Blaine's ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Experience
Name: Blaine Henderson
Course: BA (Hons) Illustration
Previous Studies: Foundation Art and Design; A-levels – Computer Science, Photography, Maths.
Hometown: Clydach
Blaine's BA Illustration Experience
What is your favourite thing about Swansea campus?
There are many good qualities about the campus that I studied at. One of them is the vast amount of equipment and supplies that it has for the different art courses that they teach. They also do open access workshops where you can go to use the machines with the technicians supervising you. They are supportive and approachable.
It is also convenient that the campus is in the centre of Swansea as I don’t have to walk far to grab anything I need during my studies.
Why did you choose ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø?
During my A-level studies, I focused more on maths and computer science rather than art, but I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I thought, but I still continued to draw in my spare time.
At the end of my A-levels I decided to do the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Foundation Art and Design to continue doing art and stay in education, but also because it was close to where I live. Afterwards, I continued developing my art further by going into the BA Illustration course at the same university as I was comfortable with the environment.
What did you enjoy outside your studies?
I mostly liked to continue drawing and developing my artwork in my own time as I find it relaxing as well as fun. However, I also like to watch videos and anime, as well as play video games to take breaks.
What do you hope to do when you graduate?
When I graduate, I hope to take a bit of a break first before doing the next step. I’m currently considering doing the MA Contemporary Dialogues course at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø as I feel that I’m doing well with my education. However, I also aim to continue networking and reaching out to agencies and clients within my illustration career. Furthermore, I want to continue creating my art.
What was your favourite thing about your course?
I would say my favourite thing about my course is that it has provided me with briefs and challenges that has given me the opportunity to research and develop my artwork and style over the three years. I really enjoyed learning about the different forms of art and artists within my research for essays and my own artwork.
Also, the opportunities to go to different places such as Berlin and London were a great experience for me as someone who is introverted and doesn’t usually travel a lot. I feel that the experiences have improved my confidence in some ways.
Would you recommend ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and why?
Personally, I would recommend it, especially if you live near Swansea. The campus itself is very big and the staff are friendly. There is a great supply of tech and equipment for different purposes such as print-making, letter pressing and 3D modelling.
