Concept Art BA (Hons)

Study a variety of concept art tasks, develop an effective working practice and explore the unique challenges faced by a concept artist.

Develop a workflow

Explore tasks faced by concept artists, such as character, vehicle, prop and environment design, and produce artwork fitting for industry.

Idea generation

Focus on the generation of original ideas and develop skills in the areas of thumbnailing, iteration and presentation.

Problem solving

Learn to adapt to different briefs and ways of working, all core skills for a concept artist.

This is a 30-credit module.

Develop your visual perception and drawing skills, which are essential for a productive artist to communicate ideas effectively, swiftly and efficiently.

Figure drawing

Practice various elements of figure drawing including anatomy, pose, lighting and form.

Observational drawing

Practice construction skills such as perspective and composition to develop your ability to re-create 3D forms into a 2D drawing.

Explore traditional techniques

Explore a variety of different traditional drawing tools such as charcoal, graphite and pastels and experiment with their effectiveness at capturing lighting and colour.

This is a 30-credit module.

Develop your ability to research the visual arts industry, focusing on historical elements and different artists and their art styles.

Research methods

Learn how and where to find accurate sources to aid you in creating visually rich work.

Studying artists

Study classic and modern artists to explore different visual styles throughout history and what makes them visually striking.

Develop your style

Taking influence from artists you’ve researched, apply different techniques to your own work to begin developing your own unique drawing style.

This is a 30-credit module.

You are introduced to digital painting and 3D modelling packages, allowing you to investigate the creative potential of digital workflows.

Digital painting

You’re introduced to the software of a digital artist in industry and shown how you can apply lighting, colour, texture and effects to your artwork.

3D workflows

You are introduced to 3D modelling packages and how they can aid in the construction of your artwork and efficiency of your skills.

Technical problem-solving

You explore and research workflows used in the production of digital artwork to aid you in creating technically proficient artwork.

This is a 30-credit module.

Explore deeper into digital painting processes and ways you can incorporate various 2D and 3D skills to create accomplished digital artwork.

Develop your digital painting

Develop your digital painting skills through research and analysis of real-world references to build your understanding of shape and form.

Combining 2D and 3D skills

Explore 3D modelling tools and how they can be combined with 2D painting techniques.

Developing a reliable Workflow

Develop an individual workflow that allows you to create art in your own way using 2D and 3D tools.

This is a 30-credit module.

You work in a team to produce concept art material and create a pitch for a game, film or animation project.

Explore a specialism

Explore different specialisms within the concept art industry and how your artwork fits into the pre-production pipeline.

Creating relevant artwork

Research existing media from film, games and animation to aid you in producing artwork that is visually exciting for an audience.

Working as a team

Study the challenges and opportunities working alongside other artists can bring and experience the production of a project modelled on industry practice.

This is a 30-credit module.

You focus on your visual storytelling skills, exploring narrative through the creation of storyboards, sequential art and marketing artwork.

Storytelling

You are introduced to narrative techniques such as lighting, composition and pose that will help you tell stories through your artwork.

Analysing existing media

You study existing media to help you identify an appropriate methodology for adding storytelling to your visual artwork.

Industry workflows

You explore the different visual outputs seen in industry and practice the variety of visual techniques that help convey story clearly and effectively to an audience.

This is a 30-credit module.

Develop your skills in practice-based research by experimenting and researching the creative process.

Historical and cultural significance

Explore examples of how historical and cultural visuals from around the world have been used to create engaging characters, props and environments in media.

Expanding your visual library

Research different areas of history and culture to develop up your own visual library for you to reference when creating concept art.

Effective research methods

You study research practices that aid you in finding accurate information and reflect on how to use these materials appropriately and ethically to create your own work.

This is a 30-credit module.

You have the option to spend one year in industry learning and developing your skills. We encourage and support you with applying for a placement, job hunting and networking.

You gain experience favoured by graduate recruiters and develop your technical skillset. You also obtain the transferable skills required in any professional environment, including communication, negotiation, teamwork, leadership, organisation, confidence, self-reliance, problem-solving, being able to work under pressure, and commercial awareness.

Many employers view a placement as a year-long interview, therefore placements are increasingly becoming an essential part of an organisation's pre-selection strategy in their graduate recruitment process. Benefits include:

· improved job prospects
· enhanced employment skills and improved career progression opportunities
· a higher starting salary than your full-time counterparts
· a better degree classification
· a richer CV
· a year's salary before completing your degree
· experience of workplace culture
· the opportunity to design and base your final-year project within a working environment.

If you are unable to secure a work placement with an employer, then you simply continue on a course without the work placement.

You develop a sense of work discipline and a professional outlook by planning and executing an extended piece of work. Consider the associated legal, social, ethical and professional issues, as you explore your chosen subject area. Demonstrate your ability to analyse, synthesise and creatively apply what you have studied on the course.

This is a 60-credit module.

You extend your abilities in creating digital artwork inspired by industry standards. Investigate and apply a variety of techniques, including the combination of 2D and 3D methodology.

Industry inspired briefs

You work on briefs inspired by industry projects to aid your understanding of industry standards and working practices.

Proficiency in digital image making

Develop your digital painting skills through research and practice of advanced techniques such as photo manipulation, applying textures and combining of 2D and 3D skills.

Industry workflows

Develop your workflow to produce artwork that fits the industry expectations of a concept artist.

This is a 30-credit module.

You analyse and evaluate elements of professional practice against industry standards, applying your findings to your own practice. This demonstrates employment potential and future professional development.

Identifying career goals

Explore the career route for an area of the industry that fits your career aspirations and research the specific skills and working practices you need.

Meeting industry standards

Practice different art techniques to build up your ability to create portfolio-level artwork for your chosen career.

Professional skills

Through research and analysis, identify strengths and weaknesses of your portfolio and CV and reflect on how you can push your skills towards becoming a professional artist.

This is a 30-credit module.