Illustration MA

A picture speaks a thousand words, but how do pictures tell a story? You explore the capabilities of the single image to communicate on its own. You engage in creative and innovative ways with typical commercial outputs. You explore book covers, posters and promotional material that use illustration - each time reconsidering the communicative potential of the single image.

You create single images that suggest a larger narrative, intended to quickly deliver information, atmosphere, and pique curiosity.

Your assessment is 100% ICA based on a wordless piece of visual communication.

You interrogate the field of visual communication and investigate the power of image-based communication in the commercial world.

You examine how complex issues are communicated in visual terms through the navigation of infographics, emoji’s, GIF’s, data visualization and much more as you research and analyse commercial communications in industry.

You also explore non-verbal communication and the use of iconography through history from cave paintings and hieroglyphs to emoji’s and brand marks.

You develop a piece of illustrative work suitable for the online space, describing a significant message or narrative in response to a given brief.
Your assessment is 100% ICA.

You will have the opportunity to demonstrate a deep and nuanced understanding of the key issues relating to the development of illustrative art created in response to found material. You will be provided with a written document that may be in the form of a professionally formatted brief but you will have the opportunity to potentially work with a range of written material from a variety of sources. You will respond to a visual adaptive/interpretive brief, as well as a live assessment that will emulate real-world freelancing by testing your ability to respond to a brief under a time limit.

You will undertake appropriate research and analysis which will be synthesised into your own visual interpretation. Experimentation with storytelling techniques and visual style will enable the you to recognise and develop your individual strengths leading to an original creative approach. You will be required to critically reflect upon your work to promote further development of specialist skills, and you will be assessed via a portfolio of artwork, a reflection and a response to a timed brief.

Through a series of workshops, you produce a range of professional assets designed to support your career aspirations. Projects and analysis of work-related practice will enhance your career vision in the media, events and creative arts industries.

You undertake a major, in-depth, individual study into an appropriate specialisation. These projects are drawn from appropriate commercial, industrial, artistic or research-based problem areas. The project involves research and investigation in relevant aspects of a very specific area of study followed by the production of a major portfolio of relevant practice-based materials from the area of illustration. You also produce a written report that contextualises and critically evaluates your final outputs.

You gain a grounding in research approaches and processes in the creative arts disciplines in areas such as animation, visual effects, games and concept art.

You learn how to construct a rigorous critical framework to generate evidence based material to justify and inform your conceptual investigation through creative practice. You also critically evaluate and source appropriate academic research and relevant outputs from the creative arts disciplines.
Your assessment is 100% ICA, a written critical discourse/research proposal that contextualizes and theorizes the accompanying practice element, this may form the basis of your master’s project.

You research and analyse an area of interest and develop a range of creative responses, developing a piece of illustrative art which communicates your original idea or story. You are encouraged to express your ideas in novel, original and visually idiosyncratic ways, demonstrating a high level of professional competence and willingness to experiment with a range of visual approaches. A range of publishing venues are discussed including online and print. You are required to critically reflect upon your work to promote further development and appropriate professional skills.

Undertake an opportunity that builds on your existing knowledge, skills, and experience and supports your future career interests and aspirations.

Learn how to develop solutions to real-world business problems and enhance your personal and professional knowledge, skills, and behaviours through reflection, critical thinking, and action.