2023 uni applications for those pursuing art and creative routes

[Duchessofmuchness]

The other thread discussing Uni applications for RG and academic routes isn't so relevant for DS. He's considering Art Foundation year or direct entry to uni for fashion design.

Anyone care to join a thread on similar creative paths. (Not just fashion!)

He's looking at art foundation at Kingston, Central St Martin's, UCA,

For Fashion BA looking at Central St Martins, London College of Fashion, Manchester Met, Nottingham Trent, Liverpool John Moores, Leeds Beckett.

Most seem to accept without art foundation but he would need one to Central St Martin's so if he wants to try for that will need foundation.

Lots of open days coming up and hopefully school will give him some more advice next week. No start on his PS yet!!

Rejection here too from UCL/Slade. But a good set of offers in hand so it's all good

I will have to duck out of this thread. Dc has had medical /SEND issues and won't be getting the points he needs for his place. It's all too late to recover really, and I'm very upset about the lack of ongoing support really.
Good luck to all of your lovely dc.

Sorry to hear that @OneFrenchEgg . Hoping all the best and that some more time with pressure off will help. Do let us know.

It's so hard seeing our kids go through difficult times - hope you all come through this and find a way forward @OneFrenchEgg

@OneFrenchEgg so sorry to hear your news, schools can be rubbish for pupils with medical issues & / neurodiversity. This next stage can be really overwhelming for them and the thought of growing up and leaving a supportive home can tip them over the edge.
Is there any possibility of doing a Year 14 (repeating 13) or do you think with support your DS might be well enough to take a stand alone Foundation (FAD) at your local college which would be free if he is under 19? Another option would be a four year degree with an integrated foundation year.

Hi, thanks. I'll answer as you've all been lovely. It's hard - dc doesn't have insight and is trying to be fiercely independent after years of not.
I have tried to find a foundation course locally, I may get them to ask what happens/what they advise.

*eg ask the unis what they advise as they won't qualify.

@OneFrenchEgg that's a good idea, I think they have a lot of flexibility. We spoke to admissions at a university to ask if DC could apply even though they didn't meet the entry criteria, after their initial response of saying the criteria was the criteria, they changed their mind and said the portfolio was the most important thing and they would consider every applicant individually. In the end my DC didn't apply.

@OneFrenchEgg also I get the impression that Falmouth and UWE would be openminded.

Thank you. It's just a bit stressful. Like we had no other plan, and I feel I've been excluded from reality which is frustrating.

@OneFrenchEgg I've been where you are and it is incredibly stressful.

I forgot to mention that UCA Canterbury seemed very flexible and their SEN / neurodiversity support looked good. Plus their accommodation is very reasonably priced compared to most other places.

Thank you. I'm a bit 'fallen at the last hurdle' right now. I'll regroup and stuff.
Hope 2023 September is a good start for all the dc hoping for a place this year x

@OneFrenchEgg Hope you come back and see this. Very sorry to hear about your DC and know that feeling of stress and having to regroup and go back to drawing board.

Don't know your DC circumstances but all may not be lost in getting where they want to. It might take another twist or turn but they may still be able to do what they want. (My mantra for myself with my currently overwhelmed and head in the sand DS.)

I recall you saying your DC had offer from UCA Farnham- was that for BA? They also have integrated foundation option - same course with extra year but lower entry grade requirements. Also for both BA and integrated foundation, a pass on level 3 or 4 foundation is also an option if you find a local college for next year. Or a conversation with UCA may get him a place anyway- especially with medical or any other extenuating circumstances.

Sorry if you already know all this! But I do think some of these courses and I is are more accommodating to SEND and students who maybe don't fit the academic mould.

@OneFrenchEgg I'm so sorry to hear that! I am on the "2022 uni applicants" thread (not called that) and so many posters there have DC who had to take unexpected gap years due to health/SEND issues. They nearly all got where they wanted to go, just a little later than planned. Also very much worth seeing if an integrated foundation could be an option. I wish you the very best of luck, do feel free to update us all when things have settled down.

So sorry to hear this @OneFrenchEgg but you may be surprised especially for foundation courses how flexible they can be especially with special circumstances.

Because the quality of the work can be seen in portfolio and standard school education doesn’t really prepare particularly well for a creative career and often students who fail in school go on to exceptional creative careers so the usual UCAS points aren’t always a good indicator for how appropriate an art course is for a particular student.

It’s definitely worth talking to the admissions teams if they’d still like to go this year although also gap years can be great for getting the old mental health in a better place before heading off. Really wish your DS all the best.

As you know, my dd isn’t quite so far along the route as most on this thread. But, she is wanting to try some oils. I’ve bought her some and a palette knife set. Does she need thinners as well? Would there be any particular advice I could pass on. She mainly draws, so this is very different, but she’s going through a process of trying different materials in order to find what she likes (and learning things from YouTube!)

I'm afraid that oils are one of the few media my DD doesn't really like, so no useful advice. She would put in a strong word for good-quality coloured pencils, which she now loves. Also, @FriendlyLaundryMonster, I have only just twigged that you are the OP about the "earning money from art" thread and I realise I've given you the same advice in multiple places; at least I'm consistent (if forgetful about usernames...)

DD is currently on Easter break but has decided to stay at uni for the first half of it to have access to the studios and complete some coursework (hand-printing and hand-binding a small book). Then she's catching the train to join the rest of us in a rental cottage; a six-hour journey with three changes, what could possibly go wrong?

@PhotoDad Yes! One and the same. A bit of repetition is good I’m sure your dd will be fine with the journey. Ds went to LA on his own at 13 (not even as an accompanied minor!)

@FriendlyLaundryMonster there are few mediums around for oils but we generally just use old-fashioned linseed oil.

Thank you. We'll give that a try. Is there a ratio mix or anything else we should know?

@FriendlyLaundryMonster Just play around with it and get the consistency wanted for that bit of painting - it varies and people have preferences. Oils being painted in layers - different layers may be a different consistency, e.g. some people like a lot of thick texture on their top layer but thinner on the underpainting. Making me feel like breaking the oils out - it's been quite a while :) My daughter prefers acrylics and water colours but I think there is nothing quite like the layers and textures of oils.

@PhotoDad she really wanted to use coloured pencils for her main A level piece but was advised to paint instead.

@Acinonyx2 Hah! My DD had very little advice about what media to use.

On her illustration course, they've been using pretty much every medium (DD has really enjoyed etching, of all things). But then to prep work for publication, apparently it's normally scanned and then tweaked in PhotoShop or similar, which means that media don't work as well. (At least, that's what she tells me!)

Oo @PhotoDad etching is one of my DS' favourite media! He has recently been 'allowed' to do acid etching as opposed to merely dry point etching even tho he is on a Foundation! He really wants to learn proper lithography (he's done kitchen lithography with foil, candles and coca cola) but he's going to have to wait for degree....
Here is his recent dry point etching in plaster. Of a plastic bottle bottom. He is currently exploring blurring the lines between plastic and the organic having discovered that the average person consumes a credit card's worth of plastic a year (which is slightly horrifying). He did a series of photograms of plastic bottles and noticed how many of the images looked like cells..(he also has a biology bent) and so that's the jump off point for his final project. Which has currently developed into stop motion video. I can't quite believe this is the same lad who for A level mainly produced beautiful but slavishly detailed lino cuts and dry points. Foundation has certainly opened his eyes!

Amazing work! DD also did Biology A-level, she'd love that connection with cells. Absolutely fantastic that Foundation has opened so many new paths for your DS, that will only accelerate on the degree course.

DD more or less lives in the Print Room at the moment. It was one of the reasons she chose CSA/ARU! Etching (with acid), screen-printing, letterpress, monoprint, linocut... she sent a funny video from one of her friends, showing her cranking the wheel on an enormous Victorian press to encouragement and cheers from her friends (she is very petite).

@FriendlyLaundryMonster - I used turps to thin too especially for the bottom layers and then linseed oil too. The general rule is fat over lean so more oil on the top layers - you can start to do washes to get really subtle effects but it’s a palaver waiting for each layer to dry. But really probably best to just experiment and play around and see what happens :)

I much preferred oil to acrylic though as it has a really lovely luminescent quality and is very malleable for longer although I haven’t painted in oils for years and this thread is also reminding me how much I loved it @Acinonyx2 😁

@Lottsbiffandsmudge - love your DS’s work! It reminds me that while I was on the first year of my degree, we got to have a go at acid etching. I put my resulting print into the Royal Academy Summer exhibition and was v lucky for it to be accepted. I made a good bit of money from the sales to pay my accommodation as living in London as a student wasn’t cheap! It’s worth seeing if there’s any work our DC do which may be suitable for sale in exhibitions as it’s a time efficient way of topping up funds.