Student Profile

Austen Mengler

Graduate 2011
Bachelor of Arts (Design) Illustration

I chose to study at Curtin because of the extensive Art and Design courses and from recommendations from Art teachers at high school and family friends.
Overall I’m satisfied with my degree at Curtin; I’ve learnt a lot about design and the industry and made some great contacts and friends along the way.

I was able to create some unique pieces such as “B is for Brains” a horror Sesame Street parody illustration featuring a zombie Cookie Monster about to eat some children. I also illustrated and printed my own graphic novel “Execution”, something I’ve always wanted to do.

Through my artwork on my online portfolio I’ve landed several small jobs and done a range of different illustration commissions. Things such as album covers, bookmarks, comic pages and even creature design for a small film. The flexibility of the course is great as I was able to work on these real life jobs as university projects and get valuable feedback from tutors and peers.

This course has been very educational and insightful into what I need to become a successful illustrator. It’s helped me improve my technical skill as well as learning about the design industry and what jobs are out there. I’ve also learnt my strengths and weaknesses through doing a range of different projects in other areas of design.

Having understanding lecturers and tutors was really a key aspect to my university experience. As I’m hoping to get into artwork for horror themed graphic novels, I found Justin Randall a helpful insight into the industry. Yolanda Stapleton was also a very supportive and knowledgeable tutor in all things design - in particular promoting myself and creating my graphic novel.

I'd recommend the course to anyone who has a real passion for illustration and is willing to put in the hours and try new things to improve in their work. You’ll learn a lot about the design world and what jobs are out there as well as a lot about yourself as an illustrator, how you work under stress and what a comfortable work load is for you. It’s been a great experience and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking to get into the illustration industry.