Zoe Taylor
Senior Lecturer in Illustration
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology
DiscoverIllustration (Top-Up) BA (Hons)
Key Facts
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UCAS Code:
W222
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Level:
Undergraduate
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Duration:
Full Time: 1 year
Part Time: 2 years -
Starting:
September
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Fees UK 23/24:
Full Time: £9,250
Part Time: £1,540 (per 20 credits) -
Fees International 23/24:
Full Time: £15,500
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Location:
Waterside
Get in touch
For questions regarding study and admissions please contact us:
Overview
The Illustration (Top-Up) BA (Hons) at the University of Northampton puts the power of storytelling and visual communication at the heart of what we do.
The course emphasises the importance of supporting students to develop their own visual language through a range of media and approaches from page to screen, 3D, installation, and interaction. Through this holistic programme, you can experiment and innovate using idea generation and real-world application to create work with meaning and purpose.
Updated 23/05/2023
Highlights
Throughout the Illustration top-up course, you will have access to a specialist studio space, specialist workshops, along with a range of specialist resources. The course has guest lecturers supporting the team with a wealth of professional experience. Visiting speakers add insight into a range of topics and roles within the creative industry. In addition, the course offers the opportunity to work with live briefs, international competitions, and self-initiated projects.
Our students go on to a wide range of roles and recently these have included: art therapists, education/teachers, freelance illustrators including comic author/illustrators, children’s book author/illustrators, as well as into the games industry as concept artists.
You will have the opportunity to showcase your work during the Summer Degree show at our Waterside campus, and our students have participated in industry graduate showcases in London.
At the University of Northampton, we support you to achieve your career in illustration with the Northampton Employment Promise.
Student Work
Image shows an illustration with the heading 'Hope Food Club' and the subheading 'Here to Help'. Below this are various figures holding groceries. Behind and beside them are fresh fruits and vegetables (including tomatoes, carrots, onions), and tins, cans and jars of food.
Image shows two digital comic style illustrations. On the left a small child with cropped brown hair stands facing away. They look towards a woodland. Trees fill the background and a soft orange light can be seen between the trees. The child looks as though they might be drawn to the woods. They clutch a handful of blue papers.
On the right hand side the child stands with an adult. The child has on sneakers, jeans and a zip up jacket. The have large wide eyes and a concerned look. The child looks up to the sky and clutches some post in their left fist.
Image shows two digital illustrations of an aircraft pulling up and out of the frame in a space scene. Below the aircraft a cartoon style character clings onto a handle with a gloved hand. They have a slim figure, large wide eyes, purple hair, brown skinny cargo trousers and a grey jacket. They have on brown Nike air shoes. Below them circle purple clouds and scenes of an air fight with spacecrafts, rockets and fire occurring below. One of the images is framed and sits behind a real pair of Nike Air shoes with blue tick.
Image shows nine close-up portraits painted in red, black and neutral tones of screaming women. These images are referenced from horror film stills.
Image shows the head and shoulders of a child, who is looking off to the right of the page. His cheeks are pink and nose is red. The background is a light pink. The child wears a collared top with light pink, green and plum coloured stripes. He looks expectantly into the distance.
Image shows an illustration of a stormy sea with a wooden boat breaking through the waves. A sail is braced in the wind and white water crashes on the side of the boat. The sky is misty, 2 black birds can be seen through the mist.
Image shows illustration of female athletes in sporting poses. Back row from left to right, a dancer on the left does the splits in the air, a team of 5 women lift a trophy in the air, a basketball player dribbles the ball.
Middle row, a footballer keeps a ball up with her knee, a woman celebrates whilst wearing a medal, a runner stands smiling, two teammates embrace, a footballer is posed mid trick with a football.
Front row, a tennis player clenches her fist and smiles, a racing driver stands with her helmet tucked under her arm and a female presenter hold a microphone. At the very top of the page text reads 'But Still We persevere' celebrating the achievements of woman in sport. The illustration is made up of a limited pastel colour palette of pink, purple, orange and turquoise.
Image shows an illustration of three animals. The left hand top corner shows a small fieldmouse standing on hind legs. The mouse is sculpted out of natural leaves, flowers and seeds. Below this is a rooster made up of autumnal red and green leaves with a lilac comb.
The right hand illustration features a Lion. The head has green leaves that create a mane along with a sand coloured collar with a bark like texture. The lion faces forwards in a sandy desert background.
Opportunities
Paid professional practice fieldtrip
As part of the course, you will take part in a paid trip to support the professional practice aspects of a module’s assignment. These trips have included visiting a range of publishers such as Nobrow press, Penguin Random House, Egmont publishers and The Guardian to hear from commissioners about the process of commissioning work for their publications. We have also visited illustration collectives such as Le Gun and illustration agency Artworks.
European trip
Each year we plan a week-long, self-funded trip to a European city as a extra-curricular cultural experience. The trip is offered to all year groups on both the illustration and Graphic Communication Design courses and runs around February – March each year. In the past, we have visited Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome, and Madrid.
Course Content
Staff
Chris Gibbs
Senior Lecturer - Graphics & Illustration
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology
Discover
Christiane Matz
Associate Lecturer (Graphics & Illustration)
Illustration (Top-Up) BA (Hons)
Discover
Michael Wright
Technical Demonstrator - Design
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology
Discover
Louise Bird
Senior Lecturer - Graphics & Illustration
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology
DiscoverCareers and Employability
Our Illustration top-up degree equips you with a wide range of specialist and transferrable skills which can open up your career options. You will not be limited to one specific type of role, but rather be able to pursue numerous career paths.
Our Illustration graduates use their creative skills to work in:
- Freelance Illustration
- Animation
- Games industry as Character designer, concept artist and storyboarding
- Teaching / education
- Art therapy
- Working within communities and councils to engage with social and environmental issues
- Tattoo artist
- Comic book illustrator /author
- Children’s book illustrator /author
Throughout your time on the course, as well as postgraduate-study, we offer on-going support to ensure you receive the guidance and information needed to succeed in your chosen field of work.
Postgraduate Opportunities
Our postgraduate courses are a great way to enhance the skills you have already learnt. Benefit from our 20% alumni discount on postgraduate fees to give yourself a CV that will catch the eye of employers.
Facilities
When you study Illustration at the University of Northampton, you will enjoy access to a number of different facilities and services to help you in your studies, including:
- Large specialist studio spaces with dedicated access to Mac-books, digital cameras, lighting kits and sound recording equipment. Additionally, we have access to a vast collection of magazines and books in studio.
- Additional iMac design suite
- Subsidised digital printing
- Printmaking facilities and professional photography studios with controlled lighting studios
- Video editing suites
- Free Adobe Creative Cloud software account for your duration on the course
