Illustration BA(Hons)

Year 1

Year 1 introduces you to the basic concepts of visual communication in illustration. Through a series of studio-based projects and workshops in observational and life drawing, photography and book arts, you will begin to develop your own visual language.

Modules

• Introduction to Visual Communication: Orientation and Exploration

  This module provides an introduction to the key concepts and practices of visual communication.

  It's a dynamic and mobile subject that has been fundamental in shaping modern global culture and continues to profoundly influence the way we perceive, understand and navigate the world.

  You will be introduced to the history, practices and techniques that inform visual communication, exploring experimentation, creativity and design approaches you will be asked to critically reflect on your practice through guided and independent study.

• The Practice of Visual Communication: Investigation and Application

  Visual communication is a diverse and constantly reformulating practice that uses a wide range of technical processes to engage with audiences. This module introduces you to a range of working methods, practices and techniques.

  You will explore a range of technical skills and you will be encouraged to investigate new approaches, combine existing techniques and explore traditional methods to develop innovative outputs.

• The Theories and Practice of Visual Communication: Media, Messages and Meaning in Illustration

  In this module you will examine, define and apply concepts, practices and debates that inform visual communication.

  You will explore the theoretical concepts and contemporary and historical approaches that have been used to communicate messages and meaning and apply these into practice by experimenting with media, contexts, techniques and processes. Through focused analysis you will critically reflect on the ongoing debate and reformulation of visual communication as a subject area.

• Developing a Visual Language: Personal Project

  In this module you will explore visual communication and your relationship to it by constructing a self-directed project.

  Visual communication encourages diverse approaches to professional practice and the development of a personal visual language. As you begin to identify and locate your practice within a framework of critical debate and ethical considerations you will have the opportunity to experiment with concepts, define approaches and critically reflect on them with an analysis of contemporary practice.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Watch 2022 graduate Imogen Donegan talk about her experiences of studying Illustration at the University of Brighton

Year 2

Year 2 introduces the key concepts of sequential communication with a focus on self-initiated, collaborative, experimental and independent ways of working. You will also begin to explore the creative industries via a personal and professional development programme. In your second year when you may choose to study a module from another course or discipline. In years 2 and 3 you will also attend a weekly professional practice lecture by guest speakers working within the industry.

Modules

• The Theories and Practice of Visual Communication: Audiences and Contexts
• The Theories and Practice of Visual Communication: Contemporary Practice
• The Theories and Practice of Visual Communication: Context of Personal Practice in Illustration
• Option module

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Work by Illustration student Tijani Bin Mohd Fayzak

Final year

In year 3 you build upon the creative and analytical abilities you have developed. Teaching encourages greater personal development as you move towards a more self-directed programme of study. You will work on set and self-initiated projects, prestigious competition briefs and live industry projects, while establishing professional practice links.

Modules

• The Theories and Practice of Visual Communication: Articulation of Illustration 1 and 2
• The Theories and Practice of Visual Communication: Independent Practice in Illustration.

Work by Illustration student Sophie Barnard Leary

Facilities 

• Dedicated studio space.
• Technical staff are on hand to assist you in the workshops.
• Central media centre with computing facilities specific to the needs of designers and illustrators.
• Specialist equipment including materials for sound, film and photography.
• Students also have access to the TECH HUB – a team of technical demonstrators based in Grand Parade who provide specialist creative software support including Adobe CC (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects etc) , Rhino, Blender and C4D, as well as web and blog-related software. They manage digital manufacturing services within the School of Art and Media, including laser cutting, 3D printing, CNC routing, plasma cutting and 3-axis CNC milling. They also have VR headsets and 3D scanners. The TECH HUB has its own dedicated PC suite with all of the software they support as well as standard university programmes.
• Department print bureau.
• One of the country's best-stocked specialist art and design libraries.
• Internationally important Design Archives include a wealth of work in graphic design and illustration.
• Dedicated technical workshops in letterpress printing and book arts.

The University of Brighton Design Archives

Meet the team

Illustration course leader, Roderick Mills is an award-winning illustrator and film-maker. He has worked across most areas of illustration including editorial, publishing, corporate literature, web design, advertising, exhibition design and animation. In 2011, Roderick joined the Board of Directors of the Association of Illustrators and became Deputy Chairman. Read Roderick's profile

Liv Taylor is a visual strategist and cultural researcher interested in how we build enquiry in creative and cultural projects. Her process questions what 'research' is within an academic and creative context. Through dialogue and experimentation in ongoing project Atelier Index, she is interrogating codes in our visual world relating to metadata, semiotics, research, looking, archiving. Read Liv's profile.

Jasper Goodall is an influential illustrator working commercially for clients worldwide. Alongside contemporaries, he reinvigorated the illustration genre during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Using digital media and making images that could be used alongside fashion photography in magazines such and The Face, Dazed and Confused and Arena he injected illustration with an aspirational and cutting edge vibe. Read Jasper's profile.

Irene Fuga is an artist who works with students to explore specialist professional practices including publishing, editorial, character, product packaging and promotion, across print and screen based delivery. Her clients have included Ferrari, Vogue, The Greenwich Hotel, Selvedge Magazine, Bulgari, Condé Nast Traveller UK, Maison Margiela, Red Magazine, Max Mara, and Penguin Books. Read Irene's profile.

Claire Scully is an multi-disciplinary professional Illustrator, author and educator specialising in drawing. Her book Internal Wilderness (Avery Hill Books), is part of an ongoing project looking at ‘landscape and memory’ and explores our relationship with the environment. Her clients include Random House, Harper Collins, New York Times, Adidas, Birmingham Museum of Art and English Heritage amongst others. Read Claire's profile.

Dave Williams is an image maker who enjoys working with the qualities of paint, printmaking and drawing, in combination with digital design approaches. Professionally he has created work for the BBC, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Transport for London and The Economist. Read Dave's profile.

Other staff who teach on the course include: 
Elaine Perks, Jim Stoten, Kate Gibbs, Jeremy Radvan and Emma Stibbon RA.

Roderick Mills

International requirements and visas

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visas and immigration advice

Portfolio 

Online portfolio

Your online portfolio should consist of at least 20 images including:

• three examples of drawing – these can include observational drawing, life drawing, developmental drawing, location drawing, drawing from life
• three images showing technical skills or experimentation that may include photography, printmaking, 3D, films, animation, digital imagery
• four images demonstrating image making or illustration.  
• two images of your sketchbooks.
• one image showing your inspirations or interests – for example folk, the environment, film, feminism, gender issues, politics, the everyday, science, sport, the natural world, music, fiction, spirituality, documentary, TV Shows
• one image of your favourite book or film
• one image of an example of what you think is a successful piece of visual communication
• possible profile film introducing yourself, three minutes maximum in length.

Please contextualise the images with some form of annotation – where the images are part of a college or school project, or self directed.

Remember that we are trying to find out a bit more about your abilities and potential both in terms of visual material provided but also in what you are interested in, and what you know of illustration as a subject.

We are not looking for highly finished work. The portfolio, ideally in chronological order, should show a broad range of work both successful and unsuccessful.

Find out more about how to create and submit your portfolio.

Course fees

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2023–24.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Local area

Maps

Support and wellbeing

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