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Cerys Watkins – Shifting creative focus at MA level

Ever since I was young, I’ve had an ongoing desire to progress further in my studies and challenge myself with my ambitions, and I feel very honoured that I have been able to continue them within the creative community at AUB.

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Prior to graduating from the BA (Hons) Textiles Design degree at AUB this past summer, I had already firmly decided to pursue my goal of studying for an MA in Illustration. From the first year of my BA, I knew I intended to take the leap to postgraduate study and chose to shift my focus to a subject which I have always been interested in, but have never explored in depth.

It was integral to me that I ‘put my eggs in different baskets’ as a postgraduate student, as I feel that the more skills you have, the more employable you are. A quick scroll on LinkedIn highlights that recruiters are generally after an extensive repertoire of experience, which is why I wanted to develop my skill in other areas. I also wanted to do this for myself and to prove that I could do it, as I struggle with self-doubt and anxiety.

Due to achieving a high 2:1 during my BA, I qualified for a progression scholarship to stay on at AUB, which meant that my MA tuition fees were halved. This has, fortunately, allowed me to continue my studies straight away; I would not have had the funding otherwise. There are, of course, other avenues for students to take, such as applying for bursaries from external sponsors, but this is not the route that I personally chose.

My transition from Textiles to Illustration came naturally as illustrative approaches have always underpinned my creative practice. I would say that my textiles work is illustrative in itself, although I also like to incorporate mark making and texture to elevate my imagery and create diverse collections.

Despite enjoying my degree, and being pleased with my outcomes, I knew that I would go on to study MA Illustration as opposed to Textiles, as I wanted to branch out and nurture an interest that has had to take more of a back seat during my degree. I have also always wanted to author and illustrate children’s books, and this is what I am currently working towards.

My creative process and style are constantly evolving, so adapting to a slightly different way of working has felt very natural and refreshing, as you get used to running projects in a certain way, depending on subject discipline. On MA Illustration, I am loving being able to focus almost solely on my drawing ability and different approaches to visual communication, which is obviously quite different to how a Textiles course generally operates. On a basic level, however, I still work in a fairly similar way in terms of project process: I compile research, I begin drawing and sketching up ideas, I reflect as I go, and I keep creating work until I am satisfied (or until the deadline – whichever comes first!)

On BA (Hons) Textiles Design, I found that I never had much time for the initial drawing process, as the making took up the majority of my time. This was really frustrating to me as I love drawing and wanted to spend more time on it during projects, although this was a very rare occurrence during my degree. Despite coming from this background, I have decided against working with textiles in any capacity thus far during my Master’s, as I really do want a change, and I am thoroughly enjoying having the space to discover who I am as an illustrator as opposed to a textiles designer. I like keeping these roles separate, as qualities that I value in my illustrations are not necessarily qualities that I value in my textiles.

The most exciting part of the MA is the fact that I have made it this far! I do struggle with perfectionism and self-criticism, so I’m really glad to have this opportunity. Being accepted onto this course has finally made me believe that my work is good enough, and that I can do difficult things, even when I’m doubtful. I feel that I’m a better artist just for pushing myself to take risks and to do things that seem scary.

In all seriousness, my favourite thing is having less contact time than on BA, and more freedom to explore my own ideas without constant input. It’s obviously good to discuss ideas with peers and tutors, but sometimes you just need that breathing room to make your work distinctly you. It also feels more like you are actually working in the creative industry as you are almost entirely self-governed. This is very helpful in preparing students for future employment.

For my first unit on MA Illustration, I primarily explored the use of media and representing a variety of subject matter in order to work on diversifying drawing approaches and breaking specific habits. This previous unit consisted of four mini briefs, responding to the themes of landscapes/cityscapes, crowds, collections, and portraits – I found this very useful yet challenging, as I was forced to use media that I am not comfortable with, to depict some subjects that I am not very experienced in working with. During this project I also focused heavily on developing my digital drawing skills and trialling new techniques, such as creating characters from shapes and cutouts and making 3D desktop models to explore perspective and scale.

Currently, I am working on my second unit, and I am in the process of both authoring and illustrating a children’s book. This book is in the very early stages, but it will be aimed at 4–7-year-olds and will focus on reimagining the story of a lost toy, with a cast of British wildlife as the central characters. My main love within illustration is drawing animals – and my favourite medium has always been pen and ink – so I have been drawing up initial character and location sketches in these mediums in preparation for feedback sessions.

As with my textiles work, my illustrations are very personal and explore my interests, which is why I have chosen to create a narrative featuring animals. In my opinion, I still have a fair way to go in establishing a personal illustration style, but this is why I am still studying – to learn! Although we are meant to be breaking old habits, I’ve recently been indulging myself during my second unit and creating work in pen and ink, and I’m really pleased with my concepts, though they are all just sketches at the moment!

For students interested in exploring a new specialism, if your heart is set on it, and you are dedicated to developing your practice, then I think that's all the persuasion you need to branch out into a different subject. For me, choosing MA Illustration was the best decision I could have made and I’m thoroughly enjoying taking a different approach to my creative work! Initially, I found the imposter syndrome difficult to deal with, but this quickly subsided after connecting with peers and finding that everyone has such different backgrounds and skills. In fact, very few of my classmates actually have an academic background in illustration!

As with any university course, you need to have background experience or a portfolio of work in your chosen subject area, but you can always delay your application and work on creating more outcomes and building your confidence. Of course, the financial aspect is a difficult one with any MA, but you can still apply for a student loan to cover some of the costs. I commute from the Isle of Wight, so this is also an option if you don’t want, or can’t afford, to move away from home for a longer period of time.

With regard to deciding on a course, or a university, I found that online research, speaking to staff, and asking current students were all very useful places to start. Before settling on MA Illustration at AUB, I attended other postgraduate open days and talks to see which university I felt most aligned with. It’s a big decision, so it’s important to consider your options wisely and weigh up costs. This can be discussed with AUB Futures if you need more assistance! The individual course teams are also very encouraging, and they regularly check in for updates on what students are up to, and what they’re thinking in regard to future employment and study. I found this really motivating whilst on BA and it was helpful to have that time with tutors to discuss options.

There is also no harm in applying to courses at different universities so that you have options – tailoring applications can take time! I would really recommend chatting to staff members and connecting with alumni to make sure that a course is right for you.

Something to think about

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