personal statement

Growing up in today’s world, with countless career paths and opportunities to consider, I was always struck by the vast array of professions. However, I knew I wanted to do something within the creative area. As I grew older, gaining life experience and developing my understanding of the world, I became passionate about my Art course at GNVQ level in school. After attaining a distinction grade and wanting to further my skills, I decided to take on Art and Design at BTEC National Certificate, followed by Foundation Studies in Art and Design, completing both qualifications at merit grade.

I find the limitless possibilities and diversity of illustration to be intriguing. Having researched contemporary illustrators such as Viktor Antonov, an architectural digital concept designer, and Ashley Wood, a commercial illustrator and concept designer, I am eager to develop my skills and knowledge. I wish to further my understanding, techniques and conceptual ideas to a higher level, and I feel I can achieve this through the Illustration degree.

I am fascinated with European architecture and I enjoy documenting sites of interest from areas abroad. My work is influenced greatly by the events of modern day and the ordinary surroundings that are commonly overlooked. I believe that anything can be examined for creative experimentation including the ordinary and urban life, and it is because of this that I respectfully admire Viktor Antonov’s ability to recreate original concepts and atmospheric designs from the ordinary urban life.

With my natural curiosity and motivation to learn, I have become adept with Photoshop CS3, which I use mainly as a compositing tool. Finding new approaches to enhance drawing in different media has always been appealing to me. With my persistent desire to explore and discover new ways of employing techniques and other creative methods, I have become familiar with other modern day software and processes such as digital painting using a Wacom Tablet, Valve’s Hammer Editor and Corel Painter Essentials.

In my spare time I enjoy reading, writing, socialising and watching documentaries. I am an avid reader, currently reading ‘The Dice Man’ by Luke Rinehart. I also enjoy travelling and in the past year and a half I have visited Spain, France and Italy. During this year I have worked on a variety of independent projects including: video editing for a five minute short, designing a poster for the event ‘Waster’ hosted by Liquid and Envy club and creating a graphic illustration for an upcoming local magazine, ‘Noir et Blanc’. In the future I hope to take on a variety of voluntary projects abroad, and am considering engaging on a Masters Degree. I aspire to contribute to the illustrative community and pursue a career as a commercial or concept artist.

Through working voluntarily at the British Heart Foundation and now currently working in Tesco Express, I have gained more confidence dealing in public situations and working within a team as well as extending my interpersonal skills. I believe that these skills, as well as my ambitious nature will help me excel at university. Having visited and read about your university, together with my impression and general feeling of it, and the course’ reputation, I am confident that it is the right university for me. I look forward to working with others who have interests akin to my own, and I am keen to become a part of your community.