher education setting
Develop your observational and drawing skills to enhance your aesthetic awareness and inform your research activities
Introduce key digital software tools used with games art and character design
Provide opportunities to experience a wide variety of newfound skills and techniques
Develop your understanding of research methods and idea development, and cultivate your personal visual voice
Provide opportunities for self-evaluation and critique to enhance your confidence and reflective skills when considering your own and your peer group work
Develop your understanding of the field of games art and character design, and to understand what opportunities await in the field of employment

Will I be assessed?

You'll be continually assessed in a variety of ways including practical tasks, observations, assignments, presentations, and portfolio work.  

Work produced during the course will be collated into a portfolio and/or digital journal for students to add to their portfolio or for future development.

Your course tutor(s) will offer guidance and support you with your creative applications, as well as feedback on your work and offer advice for your future creative studies.

All students with 100% course attendance will be issued with an official AUB Summer Course Certificate detailing course content and study hours. 

Future options to study at AUB

This could just be the start of your creative journey! After this course, you could further your games art skills with another summer course or look to the future and explore our creative qualifications that can prepare you to further your current career, enable you to retrain to an alternative career path or prepare you for future creative arts studies.