Illustration for Commercial Practice

Our illustration degree programme will provide you with the skills, knowledge and industry links to forge a career as a comic-book artist, editorial illustrator, picture-book artist, product illustrator, concept artist, greetings-card artist or fashion illustrator. You will also be equipped with the business and creative skills to pursue a career in advertising, editorial, games, film, television, comics and publishing.

During your studies there will be access to a programme of inspirational ‘Live’ briefs, which provide you with the opportunity to get real-life feedback from publishers, clients or working illustrators – typically, we have a variety of guest speakers throughout the duration of the course. These have included Chris Riddell, Tor Freeman, Godmachine, and Sam Arthur, MD of NoBrow Publishing.

All of this is underpinned by excellent resources including Wacom Cintiqs and Macs - and a range of industry standard illustrative software.

The studio is located in a highly inspirational building dedicated to illustration and graphic design with staff who continue to practise in the industry. We value the importance of a vibrant studio culture and you will work in a commercial, creative eviornment.

You will have access to traditional printing processes in our print room, where you can explore risograph and screen-printing methods to inform your projects.

Sophie Townsend

PAST LIVE-PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES HAVE INCLUDED

Nobrow (publisher) Flying Eye Books (publisher) Rockpool Children’s Books (publisher) One and Other Magazine Running Man Urban Outfitters Wylam Brewery Craft Beers Atomhawk Pavilion Books (publisher)

STUDENT EXHIBITIONS

The Coningsby Gallery, London The Festival of Illustration, Hartlepool Ernest, Newcastle Truman Brewery, London (Degree Show) Children’s Media Conference

ALUMNI

Alan Vest The Guardian, Hodder & Stoughton (Freelance Illustrator) Ryan Dube, The University of Oxford, Ten Feet Tall Beth Wood Comic Book Slumber Party, (award-nominated comic author).

COMMERCIAL EXPERIENCE

Students have sold work at various commercial events, including: Spitalfields Market, London Coningsby Gallery, London The House of Blah Blah, Middlesbrough Ernest, Newcastle Thought Bubble, Harrogate

Niel Bushnell, Senior Lecturer Illustration for Commercial Application

Niel Bushnell, Senior Lecturer on the Illustration for Commercial Application degree course, is an established animator, illustrator and artist, whose work has featured in Disney productions and Marvel Comics as well in numerous feature films and computer games. His career started at Marvel Comics before he moved into the animation industry where he worked on a broad range of projects, from cereal commercials to feature films including Space Jam and Lost in Space. Niel then moved into the computer games industry as a concept artist, illustrator and animator on games such as ‘Shadowman’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’.

Niel’s work for Disney included a Lion King short film called The Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable which played at the Epcot Centre’s The Land Pavilion at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. After a period of time in London, Niel returned to his native Hartlepool and formed his own studio, supervising a team of animators and artists, to produce work for UK television shows such as Spooks, Hyperdrive, Mongrels, The Windsors and Derry Girls. More recently, Niel has been involved in the Doctor Who Blu-ray range, creating new animation, graphics and effects.

When he’s not drawing or animating, Niel enjoys writing and has had nine books published, including; The Timesmith Chronicles and The Arkship Saga.