Illustration and Animation - BA (Hons)

Turn your creative ideas, passion and knowledge into a rewarding career in illustration or animation. These two art forms are increasingly prominent in visual communication, and there’s a growing need for artists who can produce innovative, eye-catching visual content.

Our Illustration and Animation BA (Hons) course will give you the skills you need to work as a visual artist. We often use visual language to communicate complex ideas and information and, with ever-evolving digital technology being used alongside traditional techniques, this is an exciting and fast-moving area to work in.

Here at Cambridge School of Art, you’ll investigate the connections between illustration and animation, creating sequential narratives using traditional and cutting-edge digital image-making techniques, and cultivating your creative abilities and technical skills.

While developing your personal visual style, you’ll also focus on the basics: refining your drawing skills through observation of the visual environment and telling stories through moving image. You’ll also look at the growing opportunities in contemporary illustration and animation practice, producing a portfolio that reflects your artistic capacities and meets the current demands of the creative industries.

In the first year of the course, you’ll explore both illustration and animation through studio-based teaching, software training, practical projects, group critiques and individual tutorials.

During the second year, you’ll focus on animation, developing your technical skills and exploring the creative possibilities of this art form through a number of individual and group projects. You’ll also have the chance to take part in work placements, research trips and live projects.

In your final year, you’ll hone your illustration and animation skills, and your personal style - while also producing a professional portfolio and exhibiting in the degree show.

Our ongoing contextual studies modules will support your practice-based work throughout the course. You’ll learn to confidently express your ideas and creative intentions by developing critical communication and presentation skills in a stimulating studio environment. This will prepare you for the final research project and your future career.

You’ll be supported by a team of lecturers and tutors who are all artists and researchers, committed to pursuing their own creative practice in the areas of illustration and animation. As well as benefitting from their experience and knowledge, you can also be confident of receiving the latest insights into the realities of working in the creative industries.

Course Leader: Dr Nanette Hoogslag