BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking
BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking at Arts University Plymouth offers the only undergraduate degree in the UK that brings these three disciplines together in an holistic way, building on their rich history of nourishing and challenging each other.
On this course, you'll explore painting, drawing and printmaking as three interconnected ways of thinking and making. You'll be given the space, support and practical skills to discover your artistic voice through imaginative questioning, material experimentation and skilled invention.
Find out more about BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking at Arts University Plymouth.
<ul><li><strong>Degree:</strong> BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking</li><li><p><strong>UCAS codes:</strong> 3-year degree <strong>WWDF</strong> / 4-year extended degree <strong>W102</strong> </p></li><li><p><strong>Typical UCAS points:</strong> <strong>104–120</strong> </p></li><li><p><strong>Studio focus:</strong> painting, drawing and printmaking taught as interconnected disciplines </p></li><li><p><strong>Student experience (NSS 2025):</strong> 100% positive answers on key teaching and development measures (see below)</p></li></ul>
<ul><li><strong>Immerse yourself</strong> in material experimentation, critical imagining and skilled invention across painting, drawing and printmaking.</li><li><p><strong>Learn from professional artists</strong> who understand the challenges and rewards of creative practice and can guide you in developing your own visual language. </p></li><li><p><strong>Study in light and airy studios</strong>, with dedicated facilities for crafting an ambitious practice. </p></li><li><p><strong>Build specialist and transferable skills</strong> to open up a fulfilling and enduring creative career.</p></li></ul>
“Reflecting back on my degree, it’s certainly been a life changing experience for me as a fine artist and as part of the wider university community. I embarked upon my degree with low self-confidence and self-esteem, and I would never have imagined being confident enough to achieve a degree. The staff at Arts University Plymouth have coached me and taught me how to be a fine artist in today’s world.”
Ruth Brown
Student work by Matilda Smyth, BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking graduate 2025
<p>You’ll learn through <strong>hands-on experimentation</strong>, <strong>testing materials</strong>, <strong>processes</strong>, <strong>approaches</strong> and <strong>ideas</strong>, and reflecting on what you’re doing and why. Regular tutorials, seminars, lectures and group discussions help you develop confidence, identify relevant contexts for your work, and engage with diverse histories and current debates. </p>
<p>Workshops introduce traditional techniques, including intaglio printing and making your own paints from raw pigments, which you’ll explore alongside technologies and know-how from across Arts University Plymouth’s world-class facilities.</p>
A student using the facilities in our fine print studio.
<p dir="ltr">You’ll work in a specialist studio environment designed to support focus, curiosity and ambition. As well as course teaching, you can book additional access to specialist facilities for self-directed development through SmartHub, with a guaranteed 11 hours each week during the teaching year.</p>
<p>In printmaking, you can develop a broad technical range, with access to processes such as screen-printing, etching, drypoint, aquatint, lino, woodblock, letterpress, monoprint and more, supported by professional presses and equipment. </p>
<p>Arts University Plymouth was ranked <strong>#2 in the UK for Facilities</strong> (Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2024).</p>
<p>You’ll learn first-hand from artworks through visits to exhibitions in the South West, London and cities such as Berlin and Barcelona, helping you consider your place in the wider landscape of contemporary art. </p>
<p>Our links with cultural and community organisations in and around Plymouth offer opportunities throughout the course to explore the roles of an artist and to exhibit your own work.</p>
'Distant' – Student work by Madison Allen, BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking graduate and 2025 Brownston Fresh Talent Award winner
<p><strong>100% of BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking respondents in the National Student Survey (NSS) 2025 gave positive answers to the questions:</strong></p><ul><li><p>“How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?”</p></li><li><p>“How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?”</p></li><li><p>“How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?”</p></li></ul>
Arts University Plymouth was a fantastic place to study, with incredible tutors and facilities. The course was exactly what I needed at the time and gave me a great foundation to build on.
Artist Amelia Webster, BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking graduate and British Art Prize finalist
<p><strong>Career opportunities include:</strong> Exhibiting Artists, Teachers, Lecturers, Art Therapists, Illustrators, Curators, Producers, Gallery Managers, Arts Administrators, Community Arts Organisers and Creative Entrepreneurs. </p>
<p>Many of our award-winning students continue to postgraduate study at Arts University Plymouth and other institutions nationally, such as The Royal Drawing School and The Royal College of Art. </p>
<p>You’ll also be supported by a dedicated Careers and Enterprise service, accredited by AGCAS (Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services).</p>
<p>All students at Arts University Plymouth can access specialist advice and guidance, including support for wellbeing, learning support and disability, and information on student finance. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/disability-support-and-reasonable-adjustments" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here</a> to read more about the support we offer.</p>
<ul><li><strong>Email: </strong><a href="mailto:admissions@aup.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">admissions@aup.ac.uk</a></li><li><strong>Tel:</strong> +44 (0)1752 203434</li><li><strong>Instagram:</strong> <a href="http://www.instagram.com/aup_pdp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@aup_pdp</a></li></ul>
<p>After successful completion of BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking, your progression options at Arts University Plymouth could include some of the postgraduate courses listed below. As a graduate of the university, you will be entitled to a discount of 15% on postgraduate study fees if you choose to progress onto one of our MA programmes.</p>
<p>Arts University Plymouth offers the only undergraduate degree in the UK that brings painting, drawing and printmaking together in a holistic way, taught through imaginative questioning and skilled invention across the three interconnected disciplines.</p>
<p>You’ll study painting, drawing and printmaking as three interconnected disciplines, developing your practice through experimentation with materials, processes, approaches and ideas.</p>
<p>The curriculum is designed to nurture your curiosity, proficiency and confidence within a specialist studio environment, giving you the support and practical skills to discover your own artistic voice.</p>
<p>You’ll be guided by experienced lecturers and tutors and learn through hands-on experimentation, plus seminars, lectures and group discussions to explore diverse histories and current debates. Regular tutorials support you to synthesise your experiences across painting, drawing and printmaking to craft an ambitious practice shaped by your research and what you care about.</p>
<p>Workshops introduce traditional techniques including intaglio printing and making your own paints from raw pigments, explored alongside technologies and know-how from across the university’s world-class facilities.</p>
<p>You’ll study amongst your peers in light and airy studios, with dedicated facilities to support the development of an ambitious practice.</p>
<p>Yes. Links with cultural and community organisations in and around Plymouth offer opportunities throughout the course to explore the roles of an artist and to exhibit your work.</p>
<p>You’ll learn from professional artists and experienced lecturers and tutors who understand the challenges and rewards of creative practice and can guide you in developing your own visual language.</p>
<p>You’ll develop depth of knowledge and a range of specialist and transferable skills intended to support a fulfilling and enduring creative career.</p>
<p>Career opportunities include: Exhibiting Artists, Teachers, Lecturers, Art Therapists, Illustrators, Curators, Producers, Gallery Managers, Arts Administrators, Community Arts Organisers and Creative Entrepreneurs.</p>
<p>Yes. Many award-winning students continue to postgraduate study at Arts University Plymouth and other institutions nationally, such as The Royal Drawing School and The Royal College of Art.</p>
<p>In the National Student Survey (NSS) 2025, 100% of BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking respondents gave positive answers to: teaching staff making the subject engaging; the course challenging them to achieve their best work; and the course developing the knowledge and skills they’ll need for the future.</p>
