Illustration - BA (Hons) Degree

Unlock ideas for illustrative material – from a variety of perspectives. You’ll explore applied narrative, drawing, making and collaborative processes, incorporating a wide range of skills that include:

• Drawing experimental and observational
  
• Painting
• Printmaking
• Understanding colour
• Characterisation
• Composition
• Personification i.e. working with inanimate objects as characters
• Metaphor
• Storytelling
• Animation stop-frame/experimental
• Book binding
• Book design and book cover design
• Editorial illustration
• Zine making
• Poster design
• Gif making
• Design for personal website
• Shadow puppetry/puppetry
• Live briefs/competitions
  

You’ll start to think about your speciality – honing your skills and building on your strengths. And in your final year, you’ll work towards producing a sophisticated body of work to showcase your passion for communicating ideas.

Right from the beginning, you’ll look ahead to the future. You can get exposure to the industry through live briefs and work placements, travel and study abroad or expand your academic skills with a research project.  

Year One

Subject: Visual Languages - 40 credits
This module utilises a combination of workshop experiences and project briefs through which students develop a foundational awareness of visual languages and begin to explore how visual images can be used to communicate ideas, feelings, information and specific points of view.

You will challenge preconceived ideas regarding the practice and the function of illustration in order to show how new work emerges, and does so actively and with purpose.

Students develop a variety of practical skills (e.g. drawing, photography, collage, print, moving image) and conceptual skills that work in harmony and enable them to compose a body of work that demonstrates these skills.

This playful, experimental module uses texts and sound as catalysts aiding the elaboration of possible scenarios in which illustrations work actively. The combination of traditional and non-traditional methods and skills acquired in this module are transferable and built upon in subsequent modules.

Subject: In Contexts - 20 credits
This module invites you to explore the significance of context for the discipline of illustration through reflective practice. Considering who is your audience, where will your work be seen and what is the purpose of your work?

There will be a mixture of projects with fixed outcomes to and ones which are freer and can be led by you. This reflects the nature of the way an illustrator may navigate their career via client led and self-initiated projects.

Throughout the In Contexts module you will be building on your experience within the Visual Languages module, in particular continuing to develop skills in your use of materials, process and technique and your overall understanding of image making and the role of narrative within illustration.

Research Basics - 20 credits*

This module aims to develop students' core academic research skills including locating sources, evaluating credibility, and analysing information. It will provide the foundations from which students will cultivate their confidence to engage in theoretical discourse and idea-driven dialogues which will be required throughout their undergraduate studies.

Interdisciplinary Understanding - 40 credits
This module aims to introduce you to the principles of Interdisciplinary working: collaborative working, critical thinking and reflection. Projects within the module will challenge you to work with another discipline to explore a societal and cultural theme or challenge.

​Year Two

Subject: Visual Languages 2 - 40 credits
This module allows you to explore your illustrative world and ground you in your unique ways of working. You will then apply this when learning to communicate complex information using a variety of voices and perspectives.

You will apply your practice through tutor-led and competition briefs – designed to help you to develop your own approach and ideas. All of this is underpinned by discourse, reading and writing to expand your knowledge and understanding of the subject.

21st Century Challenges - 40 credits
The 21st Century Challenges module builds upon the introduction to Interdisciplinary problem-solving developed at level 4 to continue to refine, and begin to apply, your skillsets through real-world projects and live briefs. Projects will tackle 21st Century Challenges to develop your leadership, collaboration, future literacy/critical thinking skillsets.

Real-World Contexts - 20 credits
The Real-World Contexts module challenges you to apply the situated awareness and future-thinking skills to deploy your own practice in the creation or promotion of value for a variety of external stakeholders and communities.

Research Proposal - 20 credits*
The Research Proposal offers you an opportunity to strengthen your research skills, consolidate your research experience and orientate your level 6 contribution around an enquiry of your choosing that is inspired by your learning across all modules at level 4 and 5. This research proposal will be used to continue your personal and professional development at level 6 where you will identify a route for your own enquiry.

Year Three

Subject: Visual Languages 3 - 60 credits
This module is as much about your enquiry into visual languages as it is about developing final work. You’ll consider difficult subject matter that challenges your communication skills. And you’ll explore new ways of working – taking you beyond traditional methods to help further your creative practice.

Positioning in Practice - 20 credits
The module aims to support your readiness in developing your unique professional career. It will embed attributes reflective of the requirements of real-world practice aligned to your specialist discipline.

You will have the opportunity to reflect upon how your experiences over the last 3 years have allowed you to position yourself as a professional in preparation for graduate level work, continued study, research, and entrepreneurial ventures.

Contribution - 40 credits*
Your practice is underpinned by your knowledge. Demonstrate your research and analysis skills in your final research submission, where you explore ideas in both written and practical forms​.

*modules available through the medium of Welsh

From the outset, you will gain hands-on experience in practical studio sessions and workshops – developing your core material skills. Lectures, lead by members of the academic staff, will broaden your theoretical understanding of your field, whilst smaller, targeted seminars are designed to provide guidance for meeting more individual intellectual and practical demands.

Students will also work with a personal tutor throughout their three years of study. Personal tutors will meet students once a term to offer pastoral support and guidance, and to check in with students on their engagements with all aspects of the course.

The team continues to practice as illustrators and researchers within the field our Vertical Studio provides the opportunity for staff, students and guests across all levels to meet together and share their work, this develops professional skills and involves students in directly in the broader discourse of the discipline and their role in developing it for the future.

Throughout the three years, students are offered a vibrant learning environment, both in the studio and online, that nurture student’s career ambitions and trajectories.

Throughout the duration of your studies, you will be evaluated on three main criteria, which underpin all of the disciplines being taught at CSAD:

SKILLS: The practical, technical and conceptual skills you acquire during your course.

CONTEXT: Your understanding and knowledge of broader intellectual context within which your discipline and work is located. This includes historical, environmental and ethical issues and will often be explored in your 'Theory and Context' modules.

IDEAS: Your understanding of intellectual and creative ideas from within and beyond your discipline; plus your ability to acquire new concepts and form new ideas. Ideas will be explored in your written work, as well as being evident in your practical progress.

Each of these criteria is given equal weighting during the assessment process. That is to say that they are seen as equally important and critical to your development; an emphasis which is designed, for example, to enable a more well-rounded skill set from a student who may be skilled technically, but weak in generating ideas, or a student with much creative flair who may struggle to hone a broad concept into a strong, individual design.

We provide a number of ways for you to track your progress en route to submitting your work for marking. Understanding that the emphases will revolve around the core areas of skills, context and ideas, you will also become familiar with the structured assessment form used by your tutors and learn to relate to your work back to the intended learning outcomes of each brief.

The main types of formative assessment are; academic (feedback from your tutors); peer (from your course-mates or project partners); and self-assessment (which is your own critique, in light of other forms of feedback). You won't just be receiving feedback at the end of a brief, however – your tutors will often assess your progress as your work develops, providing formative feedback at crucial moments where it is hoped to encourage you to take risks, maintain your motivation or shape-up your ideas ahead of deadline.

Illustration is constantly extending its reach. On this course you'll interact with clients and collaborators, author and direct your own groundbreaking projects, and you'll graduate with a wealth of versatile and transferable skills. Our commitment to hands-on, real-world experiences goes beyond theory. We help you to forge invaluable connections, engage in immersive placements, and thrive on live briefs. For those entrepreneurial thinkers we provide support to help you create and shape a business.​

You can elect to take a route through your second and final years of studies where you can engage with businesses or prepare to launch your own business upon graduating. In your final year, rather than submit a dissertation, you have the option of devising a detailed business plan.

Graduates from the programme are well placed to join design companies, work as illustrators and designers in large organisations, or set up their own businesses. Some take further training, for example a PGCE. Some elect to take their studies further by studying at CSAD for a master's level qualification and there are opportunities to take this further still, through a Professional Doctorate in Design.

Typical Offers

• Tariff points: 96-120
  
• Contextual offer: See our contextual offers page.
  
• GCSE: Preferably five GCSEs at Grade C / 4 or above to include English Language / Welsh First Language, Mathematics / Mathematics – Numeracy.
  
• English Language Requirement: Academic IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in all elements, or equivalent.
  
• A level: Minimum three A levels. No specific subjects required. Welsh Baccalaureate – Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate considered as a third subject.
  
• BTEC National / Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: MMM-DDM
  
• T Level: No specific subjects required.
  
• Access to Higher Education Diploma: No specific subjects required.
  
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: 24 points. No specific subjects required.
  
• Irish Leaving Certificate: No specific subjects required. Higher level subjects only considered with a minimum grade H4.
  
• Scottish Advanced Highers: No specific subjects required.
  
• Other requirements: Successful interview and portfolio review. Applicants will be required to submit a digital portfolio.
  

Combinations of the above qualifications are accepted if they meet our minimum requirements. If your qualifications aren’t listed, please contact Admissions or refer to the UCAS Course Search.

Further information on Overseas qualifications can be found here.

If you are a mature applicant, have relevant experience or RPL that you would like us to consider, please contact Admissions.

How to Apply

Further information on how to apply can be found here.

For up to date information on tuition fees and the financial support that may be available whilst at university, please refer to www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/fees. 

Undergraduate costs of study in CSAD 

Materials 

CSAD provides a variety of basic materials. These enable students to develop their competence in a range of skills and demonstrate their technical ability. Materials needed in unusual quantities, or those that are specialised, expensive or unusual are at the student’s expense. Advice will be given about how ‘unusual’ is defined, which materials are deemed to be ‘expensive’, and examples given of what is viewed to be ‘unusual’. CSAD students often elect to spend on materials they prefer to work with, including sketchbooks and pens, as well as specialist equipment of their own choosing. 

In the main, no charges are made for the use of equipment, with the exception of some specialist high end equipment such as the Mimaki and 3D printers. Access to Cardiff FabLab is subject to student membership; it offers reduced fees for student use. 

For further information about additional course costs, including fees, equipment requirements and other charges for each undergraduate programme, please visit www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/additionalcosts.

Field trips and visits 

Field trips that are part of core learning will be paid for by the School. Additional visits are occasionally arranged which are optional and where the students may be asked to share the costs. The costs of study abroad, including exchanges, placements and projects are the responsibility of the individual student.

For general enquiries please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6044 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

For course specific enquiries, please contact Subject Leader Amelia Huw Morgan: 

Email: AHuwMorgan@cardiffmet.ac.uk