Course overview

  • Starts: Sep 2025
  • Duration: 3 years
  • Mode: Full time
  • UCAS code: W220
  • Fees: UK: £9,535 (2025/26) / INT: £17,000 (2025/26)

Ideal for... aspiring illustrators and contemporary visual storytellers who wish to hone their craft across the creative spectrum.

Discover your visual voice.

With access to state-of-the-art facilities and strong industry links, the illustration for communication degree course will enable you to sharpen your skillset, promote your craft and prepare you for industry.

Student work

Illustration for Communication - Prospectus Cover Image

Our illustration for communication showreel

Photoshoot of drag persona Mocha in an outfit sewn by Marco

Ultimate Mocha by Marco Pedato

Clown Mocha – Photoshoot of drag persona Mocha in an outfit sewn by Marco.

Clown Mocha - work by Marco Pedata

Girl on rolling skates

Work by Marco Pedata

Colourful illustration of metropolitan world

Work by Eddie Tavares (Blacka) - untitled

young boy and girl walking down a road towards a rubbish dump

Work by Eddie Tavares (Blacka)

Blacka is an illustrative designer and animator based in London, honing his skills in character design, concept art and animation with two distinct styles on the opposite ends of the spectrum, a touch of realism and a splash of cartoonism.

Combining his passion for animation and visuals he started a project called ‘The 3 Elements’, an ambitious animated series, creating a magical universe where the power of fine art, film, animation, illustration and music collide. Blacka draws inspiration from pop culture, emotion and surrealism. Maintaining the highest level of quality he creates a powerful timeless aesthetic accessible to all.

illustration of a cyborg young man

Work by Eddie Tavares

Animal illustrations

Work by Giordano 'Jordan' Appiatse

Beautiful illustration of a woman's face

Work by Cherie Lee

Aliens in a classroom

Work by Cherie Lee

Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947

Work by Anaab Ibrahim

Beautiful illustration of a women's face

Work by Julian Sterling

Ghost man with blue flames

'Ghost man' a work by La’Tia Smith

illustration focussing on feminism, identity, racism and mental health

Work by Rebecca Ah Soo Leen

Litter whale

Litter Whale - work by Tin Zhang

a couple hugging with a dog

Work by Solomiya Svystun

man filming london

Work by Solomiya Svystun

london is open campaign red

Example of our student's work

MA Illustration for Communication

Student course work

Undergraduate work on the Illustration for Communication course

Work by student Marco Pedata

Undergraduate work on the Illustration for Communication course

Work by student Finlay Golden

Student work Jie Wang Illustration for Communication course

Example of our student's work

MA Illustration for Communication work by Berivan Gul

Illustration by Berivan Gul

Why study this illustration degree?

  1. Work in a collaborative studio environment
  2. Turns illustrators into contemporary visual storytellers
  3. Work with text, drawings, moving images and printmaking
  4. Develop concepts for multiple industries – from commercial graphic design to fashion and animation.

Our challenging and exciting illustration course in London takes an innovative, experimental and critical approach to the broad practice of illustration. The three-year BA Honours degree will help you to develop new skills, encourage new ways of thinking, enable you to find your individual visual voice, and prepare you for the ever-moving creative landscape.

Working in a collaborative studio environment, you will have opportunities to apply your skills across a range of illustrative applications, including: editorial, publishing, packaging, product, print, advertising, character and film.

Illustration for Communication at Ravensbourne University London spans the creative spectrum, turning illustrators into contemporary visual storytellers. As it crosses so many creative boundaries, there are unparalleled opportunities for contemporary illustrators to work with time-based, sequential and narrative forms. This includes graphic design, advertising and publishing, fashion and product design, animation and games design.

Ready to find your visual voice and develop your own personal style?

If you study this illustration degree you will work with text, drawings, moving images and printmaking to develop concepts for multiple industries – from commercial graphic design to fashion and animation.

Student voices

video Solomiya

Solomiya headshot

Solomiya Svystun tells us about the course

Key study topics

Working in a collaborative studio environment, students will have the opportunity to apply their skills across a range of illustrative applications including:

  • Editorial
  • Publishing
  • Packaging
  • Product
  • Print
  • Advertising
  • Character
  • Film.

The specifics

quote

Facilities

Our facilities are open to every student

Our facilities are open to every student

One of the best things about our facilities is that they are open to all students no matter what course they are studying.

Watch the video and then scroll through the gallery to see what else you could use.

Kitstore at Ravensbourne university

Kitstore

Student using the materials library

Materials library

The Ravensbourne materials library is curated by Material ConneXion, a business that introduces brands to the latest material innovations.

The materials scientists at Material ConneXion select innovative materials relevant to the courses at Ravensbourne and that reflect current trends in design and manufacturing.

Samples of these materials are then added to the library so students and staff can browse the physical collection for inspiration, material ideas and applications.

The library hosts 1,500 material samples and an interactive table for further research and access to the Material ConneXion database.

External visitor information

If you wish to come and see the materials library and have a short tour, please contact us to organise.

The materials library can be used by external students registered with the SCONUL access scheme.

Find out more.

Girl sitting in library

Library at Ravensbourne

The Ravensbourne University library has a large collection of print, online and multimedia resources available for staff and students to use.

Find out more.

woman sat working at imac suite

iMac suite at Ravensbourne

iMac suite at Ravensbourne University - ideal for design students and computing students.

Find out more.

Unistats Details