BA (HONOURS) Illustration at Sheffield Hallam University

• Respond to social, technological, economic and political challenges through your work.
• Experiment with a variety of techniques and materials in state-of-the-art studios.
• Work with practising illustrators who bring their experience and networks to the course.
• Master the traditional, new and technological skills you'll need for a successful career.

As you progress through the course you'll develop solutions to illustration problems of increasing complexity. You’ll be supported to create unique and personal responses that embody what the future of illustration can be.

You’ll experiment, engage, contextualise and apply your illustration to a number of professional contexts. You’ll work with external industry partners and have the opportunity to apply for placements. The distinctive portfolio of work you create will demonstrate your unique strengths and prepare you for a successful career after graduation.

You’ll learn through

• problem-based and practical activity-based sessions
• applied industry (live) projects
• group work and collaboration
• workshops
• working with industry visitors
• lectures
• self-directed study
• group and individual tutorials
• exhibitions and presentations
• study trips
• independent study
• Blackboard online learning portal
• presentations and feedback sessions

Work placements

You'll have opportunities to arrange single or multiple work placement/s in between your second and third years. Placements give you real-world experience to prepare you for your future career.  You may also be able to work or study abroad with the possibility of funding (subject to the UK’s continued participation in the Erasmus+ programme following the Brexit transition period).

Live projects

You’ll engage in authentic work experiences in each year of the course, working with external partners and live briefs. Our students have worked with Museums Sheffield, Wessex Archaeology and Grimm & Co (Apothecary to the Magical).

Field trips

You’ll have the opportunity to go on study trips and visits in the UK and abroad – with free travel and accommodation for all mandatory field trips. These could include workshops, design conferences or visits to practitioners’ studios, museums and special collections. You may further enhance your studies with optional field trips, though these will incur additional costs. Recently the course has visited Dublin, Reykjavik, New York and Tokyo.

Networking opportunities

You’ll have the opportunity to meet guest lecturers, graduates and industry practitioners – both within our studios and on field trips to practitioners' studios.

Competitions

You’re supported to develop and showcase your professional creative work by entering national and international competitions. Our students are winners of competitions such as the Association of Illustrators annual competition and highly commended for the Penguin Books Student Design Award.

Future careers

This course prepares you for future study and careers in

• illustration
• animation
• printmaking
• motion, interactive and games
• children’s books
• surface pattern design
• publishing
• art direction
• digital publishing

Previous graduates of this course have had work commissioned by

• Sheffield Council
• Twinkl Educational Publishing
• BBC Publications
• Wessex Archaeology
• New Balance
• Everton FC
• The Sunday Times
• The Big Issue
• The Economist
• Which Magazine
• Hodder Children’s Publishing
• Templar Children’s Publishing
• Harper Collins