Maddie Elliot
3rd year student - BA (Hons) Illustration
My name is Maddie, and I’m in my third year studying illustration here at the University of Plymouth.
I’ve always loved drawing, and I wanted to be able to build a career from my skills. My interest started as a desire to create memories through my illustrations, much like the books that stand out to me from my childhood did, and this has evolved into a broader passion for storytelling and visual communication. I’ve been quite sure that illustration was the right path for me for a long time.
I decided to choose Plymouth because of the facilities on offer and the vibrant studio space. Having spoken to students and staff at the open days made me feel that I would be really supported here. The opportunities for a semester abroad in the second year also really appealed to me!
One of my favourite things about Plymouth has to be the seafront. I love being so close to the sea. I also love that we have The Box Museum right next door to campus, it’s one of my favourite places to go in my free time, along with the National Marine Aquarium!
There’s a lot of encouragement to experiment with lots of different applications of illustration before you start to specialise, and plenty of support along the way. We benefit from access to a variety of facilities for printmaking, ceramics, 3D printing and more.
I love the studio; it allows for a great community setting, and having desks that we can decorate means we have our own personalised spaces to work in year-round. It’s a really nice space.
The lecturers give really good, constructive feedback and are always so encouraging. We have regular opportunities to discuss our work and progress with our lecturers and peers, and I feel comfortable reaching out for help individually as well.
Open Days are a fantastic tool for those of you still deciding, and I can’t recommend attending enough!
It’s a really good way to talk to lecturers and students and get a feel of the atmosphere and facilities.
It’s also worth checking out the courses Instagram page to see what current and past students have been getting up to.
In the first semester of the second year I had the opportunity to go to Hokkaido, Japan, as part of an exchange that the illustration course runs each year with Hokkaido College of Art and Design.
I spent 3 months living in Sapporo along with another student from the illustration course. We had a variety of classes, some of which include Japanese painting, manga, character design, ceramics and Japanese language lessons.
It was truly the most amazing experience I’ve ever had in terms of both personal and academic development; I met lots of amazing people and learned so much. I can’t recommend it enough.
As a third year I have to work on a Final Major Project. For mine, I’m working on a graphic novel about a teen girl who finds a wolf pup whilst on a school trip, and her (magical) journey to return it home.
The bulk of this will take place in a secondary school where she must hide the wolf in her backpack. I’m very excited to see it finished. It’s going to be challenging, but it’ll really bring together all of the skills I’ve learned in my time here.
I’d love to work in publishing as a freelance illustrator once I graduate. My long-term goal is to be writing and illustrating my own picture books and graphic novels.
Open Days are a fantastic tool for those of you still deciding, and I can’t recommend attending enough!