Art & Design

Our art department provides an invaluable introduction to learning in a way that promotes individual creativity and encourages the development of self-directed studio practices: when studying with us you will have access to your studio five days a week.

Our courses embed the processes of research, investigation and development through both practical and written tasks that will support a wide range of creative skills. These are explored through project-based learning which reinforces the connection and interaction between all aspects of our courses.

A current student said: "The course offers a good ratio of freedom, guidance and feedback, to gain more confidence in art and design."

The NQ is the first stage of learning to develop the skills required to create a portfolio for progression to HNC Art Portfolio Production. From our HNC 100% of students have achieved multiple art college offers, many with direct entry to 2nd year. This is unique to West Lothian College.

We also provide options for schools pupils to experience the benefits of studying art at college through our evening class and Friday afternoon folio class.

Our former students work in a range of areas including, teaching, art residencies, animation, graphic design, fashion, illustration, publishing, visual effects and TV, curatorial, gallery and museum work, conservation, museum and gallery archiving, marketing, web design, as well as a number of self-employment roles and commissioned work.

Did you know that 100% of our students who apply to higher education, have been securing art school and university places for the past eight years.

In 2023 alone, every student had more than three offers across the four main Scottish art schools, and several were offered direct entry to year 2 at Glasgow School of Art and Gray’s School of Art.

Evie Kerrigan is studying Art Portfolio Production at West Lothian College, and talks about her experience on the course.

Careers in Art & Design

Our students have had degree offers in each of the following specialist disciplines:

Animation, Concept Development, Fine Art & Philosophy, Communication Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Product Design, Interior & Spatial Design, Digital Arts & Visual Effects, Computer Arts, Games Design, Fashion Design, Fashion Communication, Fashion and Business, Design for Textiles, Fine Art Photography, Painting & Printmaking, Jewellery and Silversmithing, Costume Design, Fashion Technology, International Fashion Branding, Fashion, Footwear and Accessories Design, Sculpture & Environmental Art, Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Fine Art with Art History, Archaeology, Archaeology with Art History, Ancient History & Literature, Film & Media, Immersive Systems Design, Comic Book Art, Medical Visualisation & Human Anatomy, Stained Glass Conservation, Art Psychotherapy, Arts Management.

Our students have secured places at the following Art Schools and Universities:

Edinburgh College of Art, Glasgow School of Art, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Gray’s School of Art, University of Abertay, Heriot Watt University, Napier University, Glasgow University, Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Highlands and Islands, University of Stirling, University of Leicester, University of Nottingham, University of Manchester, University of York.

You are given a brief but you have so much freedom to be creative and if you need help the lecturing staff are fantastic

Adele Craig, HNC Contemporary Art and Design