Illustration at Maidstone - University for the Creative Arts

Illustration at Maidstone
BA(Hons) Illustration 3 years or 4 years full-time
MA Illustration
1 year full-time
The BA (Hons) Illustration Course will be joined in September 2008 by the MA Illustration course (subject to validation) to
provide students with the opportunity to study at an advanced level in an environment that encourages and supports co-
operative ventures and cross disciplinary practice. Alongside the MA Illustration there will be another two new postgradu-
ate courses, MA Animation Arts and MA Printmaking.
UCAS route A: code W220 M BA/I
UCAS route B: code E220 M BA/I
Liam Stephens : 3rd Year Minor Degree Project Kai Nodland : 3rd Year Major project
BA (Hons) Illustration
The Illustration Course at Maidstone offers you the opportunity
to develop a unique working practice in Illustration.
Observational drawing is at the heart of Illustration and
this forms the core of the course, you will be expected to
develop the ability to express your ideas through drawing
and to adopt a personal perspective and viewpoint on a
range of topics.
Students at Maidstone enjoy the broad, inter-discplinary
nature of this course, offering a wide choice of career options.
Students can investigate electives in printmaking,
animation, video, and photography, experiences that enrich
the development of their unique personal visual language.
Our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and
nationalities, bringing a diversity of ideas to the course,
generating a vibrant and creative atmosphere. Located less
than 1 hour from Central London and 2 hours from Paris by
train, students can benefit from the opportunities offered
by these two great cities while enjoying the intensity of
teaching given by a smaller University College, where students
are treated as individuals. The immediate
For further details please refer to www.ucreative.ac.uk or contact:
Neil Breeden, Director of Studies Illustration and Animation and
Course Leader Illustration: nbreeden@ucreative.ac.uk
or alternatively you can contact Course Administrator Gill Cain:
gcain@ucreative.ac.uk
location of the college is within a park which offers a peaceful
and tranquil environment for study. The market town of
Maidstone, which has a burgeoning club scene that rivals
other towns in the south east, is a 15-minute walk away and
within 40 miles of Maidstone there are the coastal resorts
of North Kent, including the town of Whitstable with its
celebrated fish restaurants and artists’ community.
Below: 1st Year Illustration students on a field trip to Camber Sands at the beginning of
their course.

Leah Fusco BA (Hons) Illustration
Graduate July 2007
Leah graduated from the Illustration
course at Maidstone in July 2007.
Leah, 22, was awarded a 1st for her
studies, her main project was a book
based on the Long Man of Wilmington,
a chalk figure cut into the South
Downs. Leah submitted this work to
the V&A Student Illustrator of the
Year competition and has been sub
sequently shortlisted for the prize. Leah is one of many
students on the illustration course who are interested in
narrative and using illustration to document social and
cultural events and practices. Leah came on to the illustration
programme from a Foundation course at Hastings.
“Initially, I was attracted to Illustration because I enjoy telling
stories through my work and UCCA seemed to have a
strong focus on that element without being too prescriptive
in the course synopsis. Over the next three years,
this was confirmed by the tutors approach in teaching
the syllabus; they really helped me to progress by recognising
my strengths, encouraging me to develop these
and treating me as an individual. This was for me, without
doubt, the most important aspect of this course”.
Leah has taken some time out to think about what are the
options for her future meanwhile she has found temporary
employment working in the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill
“ I hope to continue my studies on an MA in Communication
Art and Design within the next year so I am now preparing a
portfolio for the interview. I am also continuing with several
personal projects and keeping my sketchbook work going “.
Leah has enjoyed her course at Maidstone and
has this advice for students considering applying
to the Illustration course at Maidstone
“I would absolutely recommend this course; many of the
tutors are practicing artists in their professions, which
adds an exciting dimension to the course. There’s also
a great community feeling here which is strongly encouraged
by tutors. Working alongside friends and contemporaries
has been so valuable for me both in terms
of my work and the overall experience I’ve had here. “
Leah studied on the 3 year course of the Illustration degree,
following a BTEC Foundation course There are other routes available to students who
wish to gain an honours degree, please see the back page of this document for further
information.
Leah’s images appear by kind permission and are taken from her book
the Long Man of Wilmington

Competition successes
In 2005 the prestigious V&A
Illustration awards were extended
to include the category
of Student Illustration.
The winner in that first year
and V&A Student Illustrator of
2005 was Julianna Kasza a 2nd
year student on the Illustration
course at Maidstone.
Julianna Kasza came to UCCA
Maidstone from a Graphic Design
course at the Hungarian
University of Art and Design.
She previously graduated from an art secondary school in
Hungary where she studied mainly book arts, from design
to bookbinding, book illustration, typography and photography.
Winning Illustration from “The Visitor” by Alexis Goodwin
In the 2006 V&A Student Illustrator of the Year Alexis Goodwin,
a 3rd year student on the Illustration course at Maidstone,
was runner up. The latter part of Alexis Goodwin’s
Illustration course at University College for the Creative
Arts (Maidstone) focused on the production of storybooks.
This format enabled him to explore characterisation, pace
and narrative, and to experiment with combinations of text
and images. ‘An unusual use of painterly techniques and
an understanding of how to compose dramatic images
of differing degrees of intensity to tackle challenging subject
matter. Sketchbooks demonstrated a sound grounding
in drawing and a rich imagination’ – 2006 jury report
Emily Gray, a 3rd year student on the Illustration course won
2nd Prize in the D&AD Student Global Awards alongside
Thomas Dowse who won a ‘best in show’ award for his book
“Roses in Tarwater”.
illustration by Julianna kasza
D&AD entry Emily Gray
In the professional section of the V&A awards 3rd Year
Tutor on the Illustration Course at Maidstone, Laura Carlin
was awarded the V&A illustrator of the Year prize for
her work which appeared in the Guardian newspaper.
Of this work - ‘Inside a Rape Trial’, she says, ‘It’s a very
delicate, much-debated and emotionally charged subject
that differs greatly from case to case. The idea of domestic
rape is something that luckily most of us don’t have to
experience. I read the article again and again to try and
get the right tone and atmosphere to the illustrations’.
Apart from being encouraged
to enter national
and international
illustration competitions
students are also offered
the opportunity
to study abroad for the
second semester of the
Guardian illustration by Laura Carlin 2nd year. These student
exchanges have always proved popular with Illustration students
over the past few years they have studied in Boston,
USA, Paris, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Vienna, Madrid, Valencia,
Bilbao, Granada, Gent, Maastricht, Toulouse and Auckland,
New Zealand. If you make an exchange with a European
country students do recieve some financial aid from the EU
b
Illustration by Mark Morrissey
During the course students have the opportunity to learn a
variety of skills and there are extensive technical facilities
which allow students to learn printmaking skills in etching,
silk screen, lithography and lino cut. Computer skills in Photoshop,
InDesign, and Illustrator. Moving image software
such as Flash, Premier, After Effects and Maya. There is
a well equipped library with an extensive range of books
on contemporary illustration. While it is possible to list the
many advantages of studying Illustration at Maidstone
Illustration by Stine Lyngmo
nothing will describe the
student experience better than
a visit to the college. There
are the following Open Days
taking place in 2008. January
29th Febuary 6th June 18th.
Staff and students will show
you around the college and
answer any questions.

UCAS route A: code W220 M BA/I
UCAS route B: code E220 M BA/I
Undergraduate Entry Requirements for
BA (Hons) Illustration
Higher Education - Do you qualify?
Our primary method of assessing students’ suitability for
the course is through the appraisal of the student’s application
form and a portfolio of relevant and appropriate work.
What is important is that you are well matched to your chosen
area of study. We like to interview all students who apply
but we do realize that in certain circumstances this isn’t
always possible in which case we will always be willing to
look at digitally presented work.
The minimum qualification requirements for the Higher
Education awards we offer are summarised on the UCCA
website www.ucreative.ac.uk. The tariff points and criteria
for the Illustration course are detailed in the course specification
downloads provided with each course profile on this
website and in the entry profiles on the UCAS website.
English Language Requirements
If your first language is not English, a certificate is required
as evidence that you have the necessary level of English to
succeed on your chosen course. For Foundation and Honours
degrees the level is IELTS 6.0/TOEFL 550 (CBT 213).
When you apply what can you expect at the
interview and what should you bring ?
For the 3 and 4 year Illustration Courses we like to interview
all applicants in person. Usually you will be interviewed
by an Illustration Tutor and perhaps an Illustration student,
the interview will last about 20 minutes and you will have a
chance to explain your work and to put questions to the staff
and students
Course Guide cover by Aya Yakamaki
We are looking for a varied sample of the work you do so we
need to see a range but there will only be a limited amount
of time for the interview so don’t try to bring everything.
For those students who would prefer a much more specialized
Foundation course the 4-year illustration degree course might
be more suitable. Please consult the university website for more
information or contact the Course Administrator or Course Leader.
Contact details are on the front of this leaflet.
Large pieces can be shown using photographs, provided
these are of good quality. It is important that we can see examples
of how you develop ideas and progress your work,
which is why we ask for sketchbooks. These are just as important
as the finished piece. We are very keen to see drawing
and painting from observation and less keen on seeing
work based purely on photography.
We accept students on to BA Illustration from a wide range
of courses, a lot of our students will have done a Foundation
or National Diploma course, some students will have come
to our course from a 6th Form College and A levels , others
may have a degree in a different subject. Whichever course
the student is from we are looking for students with strong
opinions ,students who can work in a team and who enjoy
discussing their own work with staff and students.
Apart from the full time staff of Course Leader Neil Breeden,
Emily Mitchell is Deputy Course Leader and 1st Year Tutor,
Laura Carlin is 3rd Year Tutor and Helga Steppan 2nd Year
Tutor. Theory tutors are Jim Walker and Adrian Holme. The
course is also staffed by a wide variety of part time tutors
and visiting lecturers who include Paul Davis, Dave McKean,
Le Gun, Chris Shepherd, Arnold Schwartzmann, Paul Gravett,
Astrid Chesney, Anna Bushan, Neal Fox, Otto Dettmer, Bee
Willey and many others.
Etching by Jon Mayer
t
The Real Fight Club Martin Ernstsen