About this Course:

A Modern Technical Illustrator, is no longer just an Illustrator of technical objects but rather an illustrator with technical understanding and a disciplined analytical eye for accuracy this can manifest its self in many ways, as Technical Illustrators we must be able to produce images both abstract and representational to a high degree of accuracy, These Images may be constructed form orthographic plans or from the actual physical they may also come from a mental theory or ideal given straight from the clients own understanding, either way we are not producing the images for ourselves but for an audience hence A strict and disciplined understanding of a given subject or Technical and Illustration An example serving to clarify or prove something .

The Industrial requirements for a competent Technical Illustrator, have never been higher, they now service, Architecture, both light and heavy Engineering, consumer and military product design, TV, Film and the Computer Games Industry as well as general advertising and Education. Their remit now covers general household and high end technical instruction manuals, cutting edge marketing visuals for both research and development, they will be producing both still and animated Imagery for the final consumer presentation, the modern wide ranging discipline incorporates both broadcast and special effects as well as gaming and product design. Anywhere were a high quality representational image is required the technical Illustrator will more than likely have been involved.

The Technical Illustrator has to be able to find digest and redirect the required information to produce these highly creative yet accurate Images, on the face of it no different from Illustration or Photography say. The difference comes in quantity and quality of the required understanding. Ask a Photographer to build his camera before the shoot, then ask him to build the Boeing 747 to the accuracy required by the engineer, build the tungsten lighting or control the weather then study and reproduce the exact movement and structure of the Aircrafts every move, its latent and potential energy, its reaction to atmospherically pressure. Then while he's off researching, exploring and digesting the Information ask him to learn how to program the high end technology required to execute all this information, and deliver it to somebody else's exacting brief.

The ability to utilise the technology and master these specific and transferable skills is highly sought after in the modern design studio, enabling our graduating students to develop and explore their chosen career pathways to the full.

Industry input is essential to ensuring that the Foundation Degree is developed in an appropriate 'industry focused' manner and that candidates who wish to take the Foundation Degree in Technical Illustration receive the most relevant information in current manufacturing thinking, as well as the new developments in this sector, whilst using the most up to date resources and software available to industry standards.

The programme offers a package of 18 units. The units are seen as sections which complement each other in the first and second year of the course. The sections have been developed through close links with manufacturing industries. You will be equipped with the skills and applied knowledge that will enable you to provide twenty first century technologies to industrial situations and glimpse into what the future holds for these skills and technologies.