1 Year Extended Illustration - Drawing, Print & Play (Portfolio Course)

Tutor: George Hounsome, Tuesdays 1.30 - 4.30pm. This is a 1-year (30 week) course designed to give you a sustained and intensive period of study. It is an excellent opportunity to build a portfolio of work, to develop confidence and ideas in your own practice, and to learn new skills. This course is designed for individuals looking to enhance their practice by exploring illustrative techniques in printmaking, or for those seeking to diversify their creative approach. It is ideal for those wishing to continue their studies after a degree or MA, or for anyone looking to expand their skills through experimentation and learning new techniques. Whether you're seeking new ways to grow your creative toolkit or hoping to explore printmaking for the first time, this course offers a supportive environment to experiment, refine, and push the boundaries of your illustration work. Throughout the course, students will engage in a variety of practical workshops and creative exercises designed to build confidence in both drawing and printmaking. By exploring both conventional and unconventional methods, you'll build a more flexible practice that can adapt to a rapidly evolving professional landscape. Illustration, as a versatile narrative art form, has numerous applications in publishing and across the broader creative industries. Combining this with print, expands the possibilities into a more authorial practice. Each term we will look at different print approaches with a variety of SET BRIEFS. Each process will be introduced to the group through visual examples and practical demonstrations. Ideas for print designs will be discussed in the group and on an individual basis. The focus will be on concept, technique and context, with plenty of experimentation and play too. By the end of the course you will have learnt new skills and new approaches to making images. In the final term there will the chance to work on a longer project, revisiting processes you've particularly enjoyed and refining skills. The course will be delivered by professional artists specialising in a range of printing techniques. Each tutor will guide you through the project briefs and processes in a supportive and creative environment. We recommend that you keep a visual research journal to help document your ideas, print experiments and reflections. During the first term you will be learning processes based on mark-making, line and tone, in particular drypoint and collagraph. These will be based around 2 short projects to help focus concepts and context. There will also be a series of more experimental drawing/printmaking sessions led by guest tutors. In the second term you will learn more print techniques; Lino, Pochoir and screen print. These print processes offer unique and diverse qualities and explore both shape and line. We will finish the term with some guest lectures by practicing illustrators/designers. In the third term You will have a short zine project looking at quick book forms and content, and preparing dummy books ready for Riso printing. You will then have the opportunity to work on your own project/editions for the rest of the term. This is a chance to revisit printing methods, combine printing methods and extend and refine your skills.