Graphic Arts and Moving Image
Graphic arts and moving image sit at a creative intersection: the visual intelligence that graphic arts develops and the temporal dimension that moving image brings together make for a combination that is highly relevant to contemporary creative practice. Graphic arts encompasses drawing, printmaking, illustration, typography, and the broader visual language of two-dimensional design and communication. Moving image extends into film, animation, video art and digital screen-based work, concerned with how images move, how sequences are constructed, and how time and narrative operate in visual media.
At the University of the West of Scotland, this two-year full-time programme offers a focused and intensive introduction to both disciplines. You will develop practical skills in graphic arts media alongside moving image production, learning to work across traditional and digital tools and to think critically about the relationship between image, sequence and meaning. The relatively short two-year duration means the programme is tightly structured and requires sustained creative engagement and independent motivation throughout.
The combination is well suited to students who want to develop a creative practice that spans both still and moving visual forms, or who are interested in how graphic design principles apply to motion graphics, title sequences, visual effects and screen-based communication. Studio practice, project work, and the development of a body of creative work are central to the experience.
Graduates from graphic arts and moving image programmes move into roles in graphic design, illustration, animation, motion graphics, video production, digital media, advertising, film and television, and the broader creative industries. The practical portfolio you develop during the programme is your primary tool for demonstrating your capabilities to employers and clients, and further study at postgraduate level is an option for those who want to deepen their practice or explore research.