We chatted to current BA (Hons) Comic and Concept Art student Harry England, about the insightful, industry guest speakers he has heard, how Leeds is his favourite city and the importance of regular group critiques...
Why did you choose to study at Leeds Arts University?
I chose Leeds Arts University as it was one of the only top-quality universities that offered a Concept Art related course, meaning I could be surrounded by peers in a subject that I'm interested in rather than a general arts course. It was great to meet the course leaders at my interview who shared interests similar to mine. It's also based in one of my favourite cities!
Image: Courtesy of Harry England
What connections does your course have with industry? Tell us about any live briefs you’ve worked on, or any work experience you’ve had.
We have multiple artists who are well established coming in and having visiting professional talks, who provide great insight into the inner workings of the industry. My main focus is concept art, so getting to hear professional artists talk about their processes, experiences and general advice is fantastic help moving forward and breaking into the industry myself.
Image: Courtesy of Harry England
What does a typical day/week as a BA (Hons) Comic & Concept Art student involve?
Generally, most of my day is spent producing artwork. This process normally involves research for the project, followed by tons of sketch work and playing with ideas before moving on to producing finalised, rendered pieces. Alongside the work we have regular group sessions where we come together and view each other's artwork for critique and advice which is a huge help. Finally, we also have seminars through the week which can range from further critique to introducing new ways to work or research.
Image: Courtesy of Harry England
Tell us which resources and facilities you use the most, and how they help you develop your practice.
The main resource I use is the Cintiq tablets provided by the course, which are industry standard pieces of equipment, that are almost essential for any professional digital artist. Along with the tablets, tons of premium art programs are installed on the computers in the Mac Suites, such as the Adobe Suite or 3D modelling programs which are great for experimenting with new mediums!
Describe yourself in three words.
Creative, versatile, and passionate!
Header Image: Courtesy of Harry England