Personal and Professional Development in Art and

DesignPoppy Chapman

Unis that offer desirable courses:

As a specialist creative arts university, we have created a unique community for our students, where like-minded people can share in the creative process and inspire one another. Collaboration between courses is encouraged, with fine artists studying with budding filmmakers and fashion designers working alongside architects. In this way, our students benefit from exposure to a range of disciplines.Choosing to study with us will give you the freedom to discover your own personal style through a winning combination of industry-focused courses, state-of-the-art facilities, and inspirational expert staff.

Illustration as a subject has expanded from traditional print to many forms of communication. This course offers you the broadest practical and critical exploration of both subjects and possibilities. It builds key skills in creative image communication, enabling your practice to be successful and develop in the direction you choose. Graduates consistently produce internationally recognised award-winning work.

Illustration Animation BA (Hons)

Illustration and Animation (Canterbury)

Illustration (Farnham)

The facilities at Kingston impressed me; they had a fully-fledged animation studio, as well as an auditorium that hosted the graduate student animations. The rooms displaying the student works were spacious and bright, and there was a large and technologically advanced workshop for 3D work (woodcutting/metal usage etc.). The campus is near Kingston Town and my home, and my father vouched for the University’s quality because he went there himself. The cafeteria was quite small, however I would rather spend my time socialising outside.

The facilities at UCA in Epsom were slightly underwhelming; the majority of the rooms were heavily fashion based and I found it difficult to find the areas specific to the discipline of illustration or animation. However this was to be expected because the UCA has several different locations that all specialise in different areas of art; Canterbury is the Uni that offers the Illustration Animation course, and according to their website they have various facilities that allow for a range of art to be created. The Epsom campus was difficult to navigate, however the work on display (especially the fashion garments and student pieces from the Foundation course looked very professional and varied.

Work Experience and family connections to the creative field:In terms of work experience, although it isn’t linked to a creative subject, I have been working as a bartender for several months. The job requires me to be very socially interactive which I believe has improved my communicative skills greatly. Communication is relevant to a plethora of jobs (practically every job requires some negotiations) therefore I feel this job has assisted in my capabilities as a prospective illustrator/creative person. The job also requires me to multi-task : serving drinks whilst memorising customer orders, as well as calculating prices in my head, and I feel this has prepared me for working with multiple clients on multiple projects at the same time.In terms of creative links within the family, my father is an independent graphic designer and has more than 20 years of experience in visual communication. He is often very informative about what makes a good visual first impression, and I believe he has assisted (and will continue to assist) my creative choices in terms of layout and efficiency. My godmother is also a creative director at the BBC, which is relevant to my desired job role as an independent ‘creative director’ of my own work as she is responsible for forming ideas and making independent decisions for her department.

My choices for progression:Although I am quite certain I want to pursue a career in illustration/character design/animation, I feel I am not ready for degree-level education. As a result of this decision, I would like to undergo an art foundation course for a year; I believe I need another year to refine my illustrative skills, and investigate and experiment with other mediums to figure out which pathway within illustration would be best for me. I feel it is the obvious progression choice as it is a free year to relax (in a way), as well as improve in various areas of art.

My choices for progression

Plan A – Kingston University - Foundation Diploma in Art and Design: I decided Kingston was my top choice for the foundation as the open day was much more professional, organised, and interesting. The location is also ideal for me as I am living in Kingston and I would only have to walk about 15 minutes to get to the campus.

Plan B – UCA Epsom- Foundation Diploma in Art and Design:I was slightly underwhelmed at the open day, however the course leaders were very friendly and enthusiastic and the student work was encouraging.

As a foundation course doesn’t cost anything, I wanted to attend a course within the area so that I did not have to pay for separate accommodation for no reason. I found two Universities nearby with foundation courses that greatly appealed to me- Kingston University and UCA in Epsom. Both courses followed a similar, non-restrictive structure that was so unlike my BTEC level art course, and the feedback from students and the images of students’ works was very encouraging for both places.

Course information – Kingston University‘This accredited course provides a unique and thorough grounding in a broad range of areas within the creative industries. It prepares you for entry to degree-level art and design programmes, nationally and internationally. The fast-paced modular curriculum, taught within a professional and supportive studio environment, helps you develop both conceptual and practical skills to make the most of the next level of your education.’

Specialist facilities include:

• digital media workshops; • photography suite;• printmaking studio;• 3D materials workshop;• state-of-the-art filming environment and animation suite; and• architectural science and technology laboratory (ArchiLab).

Course information - UCA Epsom

Facilities:

• Printmaking studios• Photography suites• Illustration studios;• Mac digital suites;• Library

1. Through a structured programme of drawing and visual studies, you’ll identify your skills, strengths and interests. You’ll also develop practical abilities in 2D and 3D, helping you to make an informed choice for specialist study.

2. You'll choose to specialise in one pathway from graphic design, illustration, photography, film, 3D design, fashion, textiles and fine art.

3. You’ll bring together all your newly developed skills, knowledge and understanding in art, craft, design and communications to plan and fulfill a major project, resulting in an exhibition.

Why I chose the course, and why I am appropriate for it:

I chose to apply for these foundation courses as I believe they would greatly benefit me; they would make a huge impact on my personal growth as a creative person as they would provide me with the time and facilities to experiment with an extended library of materials in order to shape and improve my preferable medium. I feel my own skills thus far are appropriate to the course as, during my BTEC diploma art course, I have completed a number of specialist units covering the usage of various materials (3D sculpture, observational drawing, digital modeling, graphic design, screen-printing, lino-printing, painting, etc.) which has given me an open mind in terms of experimentation. The foundation course requires five GCSEs grade C or above and a BTEC Diploma in Art and Design (or equivalent), both of which I have achieved; in less technical terms, the course requires prospective students to have a willingness, and a passion, to experiment and explore, and I feel I am very keen to use every material available to me.

Student opinions on Kingston and UCA:

“Well what can I say about my foundation year at Kingston? It has been a hundred times better than I could ever have imagined. I have learnt so much in such a short space of time and consequently my work has improved dramatically. I have made great friends and been inspired by talented tutors as well as other students. Coming into university every day has been a great social experience, alongside working harder than I have ever done before. I have loved every minute of my course and will not be forgetting it any time soon.”"I absolutely loved my time at Kingston – it was so exciting to be in a place where everyone enjoyed the same thing. I was shocked at how much my work changed in just a year; the tutors were the main reason for this. I found them to be passionate and always there to give advice, which I feel you just don't get at other places.”"I have enjoyed my year at Kingston very much, thanks to the great surroundings and inspirational tutors. I loved coming in every day, using the workshop and making some really good friends. The tutors give really fun and interesting projects, and you should take advantage of the library as a resource. I gained a lot of confidence from this course and loved it so much that I will be staying at Kingston for my degree!"

External links and progression opportunities:

Industry Partners at UCA:Design and Art Directors Association, Far Far Away Books, Association of Illustrators, Nobrow Books, GAS Art Agency / Gina Cross, artists’ and illustrators’ agent, Ambit Magazine, Penguin Books, The Folio Society, The V&A, Comica, Loop Magazine, Ditto Press, Nobrow Books, The AOI, Four Corners Books.

How Kingston work with industry partnersAll members of staff are practicing artists and designers. This means:• their teaching includes up-to-date professional experience;• they can tell you what life in industry is really like; and• they can help balance creating inspiring, challenging work with meeting the needs of your

client.

Our tutors aim to lead by example, showing you that they are just as excited as you about work and the future. Many are award winning artists and designers with staff members. For example, staff members have won national illustration and D&AD design awards.Wherever possible, you enter the public eye and have a 'real' experience of cutting-edge art and design.

Careers and progressionIf you would like to go on from this course to a BA(Hons) art and design degree at Kingston, you can have a pre-UCAS interview for a place at the University, subject to the standard and content of your work.

Employability preparation at Kingston UniversityIn addition to building expertise in your own discipline, our courses will also help you to develop key transferable skills that you'll need for professional life or further study once you graduate. As well as a range of careers and employability activities at Kingston, we also offer you the chance to apply and develop your skills in live contexts as an integral part of your course.

Open day report – Kingston University

I decided to attend an Art Foundation open day at Kingston University, and I was thoroughly impressed. I found the whole affair very organised and professional; the room we were based in was welcoming and clean, with elegant, relevant decorations on the walls specifically installed for the event. There was a visually pleasing presentation about the foundation course, which explained various aspects about the course such as the facilities available, the staff and their qualifications, the course structure, and the possible progression routes after completing it, in a minimalistic way. In addition to the presentation, the course leader was also present; she answered our questions and explained each slide enthusiastically. She seemed genuinely passionate about the course, and interested in the prospective students attending it, which I believe is key to any course I wish to enrol in. The presentation also included various examples of foundation student work, which gave me an idea about skill level that students achieve whilst on the course. The course leader also talked about local exhibitions and installations that the students were collaboratively involved in, which again showed me the level of professionalism achievable on the foundation. The course leader was also very informative about the application process for the foundation course; she explained, in detail, the requirements for the digital portfolio (the different types of work and the amount of it needed) and reassured us of the informative nature of the interviewing process. In addition to the presentation, each attendee was given a leaflet with details of the foundation course, and another leaflet with detailed information on the requirements for the application portfolio; I found this was very useful and considerate of the university as we were able to review the presentation information at our own pace after the presentation had finished. Overall, I felt the day was impressively organised and enthusiastic; I felt informed about the course details, and at ease about the process of securing a place for it.

Personal Statement for course applications:

For any course application, you are required to write a personal statement. As foundation courses are not controlled through UCAS, the character limit for this statement is usually different for each university. I found this quite trying, as I had to trim my statement to fall under the specific guidelines for Kingston and Epsom, however the content wanted within the statements was almost identical. Both universities requested that the personal statement should describe my creative influences, my ambitions and plans for the future, as well as any notable/relevant skills that would contribute to how appropriate I am for the course. The word count for the Epsom application was a little bigger than Kingston, however I feel I managed to relay all that needed to be said in both of them. In my personal statement (to the right), I mentioned my illustrative influences, my general interests/hobbies, my plans for the future, my achieved grades/skills, and what I hope to achieve from the foundation course.

Portfolio for course applications:

Although most foundation courses request you to bring a portfolio after you are offered an interview, the Kingston application required me to attach a digital portfolio to my online application due to the large number of applicants they receive.

The details of what to include in my portfolio were available in the leaflet I received on the Kingston foundation open day.

The images to the left are screenshots of my digital portfolio, compiled on the file-sharing website, Dropbox.com.

The next slide goes into detail about what the portfolio requirements were, and how I achieved them in my own portfolio.

Report on how I fulfilled the portfolio application requirements:

For the Kingston digital portfolio, I was issued a very specific set of instructions as to how to fulfill the requirements. From an online PDF, and my leaflet from the open day, I read that I had to create my portfolio via Dropbox, and create four subsections (folders) within my application folder, with different types of works for each folder. The first folder would have to contain 10 images of observational drawings, these drawings would have to display a range of material usage (such as charcoal, paint, ink, pencil, etc.) and an accurate eye for observational sketching. For this folder, I decided to include numerous outcomes from my life drawing classes (depicting the human form in charcoal, white chalk, ink, and pencil), small self portraits (experimenting with light and colour with acrylic paint), some quick plant sketches (pencil, ink, paint, charcoal), and some digital sketches depicting a fast moving human baby. I believe this selection of works displayed both my skill in using a variety of mediums, and my accuracy in visual character and understanding of proportion and light.

For the second folder I had to include 15 images of my sketchbook work, conveying my research, tests, and idea development. For this folder I selected my sketchbook pages with careful consideration; I decided to include a few pages displaying my writing ability (annotation and reflection of packaging, and analysis of my own observational recordings), a few pages displaying my idea progression and tests towards outcomes (ink lettering tests for TATE project, developmental charcoal drawings of potential lino prints, etc.), a page of process documentation (written mono-printing process with own images), and a couple of pages of my personal digital sketchbook displaying my specific artistic interests. I believe these pages displayed a wide range of skill in both academic, written terms and creative.

The third folder had to include 5 images of ‘final pieces’; the leaflet stated that these pieces could be of any medium (be it film or paint) and didn’t even need to be finished in the literal sense. For my five images I wanted to display my abilities in a variety of mediums, therefore I chose to include a painted, observational, self-portrait (acrylic paint), a 3D lantern product inspired by Vienna (tissue paper, string, card), a multimedia triptych inspired by Vienna (watercolour, charcoal, acrylic), a recreational piece conveying a delicate time in my life (black marker, paper, fine liner), and an .mp4 file of my claymation music video to one of my favourite songs.

The final folder had to include 10 ‘things I like’, and the contents of this folder was entirely open to interpretation. I chose to include several pictures of knives that I own (as I have a fondness for them), a couple of pictures of books and me covered in books (as I love to read), a picture of strangely shaped aborigines (as I am fascinated by natural shapes and patterns), a digital drawing of a bird (as I am very fond of animals), a picture of myself wearing both ‘girl associated’ clothing and ‘boy’ (displaying my androgynous disposition), and a picture of Hayao Miyazaki (as I appreciate his creative works and agree with his morals). Regardless of whether it was ‘correct’ or not, I believe the final folder was successful in representing my personality and what I appreciate most in life.

Post Uni Plan A - Being a freelance Illustrator/character designer

My first progression choice would be to leave University and start a freelance career as an Illustrator.

As an illustrator, you would produce drawings, paintings or diagrams that help make products more attractive or easier to understand. This could include books, book jackets, greetings cards, advertisements, packaging and detailed technical diagrams. If you are talented at drawing, and have creativity and imagination, this might be the perfect job for you. You’ll need to be creative while sticking to your customer's design brief.

Time management is something you’ll need to use when meeting publication or client deadlines. Many professional illustrators have a degree in illustration or other art related degree subjects. If you are creative, have artistic talent and the determination to succeed you could still be successful in illustration without a degree.

You may be able to specialise in one type of illustration, such as heritage illustration, designing pictures for guidebooks, leaflets or maps for stately homes and castles. You might also work in educational illustration designing websites, leaflets and publications for an academic institution. If you work freelance as a self-employed illustrator you will need business skills so you can market your goods and services. You’ll also need to develop the skills to deal with your own finances and build up and promote your own business.

Post Uni Plan B - Being an animatorMy second progression choice would be to leave University and start a career in animation.

Animators bring drawings or computer generated characters to life on screen. If you want to use your imagination, and have creative skills like drawing or modelling, this job could be perfect for you. To create an image that communicates with your audience, you’ll need patience and the ability to concentrate so that your work is accurate and has detail. You’ll also need good computer skills. Artistic talent is highly valued within the animation industry and you can still become an animator based on self-taught skills and experience. It's becoming more common for new animators to begin their careers by taking an animation or art-related course to develop their skills before looking for work.

As an animator, your work could be used in animated films or television cartoons. It may also be used for adverts, computer games, websites and music videos. You could specialise in one of the following animation techniques: 2D hand-drawn or traditional, 2D computer-generated, 3D computer-generated imagery (CGI), stop-frame, stop-motion or model animation.

Producing an animation involves many stages and processes. This can include generating ideas in the development stage to building models during production, and editing the final piece in post-production.