Illustration Course Descriptions

ILLU 200 Drawing and Design for Illustrators
This course extends drawing and design skills by teaching image making with an emphasis on shape, edge, value, color and communication. Assignments, lectures and demonstrations elaborate on commonly employed illustrative components such as observation, perspective, light and shadow, construction of form, space interpretation, texture and style. Students establish professional habits and procedures. Other aspects of this course include proper use of reference materials, clarity of concept and reproduction requirements. Prerequisite: DRAW 200.

ILLU 205 Illustration Materials and Techniques I
Various traditional and nontraditional skills and techniques are used to produce illustrations. This course applies composition and design, color and conceptualization to a range of materials and techniques. Prerequisite: ILLU 200.

ILLU 213 Introduction to Illustration
This course explores illustration as a means of communicating ideas. Classes are designed around a series of problems and illustrations experiences for which there are no pre-established solutions. Various materials and techniques are explored. Prerequisites: DSGN 101, ILLU 200.

ILLU 215 Illustration Materials and Techniques II
In this course, students explore and practice with mixed media on created surfaces. Various media, including acrylics, oils, watercolor and gouache, are combined with other materials, such as pastel, colored pencil and charcoal. Students complete traditional and nontraditional assignments and are encouraged to develop and explore individual techniques. Prerequisite: ILLU 205.

ILLU 217 Editorial Illustration I
This course addresses concepts in illustration and seeks to expand students' capability to solve visual problems with creative, individual and expressive imagery. Assignments provide the context for this exploration and challenge students to enter new territory in their search for unique and provocative ideas. Editorial illustration embraces strong conceptual approaches to picture making and is fertile ground for creativity and expression. Prerequisite: ILLU 205.

ILLU 225 Electronic Illustration I
Students use Adobe Photoshop to enhance traditional work and acquire important knowledge in the digital domain. Idea development within real-world parameters, originality, aesthetics and technical proficiency are emphasized. Prerequisites: CMPA 100 or CMPA 110, and ILLU 205.

ILLU 229 Survey of Illustration
Students focus on illustration and its historical relationship to both fine arts and commercial applications. Illustration is directly linked to ever-changing social and political trends, fine art movements and technological advances in the field of publishing. Through the use of videos, slides, book references and lectures, students explore a variety of images and concepts regarding past and present illustration markets. Prerequisite: ARTH 110.

ILLU 240 Drawing for Scientific Illustration
This course introduces students to the process of careful study and analysis of natural forms, systematic record keeping of field and studio studies, and the application of these studies in the development of formal illustrations. Prerequisite: ILLU 215 or SEQA 215.

ILLU 245 Photography for Scientific Illustration
This course introduces students to the photographic tools available that can support and further their development as scientific illustrators. The capture and study of varieties of light on natural forms is particularly emphasized.

ILLU 303 Advertising Practices
In this course, students explore concepts and ideas used to create advertising ranging from branding to print to television. Students are responsible not only for the finished illustration, but also the thought processes necessary to develop their solutions. Strategic thinking and execution are emphasized. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 304 Advertising Illustration I
This course addresses practical illustration problems encountered in creating advertising art, posters, CD covers, books, packaging and other art forms. Various materials and techniques are explored, and unique approaches to problem solving are encouraged. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 305 Children's Book Illustration
This course introduces children's book illustration, with an emphasis on creating a professional package that may be sent to publishers. Students are introduced to the world of traditional and modern children's book illustration through lectures, demonstrations and analyses of several nationally and internationally successful books. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 306 Book Illustration I
This course develops students' skills in interpreting a manuscript or story and creating a visual image. Students explore the application of various materials and techniques. Emphasis is placed on unique solutions and perspectives to expand students' imagination and develop a personal viewpoint. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 311 The Portrait in Illustration
This course addresses the portrait as a means of visual problem solving that goes beyond creating a likeness. Students are presented a variety of illustration assignments that incorporate the use of portraiture in documentary, editorial, and commissioned contexts. Working from live models, students learn the principles of creating a portrait using different media and techniques. The course includes an overview of portraiture throughout art history and an exploration of the portrait in today's illustration market. Prerequisites: DRAW 200, ILLU 215.

ILLU 313 Collage for Illustration
Providing a uniquely tactile problem-solving process for the illustrator, this course gives students exposure to a wide variety of media and techniques. Various materials and practices are addressed including adhesive aesthetics and image manipulation (both manual and digital). Emphasis is placed on connecting content and concept within the collaged form to create a successful illustration. Prerequisites: ILLU 200, ILLU 201.

ILLU 316 Electronic Illustration II
Mastering new skills and techniques for creating digital illustrations are the focus of this advanced course. Topics include extensive information concerning current software specific to the digital illustration market. Emphasis is also placed on controlling and/or modifying output of student-produced imagery. Prerequisite: ILLU 225.

ILLU 317 Introduction to Scientific Illustration
Scientific Illustration encompasses a broad range of subject matter and approaches. This introductory course emphasizes accuracy and clarity in communication, combined with aesthetic quality and sensibilities. A variety of discrete systems, from the microscopic to the global, are visually explored and rendered in detail. Prerequisite: ILLU 240.

ILLU 320 3-D Illustration
Nontraditional media provide areas of exploration for illustrators. Pop-ups, foldouts, illustrated furniture, folding screens, papier-m??ch?? and paper sculpture???anything that breaks away from the 2-D format???are acceptable media for problem solving in this course. Design and composition, color, line and form are covered. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 323 Advanced Rendering Techniques for Scientific Illustration
Emphasizing the student's need to analyze, interpret and distill the complexities observed in natural forms, this course focuses on honing rendering abilities. Students produce illustrations of both the known and imagined, the observed and unobservable. Prerequisite: ILLU 240.

ILLU 324 Pastel Techniques
This course explores various techniques of the soft pastel medium, including dry-on-dry and dry-on-wet. Students experiment with oil, oil pastel, watercolor and acrylic, using still life, the human figure and photographic reference. Students work with both large and small formats and explore pastel from a fine art and illustrative perspective. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 325 Editorial Illustration II
This course focuses on using a personal approach to create individual style. The course emphasizes illustrations that complement the written word, provoke the reader's interest, provide visual impact and entertain the reader. Prerequisite: ILLU 217.

ILLU 326 Advertising Illustration II
This advanced course emphasizes style development applicable to the advertising market. Discussions, critiques and analysis focus on professional execution of finished illustrations, image development and personal flair. Prerequisite: ILLU 304.

ILLU 327 Book Illustration II
This course continues the practice of professional illustration techniques, interpretations and presentations of books begun in Book Illustration I. Students review the traditional, but not necessarily conventional, approaches of successful book illustrators. Students who appreciate literature particularly enjoy and benefit from the course. Prerequisite: ILLU 306.

ILLU 330 Poster Design and Illustration
The poster has long been an exciting medium for expressing the creative personality of the illustrator. This course emphasizes the visual product and examines the graphic vocabulary of poster communication for various venues such as theater, movies, media and corporations. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 331 The Art of Caricature
The artist's perspective in social, political and satirical commentary is examined in this studio course. The history of caricature, from Goya and Daumier through Levine and Hirschfeld, is incorporated into lectures and assignments. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 337 Watercolor for the Illustrator
This course focuses on watercolor as a medium for the illustrator. Students are challenged to develop traditional and nontraditional techniques and to explore weights of paper, textures and block-out materials. Assignments are relevant for the working illustrator. Current and historical information is presented to demonstrate the impact of watercolor on the field of illustration. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 338 Humorous Illustration
This course explores the conception and production of illustrations that use humor to communicate ideas. Students analyze humorous art produced by renowned illustrators such as Seymour Chwast, Ed Sorel, R.O. Blechman, Steven Guarnaccia, Ralph Steadman, Elwood Smith and Gary Baseman. Traditional and digital techniques are demonstrated. Character development, design, stylization, distortion and exaggeration are practiced to develop a personal look. Students explore the many venues that showcase humorous art, including magazines, greeting cards and advertisements. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 339 Illustration for Retail Markets
Exploring the role that an illustrator plays in the retail product marketplaces of the entertainment industry, students generate original ideas through use of 3-D drawing techniques followed by design and rendering of products. Students create characters and environments, and they learn the professional expectations and standards of the field. ILLU 200, ILLU 306.

ILLU 341 Illustrating the Edible
This course focuses on food illustration in five general areas in the illustration market: cookbooks (covers and interiors), recipe and editorial illustration (magazines), production illustration (packaging), menu imagery (advertising???restaurants, bistros, coffee houses) and 3-D food display (inside restaurants, window displays, store displays). Projects are designed with each of these areas in mind. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 342 Acrylic Techniques
Various traditional and nontraditional skills and techniques are used to produce illustrations. This course addresses the applications of composition and design, color and conceptualization with a variety of acrylic paint techniques. Through set projects, students experiment and gain experience with at least four different methods of working in acrylic paints. Prerequisite: ILLU 215.

ILLU 346 Digital Sculpting for Scientific Illustration
This course is an exploration of the use of digital sculpting in scientific illustration. Topics covered include creating digital sculptures, synthesizing various digital sculptures and illustrative materials into a coherent whole, and professional practices regarding the use of digital sculptures in the scientific illustration industry. Students will create innovative and original artwork for inclusion in a professional portfolio. Prerequisite: ILLU 317.

ILLU 347 Applied Perspective Theory for Scientific Illustration
As part of both the verbal and visual communication tools necessary for a successful dialogue with the scientific community, this course covers the specific and highly specialized requirements of accurately depicting 3-D form onto a 2-D surface are thoroughly explored in this hands-on, step-by-step process of applied perspective theory. Prerequisite: ILLU 323.

ILLU 348 Vector Illustration and Design
Using vector-based software, in this course students learn multiple techniques for creating illustrations and simple Web interfaces. Subjects include rendering with Bezier curves, combining vector- and raster-based imagery, and animating a Web interface. Prerequisite: ILLU 225.

ILLU 349 Digital Drawing and Design for Scientific Illustration
The communication of complex scientific principles often requires multiple images, and the ability to design and compose these images for print as well as electronic media is essential to a scientific illustrator. This course uses a variety of software in the development and design of scientific instructional material, both for print and electronic media. Prerequisite: ILLU 323.

ILLU 362 Applied Color Systems for Wildlife/Field Studies
Scientific Illustrators use informed observational, technical, and aesthetic skills to portray a natural subject accurately. As accuracy and communication are essential to this discipline, students will learn about key color concept tools to effectively communicate the awe-inspiring look of wildlife in its habitat. Prerequisite: ILLU 317.

ILLU 400 Illustration Portfolio
This course allows advanced illustration students the opportunity to build and enhance their portfolio by proposing a series of illustration problems for themselves. Emphasis is placed on advanced development of personal style through an examination of content, materials and techniques. Students engage in the illustrative process from concept to completion as they develop an illustration portfolio. Prerequisites: ILLU 225, and ILLU 305 or ILLU 306.

ILLU 409 Illustration Self-promotion
Self-promotion addresses business practices in regard to illustration and prepares the student in the fine art of packaging and promoting their work. Additionally, the Self Promotion student becomes well versed in legal and accounting issues relevant to the field of illustration; representation in the industry; and industry standards in pricing and contract negotiation. Course projects include database development, defining and targeting markets, traditional and digital marketing strategies, and assembling presentation materials critical to launching an illustration career. Prerequisites: ILLU 400.

ILLU 410 Getting Published
In this course, advanced students become actual working illustrators. The professor arranges jobs for publication in major magazines. Other possibilities for published work in this course include book covers and work for advertising agencies. Prerequisite: Senior or graduate status.

ILLU 495 Special Topics in Illustration
The topic of this course varies from quarter to quarter. Each seminar focuses on various issues in the field of illustration and allows students to pursue individual projects related to the topic of the course. Prerequisites: Vary according to topic.

ILLU 701 Illustration Techniques I
This course explores and adds to students' repertoire of media and techniques. Through class assignments, students practice and increase their skills with media and techniques common to the field of illustration. Students also may investigate and work with nontraditional media. The content of the course is oriented toward the commercial field of illustration.

ILLU 711 Illustration References
This studio course that gives students the opportunity to further their appreciation and understanding of contemporary trends in illustration while at the same time extending their own illustration skills. Exploring different approaches to illustration through professional examples from both the past and the present allows the student to recognize the conceptual skills and techniques that realize an idea. Different areas of illustration will be covered such as editorial, book, fantasy and advertising.

ILLU 714 Drawing for Illustrators
This course explores drawing as the key mode of expression for the illustrator. The course begins with refreshing and strengthening observation skills, mark-making technique and interpretation abilities. Other areas addressed include creative expression, gesture, attitude, movement embellishment and exaggeration. Students are encouraged to develop individual and personal approaches to drawing within the context of illustration. The course reviews fundamental issues of value, mood, composition, proportion and perspective.

ILLU 721 Illustration Techniques II
This course provides exploration of and practice with mixed media on a variety of surfaces. Assignments are based on typical areas of concentration found in the field of illustration, including conceptual, decorative, surreal, editorial, design, narrative, portrait and realistic. Prerequisite: ILLU 701.

ILLU 727 Illustration Concepts and Composition
This course revisits the fundamentals of illustration and seeks to join concept and composition as one element. Assignments are dedicated to generating creative ideas and exploring the best possible methods for expressing these ideas with compelling imagery.

ILLU 730 Computer Illustration
This course explores the possibilities of the computer as a medium to create images and illustration through the use of popular software. Concepts and sketches are developed technically, and the computer is applied as a tool to produce finished pieces. Personal approach and style are emphasized, and consistency is encouraged.

ILLU 735 Illustration Markets
This course incorporates the insights gained in Illustration Concepts and Composition into topic-oriented assignments designed to address students' portfolio needs. Students are introduced to the criteria professionals use to evaluate portfolios, as well as general marketing tips. Prerequisite: ILLU 727.

ILLU 740 Contemporary Topics in Illustration
This course is a creative workshop offered on a periodic basis. Course content is based on a faculty member's or visiting illustrator's expertise.

ILLU 742 Directed Projects in Illustration
Working one-on-one with the professor, students pursue an illustration specialty of particular interest and significance. The course involves group instruction and critiques, as well as individual projects. Prerequisite: ILLU 727.

ILLU 749 Illustration M.A. Final Project
This course focuses on each student's personal artistic vision as it relates to illustration and on the many ways students can present their work, both through a traditional portfolio and in other relevant formats. Students are expected to learn how to develop a professional portfolio that incorporates a personal style as evidenced in a substantial body of work. Students also develop r??sum??s, promotional mailers and mailing lists. All M.A. students in illustration are required to complete this final project in printed or digital form. Prerequisite: ILLU 735.

ILLU 760 Poster Illustration
The poster has long been an exciting medium for expression of the creative personality of the illustrator. While this class emphasizes the visual product, students also examine the graphic vocabulary of poster communication for various venues such as theatre, movies, media and public announcement. In this course students conduct research on a topic and present their findings in a visual and written format. Prerequisites: ILLU 701, ILLU 730.

ILLU 764 Illustration for Publications
In this course, students gain professional experience. The professor arranges jobs for publication in major magazines and acts as a liaison between students and art directors. Other possibilities for publication in this course include book covers and work generated for advertising agencies and design firms. Prerequisite: ILLU 727.

ILLU 774 Professional Practices in Illustration
This course addresses the business side of illustration, from purchase orders and pricing to packaging and presentation. Students are expected to become familiar with numerous marketing strategies and professional practices in the field. Assignments include compiling an art director's list, assembling various portfolios and creating a self-promotional mailer. Prerequisite: ILLU 727.

ILLU 780 Special Topics in Illustration
This course provides an opportunity for students to focus on particular issues in the field or to study advanced techniques and processes. Faculty, course content and prerequisites vary. The course may include lectures, discussions, individual projects and critiques, depending on the topic.

ILLU 790 Illustration M.F.A. Thesis
All M.F.A. students in illustration are required to develop and prepare an original exhibition, accompanied by a written component.