Turning a passion for illustration into a future career
“Always keep an open mind, because you never know what you’ll do.”
Dylan Simpson has always enjoyed art and creativity, and chose Art and Design Level 3 at Leicester College as a step towards a future in illustration and comic making.
“I’ve always enjoyed doing things to do with art since I was younger,” says Dylan. “In the future, I want to get into making illustrations and comics. That’s been my dream for a few years now, and I think this course is a good step in that direction.”
Dylan visited the College during an open day. “It was easier to get to because I live in Leicester. I went to the open day and liked the overall look of it. It had a good vibe,” he explains.
Exploring different creative options
For Dylan, one of the strengths of the course is the wide range of creative areas that students can explore. This has helped him build confidence, develop new ideas and access resources that support his work.
“I would recommend the course,” he says. “It has a wide range of different things you can explore and learn, and it would be useful to up-and-coming artists.”
He has particularly valued the facilities and equipment available to students.
“The facilities are really good,” Dylan adds. “There are a lot of things we can use for our projects and our work. Not a lot of places I’ve been to have those kinds of facilities.”
Support when you need it
Dylan has also found the College supportive, especially when students need help catching up or understanding something they may have missed.
“We get a lot of good support at Leicester College,” he says. “You can ask anything if you need help. If you miss anything, they’ll always be there.”
His advice to anyone thinking about studying at Leicester College is to stay open to different possibilities.
“Don’t have one direct set idea,” says Dylan. “Always keep an open mind.”
Looking ahead
Dylan is still deciding whether his next step after college will be university or an apprenticeship, but his goal remains focused on illustration and comic book art.
“I’m thinking maybe university, but I’m not quite sure yet,” he says. “I’m between an apprenticeship or uni, which is a pretty hard decision for me.”
Whatever route he takes, Dylan sees Leicester College as helping him move closer to a creative career.