The Illustration Department offers an area of study for students who want a career in professional illustration. A successful illustrator can convey emotions, interpret events, tell a story or market a product or idea through the use of artistic concepts and images.

Illustrators must master a wide range of drawing media and techniques to meet the objectives of a wide range of employers and projects.  Students in Illustration learn to produce work of high quality that is stylistically strong and reproducible. Classes emphasize flexibility, follow-through, and a high level of professionalism. Projects assigned are based on realistic job situations. Students learn to work both independently and as a team to conceptualize and complete projects. They demonstrate proficiency and versatility in producing work for publication. Consistency, confidence, and personal style are emphasized as the student develops a professional portfolio.

Illustration students cultivate professional skills that will prepare them for successful careers. Some of these skills include creating an illustration from verbal or visual instruction, following a solid work process from concept to completion, and applying marketing principles to freelance opportunities. The Illustration curriculum and faculty guide students through a series of increasingly complex illustrations for advertising and editorial use.

Students also concentrate on merging their traditional training with digital skills to prepare them for the rapid technological advances in the field. Students produce a final portfolio that exhibits personal illustrative style and abilities in design, page layout, and art direction.

Illustration Outcomes

Upon completion, students will be able to:

  • Apply artistic methods and techniques to create a cohesive illustration portfolio with personal or varied styles.
  • Conceptualize creative visual solutions, independently or as part of a team, in a range of settings.
  • Apply professional practices to the illustration field including social media, marketing, and business skills.
  • Demonstrate industry skills in illustration, typography, and design.
  • Demonstrate conceptual and visual thinking of how you work from sketch to final art

Career Opportunities

  • Freelance Illustration
  • Product Designer
  • Editorial Illustration
  • Caricature Artist
  • News & Courtroom Illustration
  • Art Director
  • Storyboard Rendering
  • Muralist
  • Comic Book Artist
  • Tattoo Artist
  • Technical Illustrator
  • Production Artist
  • Art Instructor

Curriculum

122 Total Credits Required for the BFA Degree in Illustration

Semester 1
Fundamentals of Art I5 Semester Credit Hours
Beginning Life Drawing I5 Semester Credit Hours
College Composition I3 Semester Credit Hours
College Success Seminar1 Semester Credit Hour
Semester 2
Fundamentals of Art II5 Semester Credit Hours
Beginning Life Drawing II5 Semester Credit Hours
Anatomy3 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 3
Illustration I5 Semester Credit Hours
(One of two) Oil Painting I; Watercolor Painting I5 Semester Credit Hours
Art History I3 Semester Credit Hours
Oral Communication3 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 4
Drawing for Illustrators5 Semester Credit Hours
(One of five) Figurative Sculpture I; Oil Painting I; Oil Painting II; Watercolor I; Watercolor II5 Semester Credit Hours
Art History II3 Semester Credit Hours
(One of four) Film and Society; Film and Society: World Cultures; Psychology; Adulthood: Relationships, Wellness, or Stress and Longevity3 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 5
(One of five) Storyboarding; Introduction to Photographic Imaging; Typography I; Illustration: Visual Storytelling; Concept Art5 Semester Credit Hours
Digital Graphic Foundations5 Semester Credit Hours
Quantitative Literacy3 Semester Credit Hours
(One of four) Film and Society; Film and Society: World Cultures; Introduction to Psychology; or Adulthood: Relationships, Wellness, Stress and Longevity3 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 6
(Two of nine) Art Direction I; Web Design I; Storyboarding; Illustration: Advertising Art; Introduction to Photographic Imaging; Illustration: Editorial and Publishing Art; Typography I; Digital Illustration I; or Concept Art2 Classes for a Total of 10 Semester Credit Hours
(One of three) Advanced Anatomy; Introduction to Science Labs; Vision, or Light and Color3 Semester Credit Hours
(One of four) Film and Society; Film and Society: World Cultures; Psychology; Adulthood: Relationships, Wellness, or Stress and Longevity3 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 7
(One of six) Illustration: Advertising Art; Digital Illustration I; Art Direction; Design for Illustrators; Concept Art; Internship5 Semester Credit Hours
Advanced Illustration5 Semester Credit Hours
Studio Elective 200/300 or 400 level5 Semester Credit Hours
Semester 8
Portfolio: Illustration5 Semester Credit Hours
Studio Elective 200/300 or 400 level; or Internship5 Semester Credit Hours
College Composition II3 Semester Credit Hours
(One of five) Survey of American Illustration; History of Graphic Design; 20th Century and Contemporary Art History; Art History: Renaissance and Baroque; World Art3 Semester Credit Hours

Portfolios