Course Content
EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES
This all encompassing subject ensures you have a solid understanding of drawing-based theory including mark making, colour theory and perspective theory that takes into account how work is produced. Over the year you will cover off the following areas:
- Elements of composition, tone, colour, texture, form and structure
- Observational analysis
- Visual interpretation
- Improvisation techniques
- Rendering the abstract
- Experimental drawing
CRITICAL AND CONTEXTUAL STUDIES
Critical and Contextual Studies is a course designed to develop you as a student. The course provides an introduction to significant movements and ideas in Art and Design History to allow students to deepen their knowledge, visual literacy, and personal understanding of key concepts essential for working in the creative industries. Weekly assignments and individual presentation tasks are used to help develop writing, research, and speaking skills that build confidence and prepare students for university interviews. The course encourages students to reflect on their own work, to consider the context in which they are working and the type of practitioner they want to be.
ENGLISH TRAINING
Through a variety of teaching styles, we focus on four key skills you need to pass your IELTS exam; listening, reading, writing and spoken English. This subject is linked with your Contextual Studies lectures so you are better equipped with vocabulary to explain your workings and promote your final pieces.
FASHION DESIGN
This course is to help you create a Fashion Designer’s Portfolio through a rigorous thought process : from Content and Research, then onto Analysis and Exploration through 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional Design Methodologies, and finally, the execution of a fashion product with presentation.
The Pattern Cutting and Garment Construction workshops are part of the curriculum to support the Design Realisation stage of the projects. Students are taught some very useful basic skills such as basic block making and prototype production. The key is to generate creative ideas not only from visual, 2-dimensional design processes (drawings), but also from the architectural view point through limitless garment construction methods through studying the human form.
Students are encouraged to challenge and question the purpose and idea of Fashion in the Times we live in. Not only they are encouraged to create beautiful, exciting fashion ideas, but also to help drive our Industry into the next era and beyond. Passion and Curiosity in Learning is what we are looking for.
Example skills learned | for a Research Fashion Project, Fashion Design Methodologies, Basic Pattern Cutting & Sewing skills, Production (3-D Development), Contextual Studies, Presentation Skills, Fashion Portfolio Skills suitable for Higher Education Application.
Preparation for | Fashion Design for Menswear and/or Womenswear, Pattern Cutting, Product Design and Development for the Fashion Industry, Fashion Styling, Fashion Atelier & Tailoring etc.
FASHION COMMUNICATION
This combines all of the creative elements of the fashion industry without creating garments; it's the styling, image creation and creative communication. You are not only exposed to graphic design components of fashion, such as the design of a fashion brand identity or fashion magazine page layout, but also the content creation using a variety of creative hands on and digital processes. A passion for the industry and an eye for creativity are must-haves if you are to excel in the world of fashion communication.
Example skills learned | Fashion Styling, Fashion Content Creation, Contemporary Fashion Image making, Portfolio Development and Experimental Techniques suitable for Higher Education Application.
Preparation for | Fashion Styling and Production, Creative Direction for Fashion, Fashion Styling, Fashion Communication, Fashion Promotion, Fashion Branding, Fashion Photography, PR and Communication and Visual Merchandising for Fashion.
FINE ART
Fine Art is based around ideas and concepts behind the subject. It asks questions, evokes emotion and tells a story. Foundation level focuses on experimental creativity where you will create works of interest using taught skills tailored around idea development and realisation. From Conceptual Art to Contemporary Fine Art, you are taught how to present your finished pieces using a mixed range of media.
Example skills learned | Painting and Drawing, Sculpture, Printmaking, Fine Art Film
Preparation for | Fine Art Degree
GRAPHICS & ILLUSTRATION
Graphic Design and Illustration underpin most of the visual creative arts industry. You are introduced to the fundamentals of graphic design, such as layouts, composition, typography, colour work, the relationships between photography and illustration and how all of the above unites to form what makes a graphic designer. All media from pen and paper to digital creative software is encouraged. Both are tools, it’s just how you use them that determines you. A sharp eye for detail and an understanding of type, image and layout are key assets to succeed in this sector of the creative arts. Professional Graphic Designers adapt from one brief to the next to designing for print, web, mobile and TV.
Example skills learned | Page/Layout Design, Photography and manipulation, Advertising and Promotion, Typographic understanding, Colour work, Drawing and Mark Making, Portfolio Development and Experimental work suitable for access to the Higher Education route. Illustration is about creating an image, not just drawing it, using a range of techniques such as print making, photography and digital manipulation.
Preparation for | Graphic Communication Design, Illustration Animation, Graphic and Media Design, Communication Design, 3D Game Design, Media Communications, Web Design, Children's Book Illustration
3D DESIGN CRAFT
This course will equip you with approaches and expressions in all elements of 3D Design and help you build up a creative portfolio to apply to relevant Higher Education courses. You will learn to do object prototyping and design development work. This course is supported by a comprehensive range of workshop facilities for hand and machine making in ceramics, glass, metal and wood. In addition to digital manufacturing equipment including laser cutting and 3D Printing.
You will also be exposed to different elements of design such as critical thinking, collaborating with other disciplines, visual and verbal presentation techniques, colour and material possibilities. You need to be passionate in the study and prepared to work hard to excel in the course as well as in the industry.
Skills learned | Prototyping, Design Development, 3D research processes, a variety of hands on workshops suitable for 3D pathway, Portfolio Development and Experimental Techniques suitable for Higher Education Applications
Preparation for | 3D Design, Product Design, Craft, Jewellery Design, Accessories Design, Ceramics, Sustainable Product Design, Furniture Design, Design Crafts, Applied Craft and Industrial Design
ANIMATION & FILM
This is an introduction to Animation and Film as forms of communication and artistic expression. We will cover a range of handmade and digital processes used to create moving images, build worlds, and tell stories. You will learn about all elements of animation and film production, from initial concept through to completed piece of moving image content with sound. We will watch and discuss films, visit exhibitions, work quietly in dark rooms, explore the outdoors, write, draw, record, imagine and create! Possible outcomes are narrative and experimental short films/animations, documentaries, music videos and multimedia installations.
Example skills learned | Stop Motion, Cut-out Animation, 2D Animation, Rotoscope, Collage Film, Cinematography, Storyboarding, Character Design, Concept Art, Sound Design, Video Editing, Production Planning.
Preparation for | Animation, Experimental Animation, Character Animation, Computer Animation, Directing, Film + TV Production, Art Direction, Modelmaking, Visual Effects, Motion Graphics, Game Design, Games Art, Moving Image Art, Artist Film.
ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN
This course will equip you with approaches and expressions in Spatial Design and help you build up a creative portfolio to apply to relevant Higher Education courses. You will learn to do architectural drawings, collages, model making, 1:1 timber construction, working with bio-materials as well as thinking across different scales in the design process and collaborating with other disciplines. You will also be exposed to different elements of design such as critical thinking, narrative design, graphic layout, visual and verbal presentation techniques, colour and material palettes. You need to be passionate in the study and prepared to work hard to excel in the course as well as in the industry.
Skills learned | Architectural drawings, collages, model making, (bio)material experimentation, 1:1 construction and other representational techniques, Adobe Suite, Portfolio Development and Experimental Techniques suitable for Higher Education Applications
Preparation for | Architecture, Interior Design, Spatial design.
