Animation and Games Art

Animation and games art is a discipline at the heart of some of the fastest-growing and most culturally significant creative industries in the world. Animation has evolved from its cel-drawn origins into a vast field spanning feature films, television, digital advertising, educational content, and real-time interactive experiences. Games art applies many of the same technical and creative principles to the interactive medium, creating the visual worlds, characters, and environments that players inhabit.

Together, they demand a combination of artistic skill, technical knowledge, and the ability to work collaboratively within large creative teams.

At the University of Sunderland this three-year full-time programme develops your skills in both 2D and 3D animation, teaching the principles of character-led animation alongside expertise in industry-standard software and both traditional and contemporary digital techniques. You will work across animation and games art, building a portfolio of work that demonstrates your technical range and creative vision. The programme includes a sandwich year and a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to gain professional experience in the industry and to study in an international creative context.

Work placement is also integrated into the degree, ensuring you graduate with both a strong portfolio and meaningful professional experience.

Graduates from animation and games art programmes work in animation studios, games development companies, advertising agencies, post-production houses, visual effects studios, and broadcast organisations. Roles include character animator, environment artist, 3D modeller, rigger, visual effects artist, and games artist, among many others. The industry is global and creative, and graduates with both technical proficiency and a distinctive visual sensibility are consistently in demand.

Some graduates go on to postgraduate study to deepen their expertise in a particular area of animation or games art.