Illustration creates a deep emotional connection in the telling of stories and communication of ideas to a global audience. Illustration is made up of many different creative processes and inhabits a multitude of contexts. The Masters course provides an opportunity for you to hone your professional approaches to the discipline for different commercial and artistic platforms. Illustration offers traditional as well as increasingly innovative spaces for image makers as the scale of what we illustrate and where evolves. Our course offers continuing students or graduates from creative art and design subjects with an opportunity to enhance their knowledge, creative skills and employment prospects.

Our course aims to enable you to:

• Critically appraise the importance of social, ethical, technological and cultural dimensions of illustration as applied to your personal practice and that of others.
• Evidence advanced knowledge and understanding of illustration and its current and emerging global applications such as, but not limited to, authorial practice, visual communication, children’s’ books and graphic novels.
• Systematically plan, negotiate and implement topical research to substantiate a coherent body of advanced illustration practice.
• Contribute to the principles and processes of illustration in supporting innovation within commercial or creative industries.
• Evidence awareness and relevance of your work in relation to professional standards in illustration practice such as, for example, maintaining an online portfolio and demonstrating an ability to work across a range of platforms such as print, web, animation and multimedia.

Our course aims to encourage you to push the boundaries of your illustration practice with the development of innovative and imaginative concepts and ideas relevant to a range of situations, artefacts and products. We will introduce you to a variety of platforms and contexts within which illustration sits, enabling you to experiment, expand, progress and communicate your ideas through different forms and processes, both digital and analogue.

Every area of visual communication in life, business and industry draws upon Illustration to communicate to a global audience. Consequently, the opportunities are endless. A visually literate, innovative ‘creative producer’ has the edge and potential to lead in whatever area they choose; in freelance/consultancy, corporate, national and global contexts.

The expectation is that you will be seeking to enter the cultural and creative industries as Illustrators with roles in advertising, editorial, motion, book design, art direction, marketing and publishing. You may also be seeking to develop proposals for further postgraduate research and doctoral study or the education sector.

After studying within the subject area of Art and Design, a few of the careers graduates have gone on to be successful within include: Editorial – The Guardian Media Group, The Skinny; Packaging Design – Nestle Plc; Motion Design – Tilt Amsterdam; Publishing – House of Illustration; Arts Organisations – East Street Arts.**