Illustration (Certificate)

Attention Illustration, Visual Development, Animation, and Fine Art students: take this class. You'll focus on the form and structure of the head and hands to create dynamic drawings that include expressions and emotions.

Create lifelike drawings using traditional techniques and classical principles to achieve depth and tactile realism. Explore geometric construction, apply the five-value system to understand light and shadow, and refine skills in perspective, composition, and rendering a variety of textures and materials.

Learn how to draw the human figure with accuracy. Through focused practice, develop an understanding of gesture, proportion, rhythm, balance, structure, and musculature to create confident, dynamic figure drawings.

Master perspective drawing to create credible real-world and imaginative environments. Apply light, shadow, and composition to convey atmosphere and mood, producing immersive scenes with bold perspective and striking lighting.

Take a deep dive into color and design using traditional media. Explore color harmony through various schemes and learn how psychology, contrast, proportion, atmospheric depth, light temperature, unity, and visual emphasis enhance imagery. Apply these principles in painting to create visuals with powerful storytelling.

Draw the clothed figure in various situations. You'll study physical flexibility in observational drawing, the essential relationships of the body, how to achieve three-dimensional form, proportion, foreshortening, and how to construct folds.

Combine essential camera and digital imaging skills to augment your imagery. Using a camera for reference, inspiration, and digital imaging to manipulate photo images, you'll learn to create narrative content, increasing your skills in a fun yet challenging environment. Phone camera or digital camera and computer access are required.

Develop illustrations using a clear concept, professional procedures, and core design principles. You'll learn the process, media, tools, and current industry techniques in black and white, water-based media, and mixed media in color.

Make illustration your business. Most working illustrators also have skills in accounting, interviewing, taxes, legal matters, self-marketing, agent selection, self-promotion, and more. You'll learn to reproduce, present, and sell your artwork.

Designed for all majors interested in photography, students will be presented an inspired approach to using photography across mediums. Topics include proper exposure, lighting, composition, and optimizing photos for a digital workflow. A smartphone or digital camera is required for this course.