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25 July / 8 August 2022 | Duration - Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week
Nottingham Trent University
Course Fee - £475
Course Description
This course is ideal for anyone who’d like some fun, hands-on experience turning their ideas into creative, original artworks for game design.
You’ll start by learning how to combine traditional art techniques with digital drawing skills and have a go with some more advanced software in 3D modelling.
On this course you will:
- Use a combination of hand drawing, collage and digital drawing techniques
- Develop your drawing skills from observation and imagination
- Explore perspective drawing and sketching quickly to get ideas down on paper
- Undertake visual research and create mood boards
- Explore different design styles and the inspirations behind characters and their environment
- Discuss the work of industry-level concept artists
- Visualise your character and setting to create a convincing game concept.
To bring your concept to life you will then:
- Make your character 3D on the screen to show all angles of their appearance
- Use Adobe Photoshop to draw and paint your concept
- Learn how lighting affects your drawings and makes a character seem real
- Look at existing games to understand gameplay and appreciate how an artwork will be experienced by those playing the game
- Learn effective ways to communicate your ideas from initial idea to presentation.
What will I gain?
By the end of the course you’ll have developed a compelling character and generated an engaging concept for a game.
You’ll also leave with a range of work for your portfolio including development sketches and finished images, and technical notes to continue working on your software skills.
You'll have gained experience of what it's like to be a design student at university, and an understanding of what admissions tutors are looking for.
Level: Beginner
Entry requirement: You should have an enthusiasm for gaming and design and an interest in developing your creative and technical skills.
Where you’ll learn: You will be based in the School of Art and Design on the City Campus.
You’ll find collaborative working spaces where you develop your sketches and concepts, and Mac suites equipped with industry standard software and hardware including Autodesk suite, Adobe Creative Cloud, Wacom Cintiq Touch Tablets and Pro Creative Pens.
You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.
Here's what our previous attendees have said:
“Really good fun and enjoyed the course. Definitely worth the money.”
“A pleasure, fantastically executed. I have improved tenfold and you have set me on my career path as an illustrator.”
“I would definitely come again as I really enjoyed it.”
Tutor profile: Adam Horsepool is a freelance illustrator and animator with several years’ experience in the design industry.
He studied animation at Lincoln University, specialising in visual development and character design.
Adam first started as a professional animator producing work for marketing campaigns, e-learning courses and character design for large companies; this is where his interest in illustration began.
He has illustrated a number of children's books for various studios such as Warner Brothers, Igloo Books and Kevin the Carrot for Aldi.
Adam is currently working as a lecturer in the animation department at NTU, teaching storyboarding and visual development.
Need accommodation?
You can book a self-catered, single room with private bathroom on our city campus, right next door to our studios and classrooms.
If you're aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian.
If you're aged 15 then you can stay as long as you are accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award?
This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential.
DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.
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