Bachelors (BA) in Illustration
Overview
The illustration program equips students to tell stories, develop characters, convey ideas and craft imagery for commercial, social, and editorial projects. An illustrator's work is defined by their ability to problem solve and communicate visually with public audiences rather than their use of a particular media. Therefore, within the curriculum, Illustration majors are offered a broad-base of study, gaining exposure to foundational image-making practices and compositional strategies, historic and contemporary methods of visual communication, as well as a combination of traditional studio practices and digital production techniques. Throughout the program, students can expect to craft work physically, via a lens, and digitally as well as craft objects in 2, 3, or 4 dimensions.
Over their course of study, the curriculum prepares students to enter the market as independent artists with distinct approaches to idea generation and a honed personal vision. Whether working with paint or drawing on screen using a Wacom tablet, Illustration majors develop skills and techniques necessary for the kinds of powerful storytelling that have long served as a way of invigorating and re-igniting culture, rallying political movements, and embodying cultural values.
Faculty
The versatile faculty is made up of artists and designers who actively produce and exhibit their creative work − artists who are leaders in their various fields of discipline. They love to teach because they love what they teach. Our faculty is equipped to motivate, inspire and nurture; they become true mentors to their students. The faculty of the Department of Art and Design believe it is necessary for students to become leaders rather than followers, to become the next generation of gifted creative artists and designers and to become art professionals in the ever-growing number of contemporary art and art-related careers.
More information about the illustration major can be found on the art major admissions page.
Degree Outcomes
Graduates with a BA in illustration will:
- Demonstrate the ability to write and speak about art, design, and art history with clarity and logic, and be able to form and support critical judgements about art, design and art history
- Demonstrate the technical mastery of the relevant materials and tools, and the terminology, theories, and practices relevant to the student's field of study
- Demonstrate the ability generate, support, and utilize individual thoughts and ideas
- Demonstrate the ability to do research in art, design, and art history, and the competence and knowledge to analyze and think critically
- Demonstrate expanding knowledge of historical achievements and contemporary thinking, trends, processes, and issues in art and design, and apply that knowledge to their personal work
- Demonstrate broader and deeper understanding of contemporary arts practice, grasp of how to develop and maintain studio or design practice, and ideas communicating successful cultivation of both audience, concept and goals in visual art and design
Major Requirements
Complete the following:
An introduction to materials, techniques, and theory related to two-dimensional design. Additional course fee is required.
This course focuses on three-dimensional design. Hands-on projects are the primary learning mode. Additional course fee is required.
Art majors given preference. This course is a study of materials, methods, and techniques used for drawing with pencil, ink, charcoal, and other drawing media. Additional course fee is required.
A survey of the elements and concepts of art theory and practice as reflected in culturally and historically significant painting, sculpture, architecture, and other art forms, from 1450 to the present. Additional course fee is required.
Art and its relationship to a non-Western culture, e.g., African, Asian, Latin American. Specific topic will be dependent on the instructor's area of specialization. Additional course fee is required.
Art and its relationship to global culture of the 20th century. Additional course fee is required.
A study of the relationship between art and Christianity in the contemporary world. Designed primarily for studio art majors. Prerequisite: either ARTS 382 Twentieth Century Art or ARTS 384 Contemporary Art Forms. Additional course fee required.
Complete the following:
This seminar course will meet weekly to focus on theory, concepts and methodology of art historical study and their application by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Investigations of film and writing will be a secondary approach to this course. Must be taken minimum 5 out of 8 semesters in students’ program. Satisfies: core major requirement.
Additional course fee required.
This seminar course will meet weekly to focus on theory, concepts and methodology of art historical study and their application by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Investigations of film and writing will be a secondary approach to this course. Must be taken minimum 5 out of 8 semesters in students’ program. Satisfies: core major requirement.
Additional course fee required.
This seminar course will meet weekly to focus on theory, concepts and methodology of art historical study and their application by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Investigations of film and writing will be a secondary approach to this course. Must be taken minimum 5 out of 8 semesters in students’ program. Satisfies: core major requirement.
Additional course fee required.
This seminar course will meet weekly to focus on theory, concepts and methodology of art historical study and their application by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Investigations of film and writing will be a secondary approach to this course. Must be taken minimum 5 out of 8 semesters in students’ program. Satisfies: core major requirement.
Additional course fee required.
This seminar course will meet weekly to focus on theory, concepts and methodology of art historical study and their application by engaging students in discourse surrounding lectures of visiting professional artists. Investigations of film and writing will be a secondary approach to this course. Must be taken minimum 5 out of 8 semesters in students’ program. Satisfies: core major requirement.
Additional course fee required.
Complete the following:
This course is an introduction to industry-standard graphic design applications such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. Additional course fee required.
An introduction to typography including type history, typefaces, type selection, layout, the use of type in effective designs, and creative approaches to using type. Additional course fee required.
Prerequisite: ARTD 110 Creative Suite
This course offers an introduction to graphic design by combining studio work with classroom instruction. Fundamental components of the design process are incorporated to provide students with a robust experience in ideation, research execution, and presentation of projects. Advanced uses of Creative Suite, digital tools and other emerging software and technologies will be explored. Additional course fee required. Prerequisite: ARTD 110 Creative Suite.
This course is a study of personal styles and professional illustration skills in a graphic design and commercial context. Students will learn the technical processes of research and image creation as they apply to story telling in commercial applications. Prerequisites: ARTS 111 Drawing I, ARTD 110 Creative Suite. Additional course fee is required.
This course prepares students for an internship or professional experience that will follow this course as a dynamic program graduation requirement. Additionally, students will gain exposure to common business practices such as the development of contracts, estimates, invoices, accounting, promotion, and project management. Prerequisite: Junior status or instructor approval.
This course focuses on the organization and preparation of a portfolio showcasing a student's creative work in preparation for employment in the field of design. Students will explore visual composition and organization, document assembly methods, and various reproduction image management techniques. Computer photo editing and printing are used to create a paper and digital portfolio. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisites: Declared Art and Design major/minor with Junior or Senior status, or by instructor permission. Course may be taken twice for up to 4 credits total.
Applied illustration projects that allow for exploration of approaches to design across a variety of self-selected media. Students in this course are encouraged to develop a personal approach to illustration through a process of research, making, evaluating, presenting, and reflecting on their work. Creative strategy, content, technique, media, and subject matter will vary based on the semester and the students. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: ARTD 360: Illustration I.
This course explores the creation of new media imagery in multi-dimensional digital space including 3D and 4D approaches to illustration. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: ARTD 110 Creative Suite and ARTD 360 Illustration I.
Art majors given preference. This course is a study of materials, methods, and techniques used for drawing with pencil, ink, charcoal, and other drawing media. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: ARTS 111 Drawing I.
An introduction to screen printmaking, and relief printmaking (woodcut, linocut, collagraph) techniques and methods. Additional course fee is required.
Practice and Theory pertaining to drawing the human figure from live models. Translating the 3 dimensional figure to 2 dimensions will be the first priority, along with exploration and study in historical and contemporary figural interpretations. Both traditional and non-traditional mediums will be explored with the intent of gaining competence and confidence in the use of figural subject content in a variety of mediums. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: ARTS 111 Drawing I, or instructor’s permission.
In this course, students identify, research, and begin creating a body of work and written thesis in their studio area of interest. Emphasis is placed on strong technical and formal articulation in support of a compelling, developing thesis concept. Professional practices for the emergent studio practitioner will be examined and executed. Participation in the Professional Networking visiting practitioner program through studio visits and lectures is a key component of this course. Additional course fee is required. Prerequisite: Art and Design major and senior status, or instructor's permission.
Complete the following:
- Sophomore Review
- Junior Portfolio Review
- Senior Capstone Research Defense