Illustration - Student Profiles

Ben Bainbridge

Course: BA (hons) Illustration
Date: 2009-2012

After studying a foundation degree in Art and Design I knew I wanted to pursue an art education in a prestigious university. The reputation that DJCAD had, and still has, is what attracted me to this wonderful university.

I can still remember attending my interview for direct entry to the Illustration course that DJCAD offers. I was so nervous and I was sure that I was the worst candidate of the day. I’m thankful to say this was not the case. In DJCAD there is such a community of vibrant and creative individuals. It has been an absolute pleasure studying along side them and watching them grow as artists.

Within illustration I was able to explore different areas of the specialism I was interested in. This helped me understand my subject a lot more and really benefitted me as a young designer. With regular artist talks and workshops from professionals I was able to see how the industry worked past art school. They were not only informative, but inspiring too. There are so many different avenues to explore at DJCAD including an excellent printmaking department with brilliant technicians that has taught me skills that are indispensible as an illustrator.

Studying art in any specialism is at times challenging, illustration can often feel more so than other areas but it is not without its rewards. Studying at DJCAD has been an absolute pleasure and I would strongly recommend it to any young artists wishing to study.

Emma Goldstraw

Course: BA (hons) Illustration
Date: 2006-2009

I have always had a passion for art and in last few years of high school I decided that I wanted to go to art school.

Duncan of Jordanstone has always been something of a "Mecca" for me. Any courses that were on offer or exhibitions', I was there! Going to the annual Degree Shows always inspired me and spurred me on to reach my goal of studying at the university. I knew of the reputation that DJCAD held and I knew that the education that I would receive there would be life changing and invaluable.

The Illustration course that I studied was exceptional. The course allowed me to have more freedom and try various methods and ways of working that I had never done before. The course also allowed me to experience new technology, computer programmes and digital media.
The staff in the department are all very supportive and approachable. Most importantly they helped me build my own confidence about my own work. They let me see that I was progressing with my work and encouraged me to push my work further.

“The department had up to date resources and we had regular trips to exhibitions in Glasgow and Edinburgh, which some of us might not have got to see. The course continually pushed my work, making me find new ways of working to keep fresh, as the art world is constantly moving and you have to move with it!”

The University as a whole is extremely welcoming and easily accessible. The thing that strikes me the most about the University is the atmosphere. It is hard to describe and probably something that needs to be experienced, but there always seems to be an air of excitement and enthusiasm. Even on the days when the Scottish weather is not as good or when we are all trying to get our Dissertations printed, there is always something going on, something is always been created; it's a nice and comforting feeling.

Since finishing my honours degree in May 09 I have gone on to study an MSc Communication Design at the Graduate Centre at DJCAD. The course is more demanding than the undergraduate course but I love the challenge!

The skills that I have learnt in my undergraduate course have given me the confidence and opportunity to start exhibiting and advertising myself as an Illustrator ready to take on the world!

It is an extremely proud feeling to know that I have an excellent degree from one of the top Art Schools in the country!

www.emmagoldstraw.com

Claire Crawford

Course: Illustration BA (HONS)
Date: 2005-2009

I chose to study at Duncan of Jordanstone because of its good reputation. Once I visited the University and saw the great and friendly environment it cemented my decision.

Dundee felt like a safe environment to me, I was in close proximity to the University and the area felt particularly student friendly. Dundee offers a great range of activities and groups to become involved in, it has a lively night life and overall a friendly and exciting social campus. I had a smooth transition from leaving my home to staying in halls, and I thoroughly enjoyed living and studying in Dundee.

“I found the mix of courses available in my first year (General Course) were a great way for me to become comfortable and relaxed within the department, and helped me to make a better decision on the course I would choose to progress with. Illustration was the subject I chose to pursue; it was a great course for me in terms of learning, as I had much to do.”

Illustration covers a range of disciplines and the department is successful in giving training throughout; printmaking, illustrator, photoshop, flash etc. Due to this course I feel confident and competent about pursuing a range of jobs and exhibiting my own work.

Scott Balmer

Course: Illustration
Date: 2003-2006

After I finished studying an HND at Dundee College, the decision to continue further pushed me towards DJCAD on the merits of being highly regarded by past students and by the quality of work produced from within each department. The staff from within the department were also very informative in their knowledge of Art and Design while also helping to push student creativity to the next level.

Studying at DJCAD offered a creative freedom to explore different avenues while also providing the security of the art school environment. With this in mind, it left me open to explore and further cement what would become the backbone of my understanding of art and design. I found the varied and well-known selection of creative professionals invited to talk about their work very inspiring. The talks were insightful, showing the workings of their creative process. With names such as Stelarc and David Hughes invited to speak at these events it gave an insight into the current creative sector. Another aspect of DJCAD was the vast selection of facilities at your disposal with a plethora of different forms of print making from Screen-printing to block printing.

“The facilities of DJCAD are open to all departments allowing creative freedom based on what tools are needed for the job.”

Since graduating, I have produced work for many different publications/clients from around the world including The New York Times, The Guardian, Umbro, The Science Council, BusinessWeek, Inc. Magazine and Orange to name a few.

I am also part of the illustration collective/agency TOY, which has already produced work for large corporations such as Sony and the Playstation brand and have also created artwork featured in spaces for big design events such as Glug London.

As for future projects, I am venturing into the realms of gallery and exhibition work, which has started in some form such as the Story Motel Exhibition, and I might also see about dabbling into the creative vinyl toys sector.

Scott Balmer
Illustrator
http://scottbalmer.co.uk