COMD3313 | Introduction to Illustration – Professor Sara Gómez Woolley | Section D076

Week 8

March 21, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Class Info

Date: March 21

To-Do Before Class

Assignment 1 – Process Presentation
NEW SUBMISSION LINK
Assignment 2 – Poster Illustration
Part 2 – 3 Concept Sketches
Sketchbook Exercise Week 5 INKED TEXTURES

Topic:

PROCESS PRESENTATIONS & Work in Progress Lab

Activities

Warm Up

PROCESS PRESENTATIONS

CRITIQUE

Project 2 Work in Progress

LAB TIME

Review Assignments and Expectations for Next Week’s Class

Due Next Week

Assignment 2 – Poster Illustration
Part 3 Final Sketch
- Come prepared with your final drawing for your 11 x 17 poster. This may be for an artist, a social or cultural event, or a cause. You may draw at a 1:1 ratio or larger and directly on your final working surface.
- Practice drawing references from your Pinterest board of inspirational images in your sketchbook.
- You will finish this project in ink next week.

Sketchbook Exercise Week 8: Practice drawing references from your Pinterest board of inspirational images in your sketchbook.

Week 7

March 14, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Class Info

Date: March 14

To-Do Before Class

Assignment 1 – Final ART
NEW SUBMISSION LINK
Assignment 2 – Poster Illustration
Part 1 Brainstorming, research, Thumbnails
Sketchbook Exercise Week 5 INKED TEXTURES
VIDEO – Sterling Hundley on IDEATION

Topic:

Composition Principles & Poster Design Critique

Activities

Warm Up

Ice Breaker Activity

Discussion

STERLING HUNDLEY on IDEATION

Wrap Up, Week 6

Sketchbook

Share Inked Textures

Reminders

Midterm Process Presentation is Due Next Week

(We will critique Assignment 1 Next week.)

Composition Basic Principles

Lecture

Critique

Assignment 2 – Poster Design

LAB TIME

Review Assignments and Expectations for Next Week’s Class

Due Next Week

Assignment 2 – Poster Illustration
Part 2 Concept Sketches
- Come prepared with 3 tight concept sketches for an 11 x 17 poster you would like to illustrate. This may be for an artist, a social or cultural event, or a cause. The drawing must be at 50% scale or larger. They must illustrate 3 distinctly different concepts.
- Practice drawing references from your Pinterest board of inspirational images in your sketchbook.

Sketchbook Exercise Week 7: Practice drawing references from your Pinterest board of inspirational images in your sketchbook.

REMINDER PROCESS PRESENTATION WEEK 8

Week 6

March 7, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Class Info

Date: March 07

To-Do Before Class

Assignment 1 – Beverage Label, Part 5 of 5 work in progress due, Final ART & 3 Value Studies
Sketchbook Exercise Week 5
Reading Week 5
Discussion Week 5

Topic:

The Wonderful World of INK!

Activities

Warm Up

Add Ice Breaker Activity

Discussion

Wrap Up, Week 5

Sketchbook

Small group sketchbook share

Critique

Assignment 1 – Final ART & 3 Value Studies

Lecture

INTRODUCTION TO INK (part 1 of 2)

Tools and Materials
- Dry Techniques
- Line Weight
- Creating Value in Ink Using Line

In Class Demo

Demo: Inking Warm Ups and Techniques

LAB: In-class inking practice (complete for homework)

INTRODUCE ASSIGNMENT 2 – POSTER ILLUSTRATION

STERLING HUNDLEY on IDEATION

Review Assignments and Expectations for Next Week’s Class

Due Next Week

Assignment 2 – Poster Illustration
Part 1 Brainstorming, research, Thumbnails
- Come prepared with a detailed proposal for an 11 x 17 poster you would like to illustrate. This may be for an artist, a social or cultural event, or a cause. Write a short post (approx 300 words) about the event/artist/cause and your connection to it.
- Using Sterling Hundley’s Method of IDEATION: Create word stacks associated with the topic.
- Make a Pinterest board of inspirational images.
- 20 – 25 Thumbnails

Assignment 1 – Beverage Label, Part 5 of 5 Final ART & 3 Value Studies
Sketchbook Exercise Week 6: MOREINKED TEXTURES
Reading Week 6 : Value & Perspective
WATCH: Sterling Hundley: IDEATION

REMINDER PROCESS PRESENTATION WEEK 8

Assignment 2 : POSTER ILLUSTRATION

March 7, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Overall Assignment:

You’ve been contacted to produce a poster for a special event for a dream client! Choose a favorite band, show, or cause and represent the feeling of it through skillful design and composition.

CHECK OUT Concert Posters from the San Francisco Fillmore for inspiration. Try searching for different years. The Fillmore has had an illustrated poster for every concert since the 1960’s, when its doors opened.

Text should be minimal and complementary to the Illustration, which should be the focus of the project.

Choose something you truly care about.
The cause or event can be a real or made-up.
The copy can be real or made up.
The subject is totally up to you.

Final art needs to be black-and-white and 12″ x 18″.

Note: If you have the opportunity to use this assignment to make a poster for a real event, school play, friend’s band, and so on, it’s recommended that you go for that!

DUE next week:

Choose your topic and thoroughly research it.
Brainstorm thoroughly on your topic to help you come up with UNIQUE concepts.
Decide on Copy and create at least 20 thumbnail designs, demonstrating at least 5 different concepts, for a poster advertising the event or cause of your choice.
Write a short description of the idea for your project and why you chose it, the copy for your event, and your inspiration. You may begin to assemble a library of references for the project as well, and you can feel free to share it.

INSPIRATION…

TOMER HANUKA

LIMITED EDITION FILM POSTERS

ERIC DROOKER

LA LINTERNA CALI

OCCUPY PROTEST POSTERS

LIMITED RUN POSTER ARCHIVE

FILLMORE MUSIC POSTERS (try searching different years or artists!)

DUE IN DROPBOX BEFORE NEXT CLASS

Week 5

March 3, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Class Info

Date: February 28th

To-Do Before Class

Assignment 1 – Beverage Label, Part 4 of 5 due, INKED LINE ART
Sketchbook Exercise Week 4
Reading Week 4
Discussion Week 4

Topic:

Value in Illustration

Activities

Warm Up

Ice Breaker Activity

Sketchbook

Small group sketchbook share

Critique

Assignment 1 – Beverage Label Illustration

INKED LINE ART

Lecture

Lecture: INTRODUCTION TO VALUE

- Pencil Techniques
- Establishing Value key
- Mood
- Lighting
- Object hierarchy
- Focal point

In Class Demo

Value Studies

LAB: Begin Value Studies (complete for homework)

*In each Value Study use a different value key to establish object hierarchy and focal point.

Review Assignments and Expectations for Next Week’s Class

Due Next Week

Assignment 1 – Beverage Label Illustration Part 5 of 5: INKED FINAL ART & 3 Value Studies

REMINDER: Projects are graded 50% PROCESS WORK, 50% FINAL ART.

**WEEK 8 PROCESS PRESENTATIONS ARE DUE**

Sketchbook Exercise Week 5: Inked Textures
Reading Week 5 : Albrecht Durer
Discussion Week 5 : Value

Inked Textures

March 3, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

This week in your sketchbook, we will practice rendering texture and line in ink.

Begin by finding photo references for two objects.

Choose objects that are very different from one another. They do not need to relate, thematically.

Looking at your references, ink the surfaces and details as realistically as you can with various pens. Try all the tools you have! Rendering different textures is a good way to explore different ways of inking and becoming familiar with your pens.

You must have a minimum of five different textures total for the two objects.

Detailed Directions:

PART 1 – Use Pencil to sketch.

Find a photo reference for two objects of varying texture, such as a wood-grain surface, basket, mammal, reptile, grass, flower, tree, metal surface, etc. The objects must have very dissimilar surface textures.
Draw two 3×3 Squares in your sketchbook. (Hint: you can also sketch FIRST and draw the box later to crop the drawing in a way you find interesting.)
Position and scale your sketches to create interesting positive and negative shapes with the 3-inch square.
Using pencil and paper, sketch from the reference, focusing on its contours. Draw the majority or entirety of the object.

PART 2 – INK

Before you begin to ink, preplan the strokes. Mentally organize the shapes that are to be a pattern, texture, or local color/value. You need to decide whether the stroke has a specific function, such as defining a form or creating a surface like fur or scales. No strokes should be random.
Ink the two 3-inch x 3-inch squares.

Week 4

February 21, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Class Info

Date: February 21st

To-Do Before Class

Assignment 1 – Beverage Label (Tea, Coffee, Wine, etc.) Illustration
- Part 3 of 4 is due TIGHT PENCIL SKETCH
Sketchbook Exercise: VISUAL VOCABULARY
Reading CATCH UP!

Topic:

Design Concepts in Illustration & Introduction to Ink

Objectives

Add learning objectives and outcomes here

Activities

Warm Up

Ice breaker Activity

Discussion

Wrap Up, Week 3

Sketchbook

Small group sketchbook share

Critique

Assignment 1 – Beverage Label (Tea, Coffee, Wine, etc.) Illustration

Lecture

Expressive Lines

Design Concepts in Illustration

In Class Demo

TECHNIQUES IN INK

Review Assignments and Expectations for Next Week’s Class

Due Next Week

Assignment 1 – Beverage Label (Tea, Coffee, Wine, etc.) Illustration
- Part 4 due next week: FINAL ART
Sketchbook Exercise Week 4 INK WARM UPS
Reading Week 4: Expressive Line
Discussion Week 4: Composition

WEEK 3

February 12, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Class Info

Date: Friday February 14th

To-Do Before Class

Assignment 1 Part 2 – Concept Sketches
Sketchbook Week 2
Discussion Week 2
Reading Week 2

Topic

Concept Development Techniques / Finishing Techniques

Activities

Warm Up

Add Icebreaker Activity

Discussion

Wrap Up, Week 2

Sketchbook

small group sketchbook share

Lecture

ILLUSTRATION PROCESS, PART 2:

Concept Development Continued
Review Working Process (Step by Step)
Discuss Expected Level of Finish : Thumbnails, Concept Sketch, Tight Pencils, Value Studies, Final Art
Discuss Acceptable Presentation

Critique

Small Groups Critique Assignment 1, Part 2 CONCEPT SKETCHES

In Class Demo

Demo: Digital Tools for Basic overall Image Editing. (Show adjustments for cleaning up pencil sketches.)
Demo: Analog Tools for Final Pencil Drawing.

Review Assignments and Expectations for Next Week’s Class

Due Next Week

Assignment 1 – Beverage Label (Tea, Coffee, Wine, etc.) Illustration
- Part 3 of 4 due next week : TIGHT PENCIL SKETCH
Sketchbook Exercise Week 3: DEVELOP YOUR VISUAL VOCABULARY
Reading: Visual Vocabulary
Reading & Discussion Week 3: IDEA GENERATION

WEEK 2

February 7, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Class Info

Date: February 7th

To-Do Before Class

Assignment 1, Part 1 : Brainstorm, Research & Thumbnails
Sketchbook Exercise Week 1 : Meet the Artist
Discussion Week 1 This is Culture
Join this Openlab Site
Purchase Supplies

Topic

ILLUSTRATION PRACTICES: PROCESS & WORKFLOW

Activities

Warm Up

Sara is always hungry.

Discussion

Wrap Up, Week 1

Sketchbook

Meet the Artist Share
- small group sketchbook share & introductions

Lecture

ILLUSTRATION PROCESS, PART 2:

Who’s who in the process and what can I expect?
Typical workflow.
Drawing from Reference
The importance of multiple solutions.
Personal Vision
Thumbnails: How do you do it, and how many is too many?

In Class Demo

REVIEW and REFINE thumbnails based on Student Concepts

Review Assignments and Expectations for Next Week’s Class

Due Next Week

Assignment 1 – Beverage Label (Tea, Coffee, Wine, etc.) Illustration
- Part 2 of 4 due next week :
Sketchbook Exercise Week 2 : Visual Vocabulary
Reading Week 2 : Artist Selfies, Everybody’s doing it, Lauren Panepinto
Discussion Week 2 : Artist Selfies, Everybody’s doing it

Assignment 1, Part 1

February 2, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Brainstorming, Research, & Thumbnails

To Begin:

Respond to the name of the beverage that you generated randomly. Write an exhaustive list of images and words that come to you by free association.
Brainstorm in your sketchbooks based on research. Let one thought lead to another. Feel free to go with random ideas and whims, and to free associate, Don’t censor yourself! Use the Word Web Method we practiced in class.
Research the client as well as any imagery suggested by the beverage, the brand, or the name. Search for images as well as information.
Write a sentence about your client. What is your overall impression in one statement?

Word web using Japan, New York, and Central Park as Key Words.

Next:

Identify at least 4 different concepts for the final illustration and describe them in detail.
Write them out in the form of a sentence. Be sure the concepts are a good fit for the client.

Mint Magic Tea, Celestial Seasonings, Braldt Brald 1986

EXAMPLE:

“Client Celestial Seasonings, Mint Magic Tea is whimsical, fun, and magical.”

Concept Examples for MINT MAGIC TEA:
1. illustration of a wizard, in a garden maze made of mint leaves, in front of a celestial sky
2. illustration of a fairy bathing in a warm cup of tea
3. illustration of a friendly gypsy reading tea leaves, in the cup you can see the tea leaves form the words “mint magic” in hand drawn letters.
4. illustration of a cute baby dragon heating a tea kettle with its firey breath

Explore these different concepts through rough drawings in your sketchbook.

Create a Pinterest board of inspirational images for Assignment One to share with your client next week.

FINALLY DRAW YOUR Thumbnail Sketches

Write your concepts out in the form sentences in your sketchbook, to refer back to as you sketch.
Using a Ruler make 20 -25 boxes in your sketchbook approximately 2″ on the longest side.
- Always draw thumbnail boxes in proportion to your final art! In this case that is horizontal, 2″ x 1″
- Be sure thumbnails don’t share edges. Leave a space between the boxes.
Fill these boxes with 20 – 25 thumbnail sketches exploring your concepts.
Look at your inspiration board as you explore your concepts visually.

EXAMPLES OF THUMBNAILS

DUE NEXT WEEK:

Upload to the DROPBOX:

One PDF including:

A short written response to the project including your name, the client name, and your 4 different concepts expressed in the form of a sentence.

And high-resolution (300 DPI ), easy-to-read scans of your Brainstorm and Thumbnail Sketches, carefully labeled, with the name of the client and concepts illustrated, along with any additional sketches you may have done.

Hello & Welcome!

January 31, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Welcome to COMD 3313 Introduction to Illustration!

On this site you will have access to all materials presented in the online class, your assignments, and additional helpful resources.

Here you will also post to discussions, and share images of work in progress with your classmates. Please keep reading : Getting Started, below

If you’d like to learn a little more about ME, your professor, please feel free to check out my website!

Happy Drawing!

– Professor Gómez Woolley

Getting Started:

If you’re new to the OpenLab, follow these instructions to create an account and then join the course.

Remember that your username and display name can be pseudonyms, rather than your real name. Your avatar does not need to be a picture of your face–just something that identifies you on the OpenLab.

To get a quick start, please check out HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS SITE.

Questions

If you have any questions, please reach out via email or in Office Hours.

If you need help using the OpenLab, you can consult OpenLab Help or contact the OpenLab Community Team.

Assignment 1

January 30, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Beverage Label Reboot

Floriaan, OostEke Brewery, Belgium – Designer: Jonas Devacht, New York

Project Overview:

Congratulations you got your first gig! A client has approached you to redesign an existing beverage label. Your client will be assigned at random by your professor for this project. (You may choose to interpret the design prompt as an illustrated tea, soda, or beer label. All designs are for an illustrated wrap-around can for the specs provided.)

NEW DESIGN MUST BE PRIMARILY ILLUSTRATED, NOT TEXT BASED. If text is included in the final design it may not constitute more than 20% of the final artwork.

Instructions

Final Art is required to be created in Black and White only. Work will be conceptualized in pencil and finished in ink.
Work in Progress must be posted for feedback to the DROPBOX. This is part of the design process and is a graded component of the project.

Due Date(s)

Part 1, Brainstorming, Research & Thumbnails: Generate Ideas, find new ones through research, and create an image library. Come up with at least 4 concepts to discuss with your client.
Part 2, Concept Sketches
Part 3, Final Pencil Sketch
Part 4, Final Art

Resources

INSPIRATION
Reading
Previous Student Examples
SPECS

https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/drink-names.php

https://beerandbrewing.com/tools/beer-name-generator

How to Navigate this Site

January 30, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Week 1

January 30, 2025 / Sara Gómez Woolley / 0 Comments

Class Info

Date: January 31 2025
Course Goals: To familiarize students with the illustration field including its basic working methods, industry practices, basic history, and philosophies. Artistic techniques will be taught as well, however, this is a class focused on concept generation, and the creation of thoughtful illustrations, as opposed to a drawing or painting technical course.

To-Do Before Class

Join this Openlab Site
Review the Syllabus

Topic

WELCOME TO INTRO TO ILLUSTRATION

Objectives

To familiarize students with the objectives of the course.
To establish working practices and clarify expected outcomes.
To introduce the basics of illustration working practices.
To introduce concept generation techniques.

Activities

Review academic policies & go over the syllabus
What to Expect
Critique and Discussion best practices
Introduction to Weekly Sketchbook Practice
WARM UP! LETS GO!

Lecture

What is Illustration?
Illustrators are visual problem solvers!
Process: Where to begin? Brainstorming & Research Techniques

Word Web Method of Brainstorming, for Japan Day Central Park.
Key Words: Japan, New York, Central Park

In Class Demo

Brainstorm concepts to update MINT MAGIC TEA
Competitive Concept Generation in Small Teams

Review Assignments and Expectations for Next Week’s Class

Beverage Name Generators:

https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/drink-names.php

https://beerandbrewing.com/tools/beer-name-generator/#

Due Next Week

Assignment 1 – Craft Beverage Label Illustration
- Part 1 of 4 due next week – Brainstorm & Sketches (helpful hint REMEMBER THE HORIZONTAL SHAPE OF THE FINAL ILLUSTRATION.)
Read: Design Driving Industry
Read: This is Culture
Sketchbook Exercise Week 1: Meet the Artist
Discussion: Developing a Sketchbook Practice
Discussion: This is Culture
Join this Openlab Site
Purchase Supplies