Higher Education

ART DEGREES

When choosing the university you are going to apply to it is important to take into consideration a number of different things such as: Does the university suit your lifestyle? eg don’t go to the countryside if you like the night life. Is the work being produced similar to yours and something you can aspire towards? Are there good facilities at the university? Can you imagine yourself being there for three or four years? Can you afford the costs of living in that area? You can search for art courses on the UCAS website and once you have a selection of different universities it is essential that you visit the university on an Open Day or contact them for an un-official tour if this is possible.

Another good way of seeing the university is to find out when their end of year exhibition will be as you’ll be able to see the standard of work that is produced by students who have studied there. As well as this you will be able to talk to the students and find out whether they would recommend the course or not.

Completing a degree in art can be very expensive so it is important that you are prepared for this. If you can start saving now and also be prepared to have a Part Time job whilst you are at university.

Doing an Art Degree is an amazing experience and something you will never forget and if you put the hard work will be well worth it.

CAREERS IN ART

There are many different careers available to those who want to study art and just some of these careers are listed below. If you are unsure about any of them do a search on the internet and you may find your ideal career.

-Animator -Architect -Art Conservator -Art Critic -Art Director -Art Historian -Art Teacher -Art Technician -Art Therapy -Artist -Artist in Residence -Cinematographer -Concept Art -Craft Artist -Curator -Fashion Designer -Graphic Designer -Illustrator -Industrial Design -Interior Design -Jewellery Designer -Make Up Artist -Model Maker -Multi Media Artist -Photographer -Product Designer -Sculptor -Set Design -Sign Writer -Special Effects -Storyboard Artist -Tattoo Artist -Website designer

FOUNDATION COURSES

Most art universities require you to complete a Foundation Course which usually lasts for one year. Below is a list of colleges where you can study a Foundation in Art but it is essential that you go on an Open Day before applying to the course to make sure it is the right one for you. Check out what facilities are available and the standard of the work being produced by the current students on the course. don't forget you'll also need an up-to-date portfolio for your interview.

If you click on the college to visit their website (if these aren't working you can easily find them on a search engine).

Filton College

Weston College

Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (Foundation Diploma in Art and Design )

Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (Foundation courses)

Chelsea College of Art and Design (Foundation Studies in Art and Design)

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (Foundation and degree course - 4 years)

Edinburgh College of Art - (Independent College who offer a 4 year degree, of which the first year is the equivalent to a foundation course)

Falmouth College of Arts (Foundation Studies in Art & Design)

Kent Institute of Art and Design (Foundation Studies in Art & Design)

Norwich School of Art and Design (EDEXCEL diploma in Foundation Courses)

Oxford Brookes University (Art and Design Foundation)

Plymouth College of Art & Design

Ravensbourne College of Design Communication (Foundation Studies)

Wimbledon College of Art (Foundation Courses)

Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts Pre-Foundation, Foundation and Degree level courses in Art & Design, Graphic Design & Illustration, Fashion.

These are just a few of the places you can study at and more can be found on the UCAS website under 'Course Search' and the 'Art Foundation Courses'.

A portfolio is the folder or collection of your work which is normally comprised of sketchbooks, notebooks, research information, development work and final pieces.

When organising your portfolio give yourself plenty of time as you don’t want to be rushing the process the day before your interview. Preparing in advance also gives you the opportunity to produce any pieces of work that you think your portfolio might be missing.

During the interview they want to see a good variety of work using different media but at the same time it is important not to overload them as they only have a certain amount of time to look through your work.

It is also a good idea to have your best work at the start and end of your portfolio as this is what they will probably remember the most. Also include your sketchbooks and examples of essays or written work that you have done for art.

Generally the work in your portfolio can be put into three categories and you should aim to have work from each of the following categories:

Observational Art

This is in a sense the more traditional method of producing art work through drawing or painting from still life, figures or models, portraits and landscapes. The subjects are rendered as accurately as possible and not using photographs or the artist’s imagination. This is mainly done in pencil, charcoal, painting and occasionally collage.

Personal Art

This work is done mainly outside of the classroom and reflects your interests and use of materials, subject matter and ideas. This work can be produced in any media and can be more experimental making use of drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, 3D work and digital work.

College Art

During you’re A levels you would have worked on projects that have been set by your lecturer either as set projects or mock exams. This can be included in your portfolio and works well to indicate how you follow an idea through from start to finish through your sketchbooks to the final piece of work.

On the day of your interview be aware that in the interview they may ask you to identify your best and worst piece of work so bare this in mind when you are preparing your portfolio and have an explanation for this. Usually they will look through your portfolio whilst you go on a tour on they will have a good idea of who they want on the course before your interview.

Lastly… Make sure your work is well organised, clean and well presented and really try to avoid using work from your GCSE’s as they will be able to tell and you should be producing work of a higher standard over the past couple of years.