Animation and Illustration – BA (Hons)

Through a flexible, exploratory approach in a creative environment, the learner will explore principles and techniques, engaging in the processes of illustration. The emphasis is on learning through making.

This is an introduction for learners to the principles and fundamentals of animation. The focus is on producing traditional hand-drawn animation exercises and on developing strong drawing skills.

The aim of this module is to introduce learners to various drawing and painting techniques in a creative environment.

The aim of this module is to explore the world of visual arts culture and to investigate how meaningful visual content appears in multiple forms. Students will learn how the reality of living in a world of cross-mediation informs their experience, understanding and interpretation.

The aim of this module is to introduce the learners to 3-dimensional environment drawing with the understanding of perspective. The module will walk the learner through the techniques of drawing in one-point, two-point, and three-point perspectives in the form of hand-drawn and painted layouts.

The aim of this module is for learners to engage with book arts by introducing them to various techniques for illustration. Learners will continue to be immersed in the experimental processes in contemporary illustration.

The aim of this module is for students to extend their knowledge in using the principles and fundamentals of animation, and to begin to apply skills acquired within the life drawing and illustration modules. The learners will also begin to work with sound and music

The learners are introduced to further anatomy studies, the sustained study of the figure, and light and dark/tonal work. The learners are also introduced to colour theory.

This aim of this module is to introduce the learner to the theory and application of visual language. Learners will explore concepts and visual methods of communication as a means of extending the learner’s visual vocabulary and language with a view to stimulating creative thinking.

The aim of this module is to introduce learners to environmental storytelling in the form of digital environments and backgrounds. The learner will further build on their understanding of perspective, with the help of digital painting software.

The aim of this module is to introduce and engage learners with sequential art, image making and illustration. Learners will assimilate research and adapt techniques, methods and styles into visual narratives. This takes the form of comics and zines.

The aim of this module is to allow the learner to advance and hone the skills of drawing and painting, through practice in the studio setting and through specific workshops, such as anatomy, gesture and movement, and location studies.

The aim of this module is to provide the students with the opportunity to further develop their skills and knowledge, and the necessary creative and technical abilities, required in producing character animation. The projects take the form of hand-drawn character mime and performance, which enhance the students’ skills in acting and gesture for animation.

The aim of this module is to develop unique creative approaches to new concepts and to identify appropriate working methods applicable to the production of book illustrations. The objective is to encourage the exploration of practical techniques and to develop an expanded visual vocabulary.

The aim of this module is to investigate visual arts and culture from the practitioners’ perspective. Learners will examine how contemporary illustrators and animators work from the art of the past as part of their creative process, while building their own skills in visual analysis and creative and critical thinking.

The aim of this module is to provide the learners with the fundamental building blocks, knowledge, and the necessary creative skills required in producing industry standard storyboards and animatics.

The aim of this module is to introduce learners to the fundamentals of visual storytelling through scriptwriting. Diverse ranges of techniques and formats are examined against the backdrop of narrative and non-narrative structures and strategies

The aim of this module is to continue the development of the learners drawing and painting skills to an advanced level of proficiency. This will be realised through further experimentation and learning through doing.

The aim of this module is to further expand the necessary creative and technical skills required to produce character animation. The students produce animatics, scripted dialogue and digital character animation. The student will also further advance their skills in visual research.

The aim of this module is to allow the learner to formulate a variety of creative approaches in the development of ideas, identify appropriate working methods and apply contemporary illustration practices. Learners apply this to concept art and production design packs.

The aim of this module is to provide a framework for interpreting and applying theoretical approaches to various case studies. The learner’s analytical and critical thinking skills will be developed through review and investigation of relative themes and narrative devices used in contemporary practices.

This module prepares learners for work placement in Year 3. Students will learn how to apply and prepare for placement. Emphasis is also placed on interview and presentation skills, communicating in the workplace, and the acquisition of technical skills necessary for effective participation while on placement. Learners are introduced to personal professional practices and career development.

This module is concerned with the development of using creative imaging to create contemporary illustrations for print and digital publishing.

The students further expand the necessary creative and technical skills required to produce advanced animated media. They will demonstrate their knowledge of appropriate timing and posing, staging and composition to effectively portray character interactions and dialogue. The students will develop advanced skills in communicating animation projects through storyboarding and presentations.

Through advanced drawing and mark-making the student will develop their own unique approach and response to the live model. The student has the opportunity to investigate the human form and to demonstrate their artistic and technical skills.

The aim of this module is to allow learners to advance and master environment storytelling through digital painting techniques and skills. The focus of the module will be to create professional environment art in the form of concept illustrations and background paintings

This module prepares learners for the practice-based, group studio project in Semester 6. It builds on the skills and knowledge acquired in Years 1 and 2 to further develop the learner’s knowledge of story, scriptwriting, production design packs, animatics and the process of pitching a new concept.

The aim of this module is to equip the learner with the necessary skills for research and independent study. The learner will apply critical approaches through analysis of theoretical studies. In consultation with the lecturer, the learner will prepare a written review, identifying and evaluating literature appropriate to the area of study.

The aim of this module is to give the learners the opportunity to experience working on an industry-standard production. The module will take place over a 6-week period at the beginning of Semester 6. The module aims to emulate a standard studio-environment and will broaden the learner’s skills and creative capabilities to give a greater understanding of how to take a project from script to screen and/or to print. Working as a group will help to replicate a studio environment. Each learner will have a responsibility to carry out their work in a creative and timely manner; to meet production schedule deadlines; and to be flexible and versatile while working as a team. The learner will have the opportunity to use a broad range of image-making practices, pulling from their skills in Years 1 and 2,

to demonstrate enhanced awareness in animation and illustrative techniques; to apply those techniques to best realise the collaborative project.

The aim of this module is to equip the learner with the necessary skills for animation and illustration based academic research. The learner will propose and produce an extended piece of written work.

The aim of this module is to provide learners with an opportunity to engage in the professional world of the animation and/or illustration industries. The module will take place for 6 weeks in the second half of Semester 6. This gives the learners the opportunity to stay on with their placement company for the summer months, if this opportunity arises. They will experience first-hand the creative processes involved in working in a team environment on an industry standard project, along with building awareness of the differing roles and stages of development involved in the creation of professional work.

The aim of this module is to build and enhance advanced-level drawing and painting skills through a combination of studio practice and autonomous self-reflective learning. Special attention is given to the connection between animation and illustration industries and the student’s individual development towards these through style and context.

The learner will build upon the research skills developed over the course of the programme. The learner will initiate and develop an individual research topic, identifying and evaluating literature appropriate to the area of study.

The objective of this module is to consolidate the skills, knowledge and experience the students have gained from previous years. The student is required to demonstrate their analytical and advanced creative skills by initiating, developing and proposing a major body of artistic work within the area of illustration and/or animation. The focus of the module will be on developing a visual project and producing a design pack of relevant and appropriate materials which will scaffold the project in semester 8. The body of work produced is presented in both visual and written forms while a verbal presentation of the project and its desired execution will consolidate the module.

The aim of this module is to provide the student with a solid understanding of the processes involved in managing a visual project from its conception through to its realisation.

The focus of the module is on asset tracking, file management, scheduling and pipeline. Individual updated daily schedules provide real-time information on the progress of their Project Design 4.1 module outputs. The objective of the module is to provide a structure and a file management system for a media project. This will give the students an overview of their progress while also laying out the requirements of a project going forward. The learning outcomes of this module are transferable to a wide variety of media projects. Dissemination of media projects through festivals and other platforms is discussed as well as project funding, freelancing and taxation.

The learner is required to demonstrate their analytical and in-depth creative skills by initiating, developing and resolving a major body of self-directed work as part of their end-of-year portfolio.

The learner is encouraged to continue expanding their individual creative practice, and the final project should enhance the students’ individual skills and unique voice while refining their abilities. This body of artwork will give the student a complete understanding of the process and methodologies involved in animated and illustrative outputs. The learner is required to ensure that the creative output is completed to a professional standard

This module aims to facilitate the learner in undertaking a body of independent research. The learner will engage with the research skills and documents of work that were developed in the proposal of the project. This module has a strong focus on using the findings of research and critically evaluating them to a high academic standard.