Games Art and Character Design (15–18 years)

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

Overview

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

This 2-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 character design.

During this course students will take part in pre-application reviews, where they'll receive feedback on their portfolios and could even be offered a place at AUB!

What you need to know

Teaching

Monday 3 August – Friday 14 August 2026 (including Saturday)

Weekdays (Monday – Friday), 09.00-17.00
Saturday 8 August, 10.00-16.00

Accommodation

Sunday 2 August, from 14.00 – Saturday 15 August, up till 10.00

Age

All students must be aged between 15-17 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 animation and plenty of enthusiasm! 

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 01202 363222.

Package	Price	25% deposit
Course fee only	£1,799	£450
Course fee, accommodation and catering	£2,635	£659
Course fee, accommodation and catering plus airport* taxis	£2,970	£742

*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

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 work you wish to include in your portfolio for review
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 (13–18yrs and 18+ yrs)

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

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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.

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Terms and conditions for 2-week summer courses (13yrs+)

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

About this course

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 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 skills, elements, and principles of games design to support the creation of a credible portfolio of work. 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 will be introduced to, and explore, the practical and analytical uses for games art and character design, through a series of immersive and practical group projects. You will 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 will 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, and vehicles using 2D and 3D content creation software for a range of platforms, including console, web, mobile, computer, augmented and virtual reality.

You'll be supported by a series of inspirational talks by your tutor throughout the course, which will culminate with a special showcase to celebrate your own, and your fellow students’ imagination, skills, and creative abilities.

A broad history of visual communication
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 mechanics, architecture, and emerging digital delivery formats
Applied animation for immersive technology including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)
Design for interactivity, tablets, apps, installations, and expanded cinema
Collaboration with other disciplines including music, sound art and design
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, to name but a few.
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
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 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 contents and study hours.

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Book your place today

Book now

Future options to study at AUB

During your time with us, you can attend a session to talk more about our Foundation Diploma in Art and Design or BA (Hons) undergraduate degree courses, and discuss your personal portfolio with an expert academic. You may even be eligible for a pre-application interview, to secure your future place at AUB!

Each year, we’re proud to offer many of our summer students places on AUB’s incredible full-time creative courses. Explore courses that you may wish to consider below.