Advanced Game Art (18 weeks)

Course details

Location

London campus or live online

Start date

23rd September 2024

Duration

18 weeks

Mode of study

Full time

Fees

London campus (UK residents): £16,850 

Live online: £13,200

First in the world Rookies award icon for production excellence in immersive mediaTop 10 Rookies award for creative schools in the UKTransparent black Unreal Engine authorised instructor logoTransparent black Unreal Engine academic partner logo
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Course overview

You’ve played the game, now it’s time to create it! 

You'll study the core principles from our 12-week course before developing your skills to an advanced level via techniques such as simulations and dynamic meshes. 

This course has been designed to meet the demand for new creative talent as the UK's video games industry expands across mobile, PC and console. It focuses on developing your artistic skills and creativity as preparation for a career in the games industry, from world-building to workflows for magical effects. 

Our industry advisors and partners have inputted into the design of the course to ensure you learn real-world skills. Taught by our studio-experienced tutors, you’ll get to grips with industry-standard software such as Unreal Engine, ZBrush and Maya, as well as the practical vocational experience to secure a job in the games industry. 

See also MA Game Art or Game Art (12 weeks)

See more student work

Why choose this course

  • Ranked 1st in the world for Production Excellence in Immersive Media by The Rookies 

  • Based in London - home to some of the best video games studios in the world  

  • Partnering with Epic Games - the first Authorized Training Center in the UK and an Unreal Engine Academic Partner. Our certified tutors also run short courses for studios who want their staff to be trained in Unreal Engine  

  • We’re a member of TIGA, the trade association for the UK video games industry, with the vision to make the UK the best place in the world to develop video games. We were shortlisted for a Best Educational Institution TIGA Award in 2021 and 2022 

  • Industry feedback - receive industry-standard critique from an expert in their field. Previous studio partners for our game art course have included Climax Studios, Creative Assembly and Media Molecule

  • Professional input - our advisory board of experts, from the likes of PlayStation London Studio, Creative Assembly and Improbable, help keep this course relevant

  • Successful alumni - you'll join our community of thousands of Escapees, many of whom have gone on to work at some of the world’s top studios including Rare, Rockstar, Ubisoft, Creative Assembly, Improbable and Framestore

  • Aftercare package - we'll help you polish your portfolio and find the right job, with access to our studios and showreel clinics for 12 months

  • Industry-standard facilities - you'll work in a studio environment that mirrors current industry practice, using professional software such as Unreal Engine 5, Maya and ZBrush  

  • Fast-track advanced learning - our advanced short courses allow you to go deeper into technical and software skills for a quick springboard into your next creative career step 

  • Strong portfolio - along with an Escape Studios Certificate of Completion, you'll leave with strong creative and technical skills and great pieces for your portfolio 

  • Small class sizes - a convivial environment allows students to assist and inspire one another and benefit from personalised feedback from tutors.

Course modules

These modules are common with our 12-week Game Art course and the first 12 weeks of our MA Game Art

  • Art direction 

  • Introduction to modelling 

  • Introduction to Unreal Engine 5 

  • Modularity

  • Texturing and materials 

  • Introduction to lighting 

  • Introduction to blueprints 

  • Introduction to digital sculpting

  • Advanced modelling 

  • Advanced Unreal Engine 5 

  • Baked and procedural textures 

  • Advanced materials 

  • Advanced lighting

  • Foliage and SpeedTree 

  • Introduction to FX 

  • Particles in Niagara 

  • Blueprints

  • Photogrammetry 

  • Virtual cinematography 

  • Materials for FX 

More information

  • Unreal Engine 5

  • ZBrush

  • Maya

  • SpeedTree

  • Quixel Mixer

  • Substance Painter

  • Substance Designer

  • Substance Sampler

  • Reality Capture

  • Photoshop

  • DarkTable

To apply, complete the relevant online application form linked below:

If you have any questions about your application or our entry requirements, get in touch!

As part of the application process, you will need to agree to our terms and conditions for your place on the course to be secured.

Minimum requirements

We welcome and encourage applications from students with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

To study this short course, you must:

  • Be over 18

  • Have a good understanding of written and spoken English

  • Feel comfortable using a computer.

If you’d like to discuss your circumstances before applying, contact us on courses@escapestudios.ac.uk or +44 (0) 203 441 1303.

Non-UK students

We accept international students for our short courses, with no difference in course fees or administration costs. 

The Standard Visitor visa allows students to come to the UK to study for a course of up to six months at an accredited institution. Depending on your nationality, you may need to apply for a standard visitor visa prior to departure from your home country. For more information visit:  

Contact us on courses@escapestudios.ac.uk or +44 (0)203 441 1303 for any questions.

We can provide remote access to our workstations during teaching time. Due to availability restrictions, we highly advise you to have your own set up at home to study in your own time.

More things you’ll need:

  • A strong internet connection

  • An external hard drive (minimum 2TB) to back up your work during the course

  • A three-button mouse (or optionally graphics tablet)

  • A computer microphone (and optionally a webcam)

  • Note-taking materials

If you have any questions about learning online or if you need help with what to buy, get in touch at courses@escapestudios.ac.uk.

Fees 

London campus: £16,850

Live online: £13,200

Payment plans

We offer a range of payment plan options for all courses. Following an initial deposit at registration stage, your chosen payment plan will break down your remaining fees into up to six equal instalments, to be paid over the course length.

Contact our Admissions Team on courses@escapestudios.ac.uk or +44 (0)203 441 1303 or visit our admissions page for any questions about fees, funding and payment plans.

“London is now the largest cluster for games studios in Europe. In the next three years, Games London is expected to bring in a further £45m for games businesses and create an extra 270 jobs.” (source Film London

Along with an Escape Studios Certificate of Achievement, you'll leave with strong creative and technical skills and great pieces for your portfolio, which you can then finesse with help from our Aftercare programme. Ready to apply to start your career in the industry!  

Some of the opportunities you can consider once you’ve finished your studies include: 

  • Game Artist 

  • Environment Artist 

  • Prop Artist 

  • Material Artist 

  • FX Artist 

  • Level Artist 

  • Lighting Artist 

  • Foliage Artist 

  • Technical Artist 

  • Visualisation Artist 

  • Real-Time Generalist 

  • Real-Time Generalist in Virtual Production 

  • Real-Time FX Artist 

  • Real-Time Cinematic Artist 

  • Unreal Engine Artist 

  • Producer 

Our students have gone to work as both specialist and generalist artists in studios creating games and real-time graphics, including PlayStation London Studio, Rare, Rockstar, Ubisoft and Improbable. Those not only apply to video games but are also used in VFX (film and TV production, virtual production), real-time immersive media (augmented reality, theme parks, rides, entertainment), cinematics, architecture visualisation, VR visualisation, simulations for medical professions and the automotive and engineering industries. Read some of our games Escapee success stories.

Check out our Careers Guide for more information about career opportunities and progression routes.

Profile picture of Christian Avigni

Meet our industry-experienced tutors

Christian Avigni is the lead tutor on this master’s programme. He worked at Alpha Channel and on Formula Fusion. Our tutors work together to develop our courses. They all have industry experience, at studios such as EA, Climax, Rebellion, Codemasters and Framestore, and are experts in their fields, including certified trainers for Unreal Engine.

Meet your tutors

Student showcase

To be a part of PlayStation and working on their next-gen games has been a thrilling experience! It feels so surreal to be working amongst such talented people, producing games that both myself and friends will love.

Katerina Zacharakis, Game Art Escapee
Producer, PlayStation