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Renowned Artist Credits Alton College For His Success

January 16, 2025

Nathan Ward Visits Alton College.

Last term, Art & Design students at Alton College attended a captivating talk by renowned Paper Image Maker, Nathan Ward (pictured above, alongside lecturer Mark Taylor). Nathan studied Art Foundation and A Levels at Alton, leaving the College in 2016, and has since used the skills he developed on these courses to build an incredibly successful career. 

After leaving Alton, Nathan studied Illustration at Kingston University, and currently runs his own company in London. As his company and reputation continues to grow, Nathan has provided sets, props and models for companies such as Google, Links of London, John Lewis & Partners and Jo Malone. 

During the talk, Nathan gave Alton students a valuable insight into the papermaking industry, and offered them a glimpse into some of the amazing projects he is currently working on. These include large-scale sets, window displays and installations, all of which are used by his clients in a number of different ways. 

The talk highlighted the real diversity of the creative industry, with Nathan showing how the experience of Art & Design at Alton can provide such a strong footing for aspiring young artists. 

Recently, Nathan worked alongside the Creative Director of Vintage Books to design the cover for Margaret Atwood’s (author of The Handmaid’s Tale) new poetry anthology, Paper Boat. The cover is incredibly unique, as it can be removed from the book to be cut and built into a paper boat itself, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the art of papermaking. 

Speaking about his time at Alton, Nathan said:

“The staff and technicians were always there for support and advice. With small class sizes, I enjoyed plenty of one-on-one time with my tutors and got to connect closely with my peers, making my experience feel like being part of a creative family.”

Everyone at Alton is incredibly proud of the incredible artwork that Nathan continues to produce, as he traces the origins of his successful career back to his time at the College:

“Thanks to the portfolio support at Alton, I was able to secure a spot in Kingston University’s prestigious BA Illustration Animation course, which was a pivotal moment in launching my career as an agent-represented paper artist. I truly look back at my time at Alton with such fond memories.”

The College is looking forward to working with Nathan within other projects, as he has kindly offered work experience for some students within the Art Department in the near future. 

To find out more about Nathan’s work, click here.

To find out more about studying Art at Alton College, please visit these links:

Art & Design A Level

UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma – Creative Practice: Art, Design & Communication

UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma – Art & Design