Level 3 Study Programme: Game Art

To join this programme you will need 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 (or equivalent) including maths and/or English.

• Introduction to Game Art (1st year)
• Modular Environment Packs (1st year)
• Visual Language (1st year)
• Concept Art (1st year)
• Animation (1st year)
• Final Major Project (Set Theme - 1st year)
• Specialist Job Roles (2nd year)
• Advanced 3D Skills (2nd year)
• Realism & Fundamentals (2nd year)
• Final Major Project (Open Brief - 2nd year)

Across this course, you’ll develop the creative and technical skills needed to produce professional-quality game art for modern games. You’ll create striking digital concept art, animations and 3D assets, learning how visual ideas are developed and transformed into playable game worlds. From the outset, you’ll work with industry-standard software, building confidence in digital painting, 3D modelling and asset production for games.

In Year 1, you’ll be introduced to the foundations of Game Art, exploring visual language, concept art, animation and modular environment packs used in real-world production pipelines. You’ll learn how to research, analyse and develop ideas through structured drawing and design processes, before bringing them to life as game-ready assets. These skills come together in your Final Major Project, where you’ll design and present a cohesive body of game art from initial proposed ideas through to final outcomes.

In Year 2, you’ll push your abilities further by specialising in industry job roles such as environment artist, character artist or technical artist. You’ll develop advanced 3D and realism skills, including digital sculpting and refined asset workflows, producing high-quality work suitable for a professional portfolio. Learning is driven by practical production, as you plan, create, and optimise your own game assets to industry expectations. The course culminates in an open-brief Final Major Project, giving you the freedom to focus on your personal strengths, creative interests and future ambitions.

Throughout both years, the course balances theory and practice, helping you understand not just how to create game art, but why it works. By the end of the course, you’ll have a strong portfolio, a clear understanding of game art pipelines, and the creative confidence needed to progress into higher education or tackle the games industry.

There is potential for the qualification to prepare learners for appropriate direct entry to University in a vocationally relevant professional/industry sector. Successful completion will provide access to a wide range of university courses. Career opportunities include: Games Designer, Games Developer, Graphic Designer, Concept Artist, Environment Artist, Animator, Technical Designer, UI Designer and Character Artist.

The University of the Arts London (UAL) Level 3 Diploma in Creative Practice; Game Art, is assessed through a series of projects that are designed to broaden students' skills, experience and expertise. In your first year, the first 2 units are spread across 5 formative assessments delivered with a Pass or Refer outcome. A final project (The FMP) is a Summative assessment that decides the students overall grade for the year which is graded at: Pass, Merit or Distinction.

The second year (Extended Diploma) is made up of 3 units, with the first 2 formative units delivered with a Pass or Refer outcome and the final unit making up the summative project for FMP for year 2, with the overall grade being either a Pass, Merit or Distinction. Student work is externally assessed and scrutinised by External Verifiers from the University of the Arts London to ensure that academic standards are adhered and maintained.