New York City College of Technology  • Communication Design Department

COMD 3313: Introduction to Illustration

Professor J. Longo • Spring 2024 • 2:15–5:35p • Rm11-18

Class Info/Syllabus

Course Overview: ​​This course is a practical introduction to the diverse and sprawling field of illustration. Focus will be placed on process/development work and professional practices and execution. This course is presented within contemporary and historical context.

The course includes projects and lectures in a variety of illustration genres including:

  • Product Design and Packaging 
  • Advertising/Social Media
  • Storyboard/Concept Art
  • Animation/Character design/Previs/Props
  • Book Illustration/Games/Narrative-Sequential-Comic
  • Editorial Illustration/Political-Humor Cartoons
  • Institutional Illustration 
  • TV & Film

A variety of materials will be introduced through lectures and demonstrations for use on assignments such as: digital painting, pencil, pen and ink, brush, colored pencil, brush and paint, and collage. 

Critical concepts such as: Conceptual Development, Working on Assignment, Composition, Contrast, Value, Point of View, and Color theory will be introduced. 

3 Credits, 4 Hours (1 lecture, 3 lab) ENG 092R (ESOL 032R) and/or ENG 092W

(ESOL 031W) as required.

Attendance (College) and Lateness (Department) Policies

A class roster roll will be taken at the beginning of each class. Only two absences are allowed. After two absences, a student may be withdrawn because of unsatisfactory attendance (code WU). Students arriving after the roll is taken will be marked “late.” Students will be notified at the earliest ATTENDANCE cont: opportunity in class after they have been absent or late. After four latenesses, a student will be asked to withdraw from the class (code W) or may be withdrawn from the class (code WU).

Academic Integrity Standards

Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion.

Academic Integrity and Expectations

You are responsible for reading, understanding and abiding by the NYC College of Technology Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities,” section “Academic Integrity Standards.” Academic dishonesty of any type, including cheating and plagiarism is unacceptable. “Cheating” is misrepresenting another student’s efforts/work as your own. “Plagiarism” is the representation of another person’s work, words or concepts as your own.

In-Class Structure/ Timeline

  • Submit homework before class to for peer and instructor review (USE THIS GOOGLE DRIVE)
  • Meet with students as a group or individually to review work and offer feedback 
  • In Class Lecture and / or Demo 
  • Give new assignment & homework 
  • Work in class

Grading System

  • Sketchbook 20%
  • Individual Assignments 20%
  • Midterm Project 20%
  • Final Project 25%
  • Participation 15%

• Projects given as homework assignments are due to be received digitally before the beginning of class, otherwise they are considered late.

• Any missed assignments will earn a zero. Assignments received after the deadline will drop a full letter grade, and will only be accepted within 1 week of the due date. After that time period, any late assignment will earn a zero.

• A final portfolio of all projects will be handed in with the final project at the end of the semester. Students have the option to revisit earlier projects and revise them based on critique.

• Make-ups: If a student finds they will not be able to present or hand in a project on the scheduled day, it is their responsibility to notify the instructor PRIOR to the due date and request alternate arrangements. Points will be deducted for late assignments and missed critiques.

Labs

You are expected to work on sketchbooks and assignments for at least four hours a week outside of class. You will find that assignments will take a lot more than that to be successful. Students are encouraged to utilize tools posted in the Class Resources section for extra help.

Critiques

Each student will present their work weekly for critique using appropriate design vocabulary.

The critique is a neutral dialogue. Students will present their work and discuss the strengths and weaknesses, expressing what works and what doesn’t work in relation to the assignment guidelines. Peer responses will be given. No personal likes or dislikes are discussed without elaborating the “why” of it. Design-specific terminology should be used at all times.

Communication

Communication is at the heart of everything you do as a creative professional. Whether you go on to become a designer, illustrator, art director, game designer, or any one of the numerous careers that the COMD department is preparing you for, your number one goal is to communicate, and to do it visually. To be able to communicate visually you also need to be able to communicate verbally. One of the most important and overlooked skills in our industry is to be able to express yourself clearly so that other people understand what you are saying. 

With that in mind you should always try to express yourself as clearly as possible in this (and all) of your classes. Within this class you are expected to communicate with your classmates and with your professor. If you are going to miss a class it is your responsibility to let the professor know. If you are sick and miss a class when an assignment is due you will get a zero unless you contact your professor. 

If you have a question or are confused about something COMMUNICATE! Ask a question, send an email. Ignorance is not an excuse.

Essentials for Class

  • Sketchbook: BLANK 8.5” x 11” or larger
  • Favorite drawing pencils 
  • Ruler and/or triangle 
  • Kneaded eraser 
  • Graphite transfer paper or light box 
  • Brush pens (Tombow or Pigma recommended)
  • Felt pens (Micron or Staedtler recommended) 
  • Sharpie Marker: Round/Chisel/Both
  • Bristol board: 11” x 14” or larger
  • Cloud storage, so that assignments are accessible for work in class 
  • Scanner or digital camera 
  • Adobe PS strongly recommended 
  • Drawing tablet strongly recommended

Graded Assignments

Appearances matter. Work should be presented online neatly and with care.

Recommend creating a consistent file-naming formula:

ClientName _ClassProject/Assignment/Title_Name+Date.FileFormat

  • COMD3313_AdvertIllo_THerangel825.pdf  (2nd Ver.) COMD3313_AdvertIllo2_THerangel825b.pdf 
  • COMD3313_FP-BookIllo_MVargas10145.psd  (4th Ver:) COMD3313_FP-BookIllo_MVargas10145d.psd 

Weekly Schedule 

January 26, 2024 | WEEK 1

Introduction: Review academic policies, go over syllabus. Discuss our relationship to illustration.

Sketchbook & Critique Practice

Assignment 1: Beverage Label Illustration

Sketchbook Assignment 1: #MeetTheArtist

February 2, 2024 | WEEK 2

Lecture: Illustration Process 

NEW: Assignment 1, part 2 – Thumbnails Sketches

DUE: Assignment 1, part 1

February 9, 2024 | WEEK 3

Lecture: Concept Development 

NEW: Assignment 1, part 3: Concept Sketches

DUE: Assignment 1, part 2

February 16, 2024 | WEEK 4

Lecture: Design Concepts in Illustration

NEW: Assignment 1, Part 4: Tight Pencil Sketch

DUE: Assignment 1, Part 3

February 23, 2024 | WEEK 5

Lecture: Introduction to Value

NEW: Midterm Project: Inked Illustration

DUE NEXT WEEK: Final Pencil Illustration & 2 Value Studies

DUE: Assignment 1 Part 4.

March 1, 2024 | WEEK 6

Lecture: Introduction to Ink

NEW: Assignment 1, part 5: Final Inked Art

DUE: Final pencil illustration & 2 Value Studies

March 8, 2024 | WEEK 7 — Midterm presentations (no lecture)

DUE: Midterm Presentation and Final Inked Art

          (formal presentation in class)

NEW: Assignment 2, Editorial Illustration Magazine Cover, Part 1 – brainstorm & research

March 15, 2024 | WEEK 8

Lecture: Introduction to Editorial Illustration — Concept Is Key!

NEW: Assignment 2, part 2 Thumbnails & Concept Sketches

DUE: Assignment 2, part 1

March 22, 2024 | WEEK 9

Lecture: Introduction to Color

Due: Assignment 2: Thumbnails & Concept Sketches

New: Assignment 2: Pencil Finish Drawings (*Ink & pencil with digital), 3 value

studies, 3 color studies

March 29, 2024 | NO CLASSES

April 5, 2024 | WEEK 10

Lecture: Intro to Digital Coloring

DUE: Assignment 2: Pencil Finish Drawings, 3 value studies, 3 color studies

NEW: Editorial Illustration Final Art. *Limited Color Palette* Magazine Cover

April 12, 2024 | WEEK 11 

Final Project Assigned

Lecture: Book Illustration & Understanding the Beats of a Story

DUE: Editorial Illustration Final Art

NEW: FINAL PROJECT: Narrative illustration

Part 1 : Story Selection & Thumbnails for Cover/Interior Illustrations

April 19, 2024 | WEEK 12

Lecture: Point of View

NEW: TV+Film/Gaming/Animation with a focus on Character Designs & Concept Art

April 26, 2024 |  SPRING BREAK–NO CLASS

May 3, 2024 |  WEEK 13

Lecture: Political Cartoons/Humor/Sequential Art

New: Storyboards + Camera Language

Lab: Work in Class

May 10, 2024 |  WEEK 14

Lecture: Expression

New: Heads/Hands/Feet — Work in Class

May 17, 2024 |  WEEK 15

Final Project Due

Final Presentations

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