BA (Hons) Illustration

Our studios and workshops are second to none, and you’ll spend lots of time working there. As well as practising and experimenting with your drawing and observation skills, you’ll get the chance to explore related areas such as storytelling, editorials, animation, printmaking, text and image, and moving illustrations.

But you won’t be restricted to the studio: you’ll also go on gallery visits, local drawing trips, and our annual overseas visit to cities such as Porto and Seville.

There’s even the chance to study abroad for a semester, in the Netherlands or Poland – with funding on offer to help cover the costs.

We know that your future career is important and you want to build your CV. So we’ll encourage you to grab every opportunity for real-world experience – entering national and international competitions, working on live industry briefs, and taking up internships.

As an illustrator, a world of possibilities awaits you. You could illustrate books, become a graphic artist, design stage sets or product labels, and even work on animated films.

Let us show you where your talents can take you:

• graduating student Tabitha Wall won the ‘New Talent’ category at the hugely prestigious and international World Illustration Awards 2021. You can see her winning posters in the carousel below
• Bethan Woollvin was awarded the 2022 Book of the Year Prize by Books for Topics, as well as the 2014 Macmillan Prize, The New York Times’ Best Illustrated Children’s Book 2016, and the 2017 World Illustration Awards' 'new talent' category
• Melissa Castrillon is now a full-time freelance illustrator who has won the Society of Illustrators’ Gold Medal and designed covers for Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy
• Lizzie Knott was commissioned by TKMaxx to design a range of t-shirts for Comic Relief.

In 2021, Illustration Course Leader Chris, graduating student Guoste and alumnus Lizzie talked to New Designers about what illustration is, whether it’s the course for you, and how to apply. Watch the video on the New Designers Futures Programme website.

Take a look at some of our BA (Hons) Illustration students' work.