Studying art and design opens doors to a wide range of fields, including fine art, photography, digital graphics, fashion design, illustration, advertising, publishing, textile design, craft and product design, interior design, and architecture.
Turn your passion into a professional career in the creative industries. Our Art and Design courses provide the perfect platform for you to explore and develop your artistic talents. Whether you’re an aspiring artist, photographer, or designer, our courses will equip you with the skills needed to succeed in this vibrant industry.
Art and Design Pathways Explained
Illustration and Fine Art
Illustration and fine art are both creative paths, but they focus on different things.
Illustration is about creating images that tell a story or explain an idea, like drawings in books, comics, posters, or even video games. It often has a clear purpose and is used in things like advertising, publishing, and animation.
Fine art, on the other hand, is more about expressing personal ideas, emotions, or exploring big themes through painting, drawing, sculpture, or mixed media. It’s often shown in galleries and museums. If you enjoy drawing, painting, or creating visual stories, both paths can be exciting.
Your course options:
Photography and Graphic Design
Photography is all about capturing moments, stories, and emotions through a camera. You’ll learn how to take great photos, use lighting and composition, edit images using software like Photoshop, and explore different styles like portrait, fashion, landscape, or documentary photography. It’s perfect if you enjoy being creative with a camera and telling stories through images.
Graphic design, on the other hand, is about using images, text, and layout to communicate ideas visually. Graphic designers create things like posters, logos, websites, packaging, and social media graphics. You’ll learn how to use design software (like Adobe Illustrator or InDesign), understand colour, typography, and layout, and create designs that grab attention and send a clear message.
Both are creative and visual careers, but photography focuses more on capturing real-life images, while graphic design is about creating visual content from scratch or combining images and text. If you enjoy being artistic, using technology, and expressing ideas visually, either path could be a great fit!
Your course options:
Fashion and Textiles
Fashion is all about designing clothes, accessories, and styles that people wear. You’ll learn how to sketch designs, choose fabrics, sew garments, and understand trends and how the fashion industry works. It’s a great choice if you love clothing, enjoy being creative, and want to express yourself through style.
Textiles focuses more on the materials used in fashion and design, like fabrics, patterns, textures, and how they’re made. In a textiles course, you might learn how to dye fabrics, print patterns, weave, or experiment with materials to create unique designs. It’s perfect if you enjoy hands-on making, experimenting with colour and texture, and exploring how materials can be used in fashion, interiors, or art.
If you enjoy drawing, sewing, working with fabrics, or imagining new styles, fashion and textiles could be a great path for you.
Your course options:
Student’s Portfolio
Our Art and Design Courses
Art and Design (Including Art and Design/Fashion and Textiles/Photography and Graphics) – Level 1
Art & Design
School Leaver
|
1 year
BTEC
|
Age Group:
(16-18)
Art and Design Practice (Including Art and Design/Fashion and Textiles/Photography and Graphics) – Level 3
Art & Design
School Leaver
|
2 years
BTEC
|
Age Group:
(16-18)
Where your course can lead
Laura Jayne Bunker, Art & Design – Level 3
After changing colleges and joining Middlesbrough College, Laura found the perfect course for her – one that not only became a real creative outlet but also helped her bring her creative ambitions into focus.
Laura Jayne said, “It’s made me a lot more interested in photography. When I first started, I thought I wanted to be a tattoo artist, but I wasn’t fully sure. After spending time in the studio, I realised how much I enjoyed photography. It introduced me to new skills and ideas for the future.
“I love everything about it, the equipment, the studios and even working in the dark room. The college has also let me take equipment home, which has really helped me improve. I even got to take photos at my mam’s wedding, which meant a lot to me.
“My tutor is always honest about mywork, which is so important in art because it helps you improve. She’s also really supportive. If I’m stuck on an idea, she’ll help me figure out what I can do next and guide me through it.”
